| Identity theft (ID theft or identity fraud) | | | | theft statistics expose phishing as the most |
| is the deliberate appropriation of an | | | | dangerous of all ID thefts that uses both |
| individual's personal information to | | | | social engineering and technical |
| impersonate that person in a legal sense. | | | | subterfuge.Phishing can have serious |
| Stealing someone's identity enables the thief | | | | financial consequences. In a phishing attack, |
| to make a frightening number of financial and | | | | the victim is sent an email that "appears" to |
| personal transactions in someone else's name, | | | | be from a bank or other financial |
| leaving the victim responsible for what might | | | | institution. The victim is then told to click |
| turn out to be a mind-boggling turmoil in his | | | | a link and verify his/her account information |
| or her life. The Federal Trade Commission | | | | or supply personal identity data. The link |
| (FTC) keeps records on identity theft, and, | | | | appears to be a legitimate site, but is in |
| not surprisingly, the number of incidents | | | | fact a scam. The moment he/she enters |
| reported increase each year. The recent | | | | sensitive data, the identity thief gains |
| identity theft statistics reveal that ID | | | | access to account information and can empty |
| theft affects as many as ten million | | | | the bank account. Phishers can also take out |
| Americans each year! According to FTC's | | | | credit cards in the victim's name, steal ISP |
| identity theft statistics, the losses to | | | | account information and do other financial |
| businesses and financial institutions total | | | | damage. In its latest report on identity |
| nearly 53 billion dollars annually.These | | | | theft statistics, the research group Gartner |
| identity theft statistics further reveal that | | | | says that close to 60 million Americans |
| the most common types of ID thefts are credit | | | | reported receiving a phishing email, and 1.7 |
| card frauds, communications services fraud | | | | million people have been victims of identity |
| (such as opening a cell phone or a utility | | | | theft, which cost banks and credit card |
| services account using someone else's | | | | companies $1.2 billion in losses.You must |
| information), bank fraud and loan fraud. For | | | | take steps to protect your account |
| years, the primary cause of identity theft | | | | information, social security numbers, |
| has been good old-fashioned or low-tech | | | | passwords, etc. Now. Always memorize and |
| analog crime. Impersonators rummaging though | | | | shred important documents that you are |
| mailboxes, snatching purses or searching the | | | | discarding. Don't simply throw these types of |
| garbage for discarded bank statements or | | | | documents away!Keith Londrie II is a well |
| credit card receipts. Rapid advances in | | | | known author. For more information on |
| technology have seen a plague of | | | | Identity Theft, please visit Identity Theft |
| sophisticated phishing attacks. Identity | | | | for a wealth of information. |