Identity Theft and Fraud: A Major Threat to the Australian Community

Identity theft is a major concern today in our country, millions of a person’s identity have been compromised for many of years. Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person’s personal information such as name, Social Security number, driver’s license number, credit card number, or other identifying information to take on that person’s identity in order to commit fraud or other crimes. Stealing an identity is, unfortunately, surprisingly easy to do and happens when you least expect it. Just by opening your mail, something that has personal information on it, throwing it in the trash. Therefore, a person can go through your trash and take all that information and use it against you to take on a new identity.

Merriam-Webster defines identity theft as the illegal use of someone else 's personal identifying information (such as a Social Security number) in order to get money or credit. The United States Department of Justice says identity theft is, “The short answer is that identity theft is a crime. Identity theft and identity fraud are 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.” While both definitions incorporate the simplicity of the word, the actual act of identity theft takes on many more forms and requires a more thorough description.

It’s no secret, the internet sensation has made many people redundant, however, over the past decade this global phenomenon has seen the birth of over 1.2 million jobs, dawning a new era for humanity. With rapid developments occurring in the design, development and implementation of technological discoveries. Traditional legal principles and processes are constantly challenged by the need to keep pace with new technologies. in particular, identity theft has skyrocketed since the rise of the internet; a 2012 survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed 7% of respondents were directly affected by identity crime in the preceding six months. Identity theft not only affects Australian citizens it’s also a cancer to national security, in order for the government to beat this epidemic it’s imperative that harsher punishments are imposed on cyber criminals.

Identity theft is when someone, without the consent of the owner, dishonestly uses, or intends to fraudulently use another individual’s personal identity. Personal identifying information can consist of an individual’s name, date of birth, driver’s license number, mother’s maiden name, state identification number, telephone number and other personal information that

In American society, there a fast growing white-collar crime that is becoming more and more popular among criminals. This white collar crime is call identity theft. Thousands of people have their identities stolen every year. Identity theft happen when criminals get a hold and use other people persona information such as credit card numbers, bank accounts numbers, insurance information and social security number to purchase good and other services fraudulently. More than 9 million American are victimizes by identity theft each year. With this number being so high it is evident that identity theft is one of the fast- growing crimes to hit the United State. Three reason why identify theft if being such a fast- growing crime in the United State is because more people credit card information is being stolen, more people are shopping online and more medical information is being stolen.

Identity theft has been a problem facing police departments recently. It is a crime in which someone obtains and uses another person's personal information in a way that involves fraud. In the United States and Canada, for example, many people have reported that unauthorized people have taken money out of their bank. In 1998 Congress made identity theft a federal offense to therefore create stricter penalties for these criminals.

Identity crime is one of the most common crimes committed in Australia. Surveys suggest that approximately 4-5% of Australians experience financial loss due to Identity crime per year. Identity Crime’s annual cost in Australia is $2.2 billion. On top of that, the cost for responding and preventing identity crime is an extra $390 million. According to the ABS (Australians Bureau of Statistics), surveys found that 8.5% of Australians aged 15 and over are victims of identity fraud in 2014-2015.

Identity theft is a fast growing white-collar crime that is gaining the notoriety of an epidemic. There is a wealth of information on identity theft and prevention yet this area of crime is developing rapidly and is shrouded in myths.

Identity theft is a particularly heinous crime as it impacts so many people and brings such a burden upon the global economy. During 2012, in the United States alone, more than sixteen million people had their identity stolen and the financial impact reached nearly 25 billion dollars (Rotter, 2014). Expectations are that costs will exceed one hundred billion in the United States and globally the ramifications will be multitudes higher.

The government is actively involved in decreasing the amount of identity theft by providing the most effective tools to investigate and prosecute identity thieves. One of these tools is the Identity

A recent study found that identity theft crimes are committed more frequently offline than online, and that victims who accessed their accounts online discovered their victimization significantly faster than those who relied on paper bill or statement monitoring. SSN should not be always used as in any organization they need to have personal profile in which should have limited access. In Fiji, we have TIN number which can be also shared by criminal to open few businesses and they can obtain loans on account of business and later leave the country. The bank will always look for the owner of the company. In this case the parent of the boy should have taken corrective measures in yearly basis determine that if child’s identity has being used

Additionally, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has made significant efforts to reduce the threat of identity theft and increase security. In 2007, the UNODC commissioned and released a critical study on fraud and falsification of identity. This study led to the adoption of a wide approach to the notion of identity-related crime to include all forms of fraud and identity theft. In addition, it revolutionized the approach to identity-related crimes, establishing a new perspective that treated identity-related crimes as distinct criminal offenses. Later in 2011, the UNODC released the “Handbook on Identity-related Crime” meant to be used by legislators, prosecutors and law enforcement giving them the options and assistance in responding to domestic cases of identity theft. Furthermore, ECOSOC has passed multiple resolutions addressing the issue of identity theft calling for international cooperation in the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of economic fraud and identity-related crime with the most recent one being resolution 2013/39 passed in July of 2013. Moreover, INTERPOL has engaged in

     In today's society, there is a white-collar crime that has greatly risen in popularity among criminals. This crime is identity theft. Hundreds of thousands of people have their identities stolen each year. Identity theft is when these criminals obtain and use consumers personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, insurance information, and social security numbers to purchase goods or services fraudulently. According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 1.1 million people were the victim of identity theft. With this number, it is very evident that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in our country. This paper will attempt to more thoroughly define identity theft. It will

Identity theft affects millions of Americans every day. Scam artists and hackers lay in wait for an unsuspecting person to get caught up their scheme through ignorance or naivety so they can take full advantage of their personal information to do as they desire with it. Problem is, it infiltrates and depreciates the integral infrastructure of our society which creates a cultural lapse through the declination of economic and cultural growth and double jeopardizes an already unstable system to the brink of its destruction. To understand how

The United States Department of Justice defines Identity Theft and Fraud 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” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2012). An individual’s personal data such as: Social Security number, bank account information, credit card numbers, or telephone calling card number¬ may be used by criminals to personally profit at your expense. In many cases, a victim's loss not only includes out-of-pocket financial losses, but substantial additional financial costs and time repairing and correcting credit histories and erroneous information. To assist with my research for this paper, I chose two books written from different perspectives. First, I sought out a book to provide a comprehensive review of identity theft history; methods used to steal identities, consequences of having your identity stolen, and prevention techniques from an individual or business perspective. Next, after developing a strong baseline on identity theft, I searched for a reference book which offers a comprehensive review of the concepts of computer crimes, relevant laws, and methods practiced by investigators to trace, capture and persecute identity theft