Defend Your Identity: Define Identity Theft
There are many things or personal possessions that can be owned. Sometimes these items have been purchased, received as gifts or passed down from generation to generation.
These possessions sometimes have monetary value and sometimes sentimental value. But nevertheless, they have value. Many people would be devastated if these items were either stolen or lost due to a fire, flood or natural disaster.
There is another item that can be taken away from an individual, which can have devastating effects and that is their identity. There are many stories in the news today about identity theft.
One other item that can be stolen from individuals is something extremely personal. That item is a persons identity. To increase the general awareness of identity theft it is important to define identity theft. In order to define identity theft it is imperative to know how society defines identity theft and how it can occur.
What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is defined as an action or actions taken by another for the purpose of misrepresenting themselves as that individual in order to commit fraudulent acts. Those fraudulent acts can include the illegal accessing of a persons financial accounts, creating new credit card accounts, obtaining a loan in that persons name or even assuming another persons identity to get out of being charged with a certain crime.
Also, to properly define identity theft, it is critical to define the negative impact experienced by the individual whose identity has been stolen. One of the negative repercussions of identity theft is financial loss. Often an identity theft crime will affect a persons bottom line as thieves access credit cards, bank accounts, etc.
In addition, if not addressed quickly, an identity theft victim will have to deal with damage perpetuated on their good name. Often this damage is reflected in credit ratings, possible criminal activity, employment interviews, etc. Although the victim is innocent, often it takes months or even years for the devastating effects of the identity theft to be cleared.
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