Crux Polaris
14 November 2005, 09:00
IDENTITY THEFT
also known as Identity Fraud. A brief description.
The term “Identity Theft” has been objected to by some, as identity is not something that can be stolen. The victim does not cease to be who they are. However, as this is the best-known term for this crime, we will stick with it for simplicity’s sake.
The goal of identity theft is to defraud the victim or the victim's relations. The ultimate objective is to gain access to the victim’s finances or assets that the victim has access to in some form or other, e.g., a company he/she is involved with, or even relatives' assets. It should be noted that in less-common cases, the goal of identity theft is to enable terrorism, espionage, illegal immigration, or to change identity permanently. The method for changing identities permanently is more commonly known as a “paper chase”, and has little relevance here.
The series of events that facilitates identity theft can be complex, as are the methods used, but it boils down to a breach of privacy. In the United States it has become common with such methods as stealing mail or rummaging through garbage to find personal information, while the online methods include the making of “phishing sites”, i.e., sites that appear to be legitimate but which transmit information to the criminal.
The perpetrators of identity theft are after the bits of your personal information that can be used to gain access to the assets you have in banks, credit accounts, and so on. They want your name, your maiden name if you have one, your credit card information, bank account number, social security number (or your country’s equivalent), drivers license number, mortgage or loan details, your spouse’s name and information, and so on. Some of this can be obtained from public records, but these days, usually not enough of it to be useful. They need your help in that they need your carelessness when you reveal information online, on the phone, or in the mail. Without your “help”, they are clueless. Note that they don’t need or want all the information listed above – that is just a list of what pieces will be useful, even individually. One piece can easily be used to obtain the other
What you can do to protect yourself is outlined in an article here (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=252).
What it all boils down to, however, is that you should always be extremely careful to whom you give your information. If you don’t know the person, or the company you are dealing with, you should not disclose anything that can be used against you. Your name and your date of birth are normally fine, but that’s where it stops. If you are requested to give out more information than that, you should be absolutely sure that the individual with whom you are dealing is legitimate, and the company or organization is established and trusted.
It is also pertinent to note here that the majority of perpetrators are previously known to the victim, such as a family member, acquaintance or “friend”, through mundane methods such as financial statements, checks and credit cards.
This article Copyright:Fraudwatchers.org 2005
Written by Crux Polaris
also known as Identity Fraud. A brief description.
The term “Identity Theft” has been objected to by some, as identity is not something that can be stolen. The victim does not cease to be who they are. However, as this is the best-known term for this crime, we will stick with it for simplicity’s sake.
The goal of identity theft is to defraud the victim or the victim's relations. The ultimate objective is to gain access to the victim’s finances or assets that the victim has access to in some form or other, e.g., a company he/she is involved with, or even relatives' assets. It should be noted that in less-common cases, the goal of identity theft is to enable terrorism, espionage, illegal immigration, or to change identity permanently. The method for changing identities permanently is more commonly known as a “paper chase”, and has little relevance here.
The series of events that facilitates identity theft can be complex, as are the methods used, but it boils down to a breach of privacy. In the United States it has become common with such methods as stealing mail or rummaging through garbage to find personal information, while the online methods include the making of “phishing sites”, i.e., sites that appear to be legitimate but which transmit information to the criminal.
The perpetrators of identity theft are after the bits of your personal information that can be used to gain access to the assets you have in banks, credit accounts, and so on. They want your name, your maiden name if you have one, your credit card information, bank account number, social security number (or your country’s equivalent), drivers license number, mortgage or loan details, your spouse’s name and information, and so on. Some of this can be obtained from public records, but these days, usually not enough of it to be useful. They need your help in that they need your carelessness when you reveal information online, on the phone, or in the mail. Without your “help”, they are clueless. Note that they don’t need or want all the information listed above – that is just a list of what pieces will be useful, even individually. One piece can easily be used to obtain the other
What you can do to protect yourself is outlined in an article here (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=252).
What it all boils down to, however, is that you should always be extremely careful to whom you give your information. If you don’t know the person, or the company you are dealing with, you should not disclose anything that can be used against you. Your name and your date of birth are normally fine, but that’s where it stops. If you are requested to give out more information than that, you should be absolutely sure that the individual with whom you are dealing is legitimate, and the company or organization is established and trusted.
It is also pertinent to note here that the majority of perpetrators are previously known to the victim, such as a family member, acquaintance or “friend”, through mundane methods such as financial statements, checks and credit cards.
This article Copyright:Fraudwatchers.org 2005
Written by Crux Polaris