Five Types Of Identity Theft

Identity theft is a form of theft when someone assumes another individual’s identity. It is often done so as a modus operandi to gain access to personal information or other benefits from the victim’s name. There are five types of identity theft according to wikipedia which include criminal identity theft, financial identity theft, identity cloning, medical identity theft and child identity theft. The most common type of identity theft is financial identity theft, where someone gains financial access to someone else’s by assuming his/her identity .

According to Wikipedia criminal identity theft is :

When a criminal fraudulently identifies himself to police as another individual at the point of arrest, it is sometimes referred to as "Criminal

Targeting hospitals is just the latest evidence Chinese cybercriminals are investigating new ways to steal Americans’ personal information and trade secrets. Community Health Systems, or CYH, which operates 206 hospitals throughout the United States, said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing obtained by CNN Monday that anyone who received treatment from a physician’s office affiliated with a CYH-owned hospital in the past five years should investigate whether their information has been used without their consent. CYH hospitals are in 28 states but congregated most heavily in Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas. The hackers stole patient names, Social Security numbers, physical addresses, birth dates and telephone numbers. This critical information, which is often used as currency among shadowy international hackers groups, is almost always stolen for the purpose of identity fraud, allowing thieves to open bank accounts and credit cards on the victim’s behalf. The FBI and the cybersecurity firm Mandiant are investigating the hack, with an FBI investigator telling CNN the government is “committing significant resources and efforts to target, disrupt, dismantle and arrest the perpetrators.” CYH asserted in its SEC filing the hack was conducted by an “advanced persistent threat” group originating in China. That term is significant because it describes an elite group of hackers believed affiliated with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the same group that conducted a series of hacks against federal agencies earlier this year. Whether the FBI is investigating based on the same “advanced persistent threat” premise is unclear. Requests for comment from Mandiant went unanswered. Such reports have become routine in the age of information. With so many major retailers admitting they’ve been