Summary: The Ethical Practice Of Identity Theft

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The rapid proliferation of information technology has led to a significant rise in the number of people who use the internet in one way or another. With the growth in the number of persons who have an internet connection; certain individuals have begun to exploit this resource through the unethical practice of Identity theft. As more and more individuals are posting their personal information online, cybercriminals are stealing this information with the aim of assuming the victim's identity so as to either obtain financial advantage or benefits that are associated with the victim (Jewkes, 2013).

The act of stealing other people's identity cannot be considered as ethical because it violates the victim's right to privacy. According to …show more content…

Cyber criminals use the information they collect from a victims online platforms to illegally gain access to the victims bank account and credit cards. These criminals later use this information to steal money from the victim's accounts or take loans using the victim's name (Lai, Li, & Hsieh, 2012).

Driver's license identity theft: Criminals use the information they obtain from victims social media platforms to steal or forge drivers licenses that have the victim's name. They then use these stolen licenses when they are caught thus implicating the victim in a crime he was not aware …show more content…

This form of identity theft is extremely dangerous as it could lead to entries that are not correct in the medical history of the victim. These erroneous entries can result in an inaccurate diagnosis of the victim.

Synthetic Identity Theft: This is a recent form of identity theft where cyber criminals use the information they have collected from several different victims to establish a new identity. The new identity can then be used to defraud the government. Impacts of Identity theft on Individuals or organizations Financial problems: Identity theft creates financial problems for both organizations and individuals. When cyber criminals acquire a victim's financial information, they can steal money from his account or take loans in his name. This can cause the victim a lot of financial problems. Identity thieves also use Social Security numbers to steal from institutions such as the government.

Legal problems: Legal issues can also ensue as a result of identity theft. For example, when a criminal uses your driver's license to implicate you for a crime you did not have any knowledge of. This can also seriously hurt your career prospects since your stolen identity will be used to earn you a criminal

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