Identity Theft A Serious Issue in Computer Crime

Identity Theft: A Serious Issue in Computer Crime

“Identity Theft Is Not a Joke” http: //www. broadcaster. com/clip/16413

What is Identity Theft? Identity Theft: “Taking on another person’s persona for illegal purposes. Usually includes the use of Social Security numbers, credit card information, and other confidential details. ” The #1 concern of all people contacting the Federal Trade Commission is Identity Theft

Four Categories of ID Theft: financial identity theft : using another's identity to obtain goods and services � criminal identity theft: posing as another when apprehended for a crime � identity cloning: using another's information to assume his or her identity in daily life � business/commercial identity theft using another's business name to obtain credit �

Facts About Identity Theft: The 2006 victim population was at 15 million victims. (This translates to approximately 1 new victim every 2 seconds) � Identity Theft is now passing up drug trafficking as the number one crime in the nation according to the U. S. Department of Justice � 10 -15% of Identity Theft uses real names and data, and 85 -90% of Identity Theft is fabricated from real and false data. �

How Does ID Theft Happen? � � � � Dumpster Diving Researching victim in government registers, internet search engines, or public records search services. Pickpocketing ID cards and other information Remotely reading information from an RFID chip on a smart card, RFID -enabled credit card, or passport Shoulder Surfing Hacking Leaked Database Information Advertising bogus job to which the victims will reply with their personal information Infiltration of organizations that store large amounts of personal information Phishing Obtaining castings of fingers for falsifying fingerprint identification. Browsing Social Networking Sites Changing Victims Address to Divert Billing Statements Containing Info

How Serious is Identity Theft? In 2004, victims spent an average of 330 hours to recover from Identity Theft � Identity Theft causes unexpected secondary effects that can last up to 10 years � › › � � Higher insurance rates Credit card fees Difficult time finding job Higher interest rates On average, businesses lose $49, 254 per victim Most victims suffer emotional trauma with symptoms similar to victims of more violent crimes (violent assault, battering, etc)

Identity Theft in the News � The Bonnie and Clyde of the 21 st Century � The Penalty? As of Saturday, November 16, 2008: › Edward Anderton- 4 years in jail › Jocelyn Kisch- 5 years in jail › Over $100, 000 in restitution for dozens of victims

How Can I Prevent ID Theft? � � � � Consider getting a locked mailbox or PO Box at the Post Office Shred all financial documents with personal information—twice Protect your Social Security Number Don’t give any information to telemarketers Don’t open e-mail from people you don’t know Invest in anti-virus software Be smart about passwords Be Careful With Personal Information on Social Networking Websites!

Thank You Questions?

Sources: › Http: //www. broadcaster. com/clip/16413 › http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=x. Yz 6 Q_q 2 UQ A&feature=related › http: //www. sphinxlegal. com/glossary/i. html? page =1 › http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Identity_theft › http: //www. idtheftcenter. org/artman 2/publish/m_f acts/Facts_and_Statistics. shtml › http: //www. identitytheftinsider. com/identity-theftrisks/reduce-your-identity-theft-risk/