Identity Theft And Crime Victims

Identity Theft Victimization Overview

Chris Thompson

Kennesaw State University

Identity theft and fraud criminals have been around targeting victims and trying to take any personal information they can get their hands on that would bring a profit from the victim’s pockets. Over the past several years though, identity theft has risen to an all-time high and victimizes millions of people each year, specifically around tax season. This paper is to show the increase in identity theft victims and which groups of people tend to be victimized the most. With the growing world economy and the technology increase twofold, identity theft is much more prevalent and widespread. Andrew Karmen, of Crime Victims, states that identity theft is

Most people associate the term simply with personal information being stolen or someone trying to pass themselves off as them but it goes much deeper than that and has many lasting effects. There are several types including credit card, bank, utilities, and loan frauds. Other types include stealing social security information and any other personal information, and anything else in regards to falsified information that could allow someone to gain financial benefits. A simple email address or phone number in the wrong persons hands could provide a pathway for someone to be victimized from an identity theft thief. On the contrary, victims can be breached through extremely sophisticated ways in which technology is widely used to gain access to their personal

They think that because they are victimized through technology or other sources there is only a small amount you can prevent, and to hope that you aren’t victimized. Though many people have this idea, it is not true at all; there are several very simple things you can apply followed by more in depth prevention steps. Some of the basic preventative measures include doing the opposite of those who were found to be more commonly victimized mentioned before. Certain measures include using cash to pay for items and limiting the amount of credit card purchases overall. Even things including social media in regards to limiting personal information on Facebook or other personal pages can help prevent you from becoming a victim of identity theft. Jim Williams, President of Team Lendwell, says that it is highly recommended that every consumer should monitor their credit periodically (P 1). Other measures that can be taken include being stingy with personal information along with maintaining close records of financial accounts. Other actions that people think are harmless, but can substantially affect the rate they are victimized are opening emails or becoming too gullible for those who are running scams and try to get personal information. A basic rule of thumb always stands true, “if it is too good to be true, then it most likely is.” Also, the