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IDENTITY THEFT
By Agraza
what is identity theft?
The word identity theft first came into use in 1964. The Merriam-Webster defines the term “identity theft” as “the illegal use of someone else’s personal information (such as a Social Security number) especially in order to obtain money or credit.”
In the present times the word identity theft has been used often to describe the event where an entity (private or public) steals the important information of a person without his or her due knowledge. Such important information can include the individuals’ personal contact number, number of the government id in his possession, location of an individual and so on.
Under the Puttaswamy case also known as right to privacy judgement, privacy is one of the fundamental rights of an individual. In such circumstances there are entities who steal this for their benefit or sometimes may sell this data to other business houses.
Types of identity theft
1. Tax identity theft/Financial identity theft
In these type of identity thefts, the tax filer must check his credit his credit history from time to time. It is better to file your taxes in time instead of criminal using the same information for malicious purposes.
2. Medical identity theft
This is the most neglected identity theft. A lot of hospital servers are prone to the malicious information or sometimes stolen health data of an individual. Your health reports are private to you, no one should get access to them without your knowledge. There are times when this medical information can be used against the person.
3. Criminal identity theft
This type of threat is created by the people who give false information about themselves. Such information is often changed by the people of criminal nature who try to abscond from the clutches of the police or administration.
The worst sufferer is the victim when he has no idea that his personal information has been used. The innocent falls prey to this whereas the criminal walks free.
4. Identity cloning and concealment
With identity cloning, the identity thief is usually attempting to impersonate someone else so they can simply hide their true identity. Unlike financial identity theft which is usually exposed when the debts pile up, identity cloning for concealment may go on forever without being detected.
5. Synthetic identity theft
Synthetic identity theft is a type of identity theft where identities are completely or partially fabricated. This usually means the thief combines a real Social Security number with a name and birthdate that don’t match those listed with the number. Synthetic identity theft is sometimes more difficult to recognize because it usually doesn’t show up on the victim’s credit report directly.
Ways to prevent identity theft
- Add a fraud alert to your credit report
- Apply a security freeze where you have to unlock your credit report before further business
- Safeguard your social security number
- Use strong passwords for your online accounts
- Check your mail regularly
- Protect your computer and mobile devices
- Use a shredder to get rid of important materials
- Monitor your medical and financial statements
LINK FOR THE GOOGLE TREND SEARCH:
Crimes that target computer networks or devices.
These types of crimes include viruses and DoS attacks. Yes Further more in includes fraud and identity theft.
This article gave me lots of information about identity theft. Provided a short brief on identity theft that help me to gain more knowlege on identity theft.
Very informative
Thank you Great Article
Identity theft is the biggest issue on social media among youngsters. There are many types of identity theft and it covers various aspects. A well organized article with a treasure of knowledge.
A well-written article covering all points and the suggestions in the form of tips was a nice addition.
Apart from defining the term identity theft, an explanation of it in simpler words along with the definition would have been better. The judgement of the Puttaswamy case should have been stated instead of just mentioning the quote, in fact, the case should have been discussed as a good example of fundamental nature of privacy. The types should have been explained along with instances. It is essential to provide personal viewpoints on the topic which has not been provided in the article.
Well written article.
Provided a short brief on identity theft that help me to gain more knowlege on identity theft.
Well written article very informative….
Very well written article but according to me whenever we talk to about identity theft it is very necessary for us to distinguish it with impersonation. These terms are often used interchangeably but they have a very thin line difference between them. So if you would have explained that also it would have been more informative. You could have used examples or some incidents to explain the situation more accurately. If you would have given your viewpoint on the same it would have been better.
After discussing that privacy is a fundamental right, the article should have talked about the gravity of the matter (of identity theft). The ways to prevent oneself from being a victim of identity theft are appreciable. The article has actually dealt with the significant information related to the identity theft.
Identity theft is the most common way of escaping from the criminal charge as the person who actually committed the act has not revealed his own true identity and this can create a huge problem for the innocent person whose identity has been used. This article tells the important information regarding this identity theft and provides us with safety measures that we should take to avoid being victimized.
Identity theft is one of the biggest issue on social media among youngsters. There are many types of identity theft and it covers various aspects.This article provides important information about Identity theft and also states some safety measures and really it’s a helpful article for some one who doesn’t know about this issue
Great one.
Identity theft takes place on various platforms. Many crimes are done on social media by making fake accounts of people.
Identity theft is very common these days and one need to stay aware all the time. Identity theft can be avoided by following the simple steps mentioned in the article. Which are easy to follow and not so complicated. The article is informative in all the ways possible providing us with all the necessary information regarding Identity theft.
identity issue is very major issue in cybercrime. this article helped in knowing the types of identity theft and the ways to prevent it.
This Article is very useful.