Identity Theft Articles
Scams and fraud crimes are most dangerous when they are highly complex and there is little information available to successfully warn and educate potential victims and the public at large. A fairly new and little known scam involves two common crimes, mortgage fraud and identity theft, and it goes by the names of "home stealing" or "house stealing".
This crime is so new that the average home owner may be unaware that they are the targets of a new scam. Warnings need to go out at a faster rate, because according to the FBI, new or not, home stealing crimes ...
Continue Reading ...
No Comments »
Cleaning Up After the Crime
Once someone has found that they are a victim of identity theft, they may try to begin the long process of paper work and phone calls that is necessary to clear their good name. When they begin, hope is still present as they assume that everything will be cleared and automated. It will only take a few short days or weeks for the victim to learn that the burden of proof is on them.
When they contact a government agency to report the crime or to get help, they will be referred to another agency. While ...
Continue Reading ...
No Comments »
Stealing the Identities of Children
To an identity thief, there is nothing better than the profile of a child. They have a clean history that is free of debt, fraud and criminal activities. Even better, nobody will think to check their credit history - after all, they shouldn't have one! All the thieves will need is the social security number of a child and they can give themselves a new life. To them, it is like they can start over with a crystal clear government record.
Besides the fact that an identity thief can make good use of an identity that ...
Continue Reading ...
No Comments »
Slick and cunning are just a few of the words police have used to describe Esther Reed. The woman was a high school dropout who was able to con her way into some of the top colleges in the United States, including Columbia, California State University at Fullerton and Harvard. Esther stole the identities of different women and was able to become them in a short amount of time.
Devastated by the divorce of her parents and the death of her mother in 1998, Esther, who had been an above average student and attended her school’s debate team, dropped out and ...
Continue Reading ...
No Comments »
Identity theft is everywhere these days and in many guises - stealing your credit card number to make fraudulent purchases, posing as you to open bank accounts and buying homes in your name, and using your SSN number to gain employment and benefits. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 8.3 million Americans reported being a victim in 2005.
The history of ID theft
Identity theft began as a “white collar crime,” where scammers would simply assume the identity of an unsuspecting victim. They would become the stolen identity, opening new bank accounts, credits cards, and perhaps even ...
Continue Reading ...
No Comments »
The damages done with medical identity theft are usually irrevocable, permanently damaging the accuracy of your records. The changes in your medical file range from minuscule details to alterations that could pose a very high medical risk. Cleaning up your medical files of the erroneous information is very important, as they can reflect permanent, long-term diseases that are not really yours.
The underpinnings of medical identity theft
Medical identity theft is the least studied form of all ID theft crimes. It occurs if someone uses the name or insurance of another person, along with other ...
Continue Reading ...
No Comments »
Have you used your credit card to make your purchase, and the store clerk asks you for your identification? Sadly, not many of them ask for ID, but they should in order to compare signatures that are on the back of the card. The store clerk's oversight is an added bonus for credit card thieves, and it makes it relatively easy for them to make purchases with your identity! They can make purchases at stores, by mail, and very easily over the Internet. They often do not even need to have a physical card, as ...
Continue Reading ...
1 Comment »
Identity theft is a crime that occurs when someone gains access to your personal information and uses your name for financial fraud. These thieves exploit your identity to make purchases using credit cards and bank accounts in your name, rent apartments and even obtain medical services. Previously, it was generally believed that identity thieves were individuals close to the victim. However, in a recent study, surprising information was revealed about the identities of ID thieves.
Are identity thieves lurking around your street corner?
Recent studies of case files from the Secret Service have revealed who these ...
Continue Reading ...
No Comments »
Law enforcement is faced with significant demands with the growing cases of identity theft, but their resources are limited in fighting ID theft. Enforcement agencies all across our country have been forming task forces and identity theft laws to address the severe problem. The FBI currently has 21 separate task forces dedicated to more than 80 different types of financial crimes and identity theft. The FBI also dedicates a significant amount of analytical resources in combating ID theft, referring these investigation cases to law enforcement, proactively targeting ID thieves in organized groups.
Identity fraud and identity theft ...
Continue Reading ...
No Comments »
With the first spam message being delivered into an unwary victim’s email account, identity theft has jumped online. Viruses and Trojans used to be the best way to capture your information, but with widespread anti-virus software and fewer security holes in computers, the most common way to steal your information now is through a technique called phishing.
Phishing for your information
Phishing is by far the most prevalent form of computer identity theft. Basically, a thief casts the bait - usually an email, but also voicemail, instant messaging and fax - and waits for a bite. In this case, the bite ...
Continue Reading ...
No Comments »
