The Pros And Cons Of Identitytheft

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Introduction Erika Harrell, a Bureau of Justice Labor Statistics Statistician, wrote a report in 2014, 15% of people will experience some form of identity theft in their lives. That means over 36 million people will be targeted by a form of identity theft. Harrell later states, “An estimated 36% of identity theft victims reported moderate or severe emotional distress as a result of the incident” (Harrell). Extreme emotional distress, such as what is seen in identity theft, is harmful to people, and can have many other side effects. Geoffrey VanderPal, an economist for the ministry of foreign affairs, stated, “losses from identity theft totaled $24.7 billion in 2012. The Bureau of Justice Statistics claims ID theft caused $1,769 of direct and …show more content…

This shows that identity theft is a growing problem that needs to be addressed (VanderPal). The United States Department of Justice, a branch of the United States government, defines identity theft as “terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.” Identitytheft.info, a website edited by Rob Douglas, an identity theft expert, states, “…every individual or business is vulnerable to attack when it comes to personal or corporate information, products and services.” They also state, “As the methods used to perform identity theft expand, so do the types of accounts and services being stolen by identity thieves” (“Identity Theft Statistics”). As shown above, millions of people are being affected by identity theft in the United States, and it is only …show more content…

According to Justice.gov, a government website that is headed by the justice department of the United States, there are many ways that a thief can steal your identity. For instance, “In public places, for example, criminals may engage in "shoulder surfing"– watching you from a nearby location as you punch in your telephone calling card number or credit card number”. This demonstrates how easy it is for a thief to obtain your identity. They also mention how a thief can use the stolen data. The text states, “With enough identifying information about an individual, a criminal can take over that individual's identity to conduct a wide range of crimes. For example, false applications for loans and credit cards, fraudulent withdrawals from bank accounts, fraudulent use of telephone calling cards or online accounts, or obtaining other goods or privileges which the criminal might be denied if he were to use their real name” (“What are identity Theft and Identity Fraud?”). When a thief does one of these things, the damage to your personal credit could be catastrophic. According to the Internal Revenue Service, the government agency responsible for collecting taxes, in April of 2017, a woman named Melissa Hayes deposited fraudulent tax refund checks that totaled to over $160,000. She was sentenced to 27 months in prison for her actions. Also in April of 2017, a man

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