Identity Theft

In today’s society, there is a white-collar crime that has greatly risen in popularity among criminals. This crime is identity theft. Hundreds of thousands of people have their identities stolen each year. Identity theft is when these criminals obtain and use consumers personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, insurance information, and social security numbers to purchase goods or services fraudulently. According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 1.1 million people were the victim of identity theft. With this number, it is very evident that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in our country. This paper will attempt to more thoroughly define identity theft. It will give examples of identity theft by examining the stories of Rosalie Pugliese and Mari Frank. It will show ways in which this very easily committed crime can be avoided, and in the extreme case that a person is a victim of identity fraud, to show the steps one can take to get their lives back on track.
According to identityguard.com, identity theft is defined as, “when someone uses your name or personal information to open a credit account, take out a loan, or make a major purchase. And if they

Identity theft, according to the Federal Trade Commission, is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country. It may be the fastest growing white-collar crime out there. With nothing more than your name, your Social Security number, and date of birth, the only thing that can limit an identity thief is the thief’s creativity. They are able to do anything from open credit card accounts to open accounts and take out loans. With this basic information, they can get a job in your name, possibly tarnishing an honest person’s good name. They can apply for anything from cell phones to health insurance. With more than 1.1 million victims of identity theft each year, it is very important to know how to protect yourself from identity theft. It is just as, if not more important to know what to do in the case that your identity is stolen.

Even with all of the steps previously mentioned, there is no way to be totally protected against identity theft. If for some unfortunate reason, a person is the victim of identity theft, there are a lot of steps that the victim needs to take in order to clear their name of any liability and perhaps most importantly, restore their credit history. The very first thing that needs to be done is to file a report with your local police or file a report with the police department in the township that the white-collar crime was committed in. Another important thing to consider would be to cancel all accounts and then open up new accounts with new account numbers. Also, it can be helpful to write short letters to all three of the credit reporting agencies describing the events that occurred. The three agencies are Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. By doing this, they will be able to flag all unauthorized accounts and make sure that no new accounts are opened up without the consumers permission. After writing letters to the three credit bureaus, then it is important to first call, and then write the individual creditor to let them know that a fraudulent act was committed. After calling the individual creditor, then the Federal Trade Commission must be called to inform them of theft. When someone is a victim of identity theft, even though they are not liable for the money that has been charged under their name, they are very much responsible for getting rid of the unauthorized accounts and restoring credit. This may prove to be a very painstaking effort since most credit companies hate dealing with these types of issues. It is very important, though, to stay persistent in the effort to restore a good credit rating.

they can do it once, they can do it repeatedly, using each new account as a reference for the next one. The result is that identity thieves can run up thousands of dollars worth of charges or obligations all in your name.” In our current society, since there have been a great deal of technological advances made, it is easier than ever for a common criminal to steal a social security number, a bank account number, or any other piece of information which could help a criminal gain access to ones personal finances. Identity thieves can retrieve vital information in many different ways. They can look through your trash at home or at work and retrieve a discarded bill, a piece of ma