The crime rate according to statistics is rising steadily. One of the crimes that add to the overall increase is a new type of crime known as identity theft. Law enforcers are facing a lot of problems because of the rapid growth of this crime.
Identity theft
Identity theft is committed when a criminal steals a person's personal information. The purpose of the criminal is to use the acquired information for fraudulent activities that usually involve financial gains. The source of identifying information can be any of the following:
- Govt. based security numbers
- Credit card account numbers
- Banks account numbers
- National ID numbers
- Medical records
- Usernames and passwords
- Passports
How ID theft is committed
Thieves involved in ID theft are very ingenuous and they find different ways by which they can get the information about a person. For instance, they can commit this crime by doing the following:
- They steal any of your identification cards.
- They go through your garbage or mail to get credit card and bank account statements.
- They hack your internet email and social media accounts.
Why are the criminals attracted to commit ID theft?
Getting information about you is easy. Committing crimes with your stolen identity is even easier. When an id theft crime is committed, it becomes really difficult to get to the actual perpetrators. This is the reason why criminals prefer to commit such id theft crimes.
Problems of victims of identity theft
To be a victim of the identity theft is a horrible experience. Your identity is fully violated and this disturbs your normal life. You will have credit issues and you will be receiving collection letters for debts that you never acquired. You can even be sued for non-payment of debts resulting in problems with the law. You will have a really bad credit record and rating unless you prove otherwise. This can be costly, stressful and detrimental to your good reputation. This can even affect your application for employment. Your life can become miserable and you will find yourself running from one door to another for help without luck.
Identity theft is now a serious crime and the victim suffers too many consequences that can tarnish his or her persona. In order to protect yourself from such crimes, you have to be careful about your vital information. You can also get id theft insurance if you think you can become a prospective victim of this sort of a crime.