Identity Theft - Ricky Gil

            Identity theft is a common problem around the world. It can be defined as the fraudulent act and use of a person's private identifying information. An identity can be stolen in many ways through hacking computer systems, ATM and credit card machines, etc. It can be as simple as throwing a medical bill in the garbage that can cause a person to become a victim of identity theft. You can also become a victim by using insecure websites while shopping online. Identity theft is so common that in 2012 alone, 12.6 million US adults were victims of identity theft crimes. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) receives more complaints about identity theft than anything else. With the growing technology in today's society, it makes it easier for identity thieves to commit these crimes. Recently, Target had a problem with their computer data base being hacked and many credit cards were stolen from their system. This caused a lot of issues for customers that had used their credit cards to purchase items at Target during the hacking. Stealing a person's credit card information is one of the first steps in receiving someone's full identity. Not only do identities get stolen for financial purposes but for other reasons too. For example, criminal identity theft is when someone poses as a different person in order to avoid getting convicted of a crime. There is also something known as identity cloning where a person will steal an identity and act as if they are that person in normal daily activities. This type is common among illegal immigrants. Another form of identity theft is synthetic, which is when you take more than one person's identity and put them together to form a completely made-up identity. Medical theft is when an identity is used to receive medical care or drugs, which may be used by those that don't have medical insurance. The last type of identity theft is called ghosting. This is where an identity of the deceased is stolen.

            Though there are many types of identity theft and various ways it can occur, there are still some ways to protect yourself. First, always make sure you monitor you bank accounts to ensure there is no abnormal activity. Changing passwords often is another common way to prevent identity theft because it makes it harder for hackers to receive your information from the internet. Also make sure to never give out personal information over the phone and always shred any receipts, bank statements, and other personal papers. There are also companies, such as LifeLock, that provide you with protection of identity theft. They protect you by monitoring your credit card and other information so you don't have to. These are some many ways to ensure you are not a victim of identity theft.