Identity Theft

Identity theft – a term commonly used, and a crime highly feared of. But what is identity theft? And how would it ever involve you? Well, the answer to this question is simple, and the name is pretty self-explanatory. Identity theft is a crime that involves the fraudulent use of another person’s identity. The term can be used for a huge number of crimes, and the most popular one of all is credit card fraud. The crimes committed, whatever they are, are ones that are involving using somebody elses name, address, bank details etc.

The name itself, identity theft, is fairly new terminology, and is becoming one of the worlds fastest developing crimes, with new ways of stealing a persons identity thought of all the time. The practice of using another person’s identity is however, something that has been going on for thousands pf years but is now becoming more and more serious, with more than financial losses reported.

There are four main types of identity theft. The first one being a person stealing another person’s identity to purchase goods or services. This is commonly called Financial Identity Theft. The second one I wish to mention, is Criminal Identity Theft. This is the use of another person’s name when committed of a crime. This particular type of identity theft can seriously destroy someone’s life. Identity Cloning is where an identity is stolen and used in everyday life. The last one is Business Identity Theft, and this happens when a business name is used to obtain credit.

Whichever type of identity theft you are referring to, they are all crimes that can ruin a life. Financial identity theft can lead to a persons credit score being destroyed and leading to the person being unable to get credit for a mortgage or bank loan if they should need it. Generally, a monetary loss is reported or unusual activity within their bank, for example, loans being applied for or credit cards. If they are successful in their applications, massive debts can be run up and the person who’s identity has been stolen is normally none the wiser for a long while.

Identity cloning is used mostly in cases where illegal immigrants are involved. By this type of identity theft, the person who is assuming the identity is impersonating someone to avoid being arrested for crimes they have committed or being caught for being illegally in the country. This type of theft can go undetected for a long time, and the original person who’s identity is being assumed by others will have no idea.

Criminal identity theft works in the same way, to avoid being caught for crimes, wrong names and addresses are given to the Police. Fake ID for example, is used obtained through the use of another person’s documents, and this is especially the case with under-age drinkers. If a criminal act has been committed and the wrong name given, a warrant is issued for that name and the individual could face legal proceedings for a crime that he or she themself, has not committed.

For whatever reason that an identity has been wrongly assumed, it is still identity theft and is a crime that can carry a pretty hefty prison sentence. Not only that, but it can have serious repercussions for the individual who’s identity has been stolen. If you believe this has been the case for you, you should contact the authorities immediately to prevent any wrongful debts or arrests that could potentially ruin your life!