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