Speech to Persuade

In 2014, there were an estimated 2.3 million cases, a twenty-two percent increase from the previous year (Andrews, 2016). According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft complaints have also increased by more than 47 percent since 2014 and it was the second most reported crime after illegal debt collection. (“FTC Releases Annual Summary of Consumer Complaints Debt Collection, Identity Theft, and Imposter Scams Remain Top Categories of Complaints Received by FTC in 2015”, 2016) “The 2017 Identity Fraud Study, released by Javelin Strategy & Research, found that $16 billion was stolen from 15.4 million U.S. consumers in 2016, compared with $15.3 billion and 13.1 million victims in 2015. In the past six years identity thieves have stolen over $107 billion.” (“Identity Theft and Cybercrime”,

There is a plethora of information on fighting identity theft. A link from the home page tells you how to protect yourself and what six steps you need to take in the event you are or believer that you are a victim. The steps listed are links to pages that tell you exactly how to complete that step with agencies and contact information. For example, step one is Stop ongoing damage. Tells you to close certain accounts, how to obtain a fraud alert, get a free credit report and has the contact information for all three credit reporting agencies and check verification companies. The Attorney Generals Office also handles all of the child support cases. There are pages and pages of information for both custodial and non-custodial parents. Advising parents of what their rights are, how to apply for services, employers’ responsibilities, forms, seeking employment with links to Texas Workforce Commission, child support

            Identity theft is an issue faced on a daily basis for those that are living in our wonderful state of California. For some it is common knowledge to protect your identity but for those that are not familiar with the practices of these common crooks, will cost a lifetime of savings and irreparable damage to ones credit and finances. According to the California Office of Privacy Protection, “there were more than 11 million victims of Identity Theft in the

1. Tell the credit reporting company, in writing, what information you think is inaccurate. Credit reporting companies must investigate the items in question — usually within 30 days — unless they

Identity theft is a significant problem to both citizens and financial institutions. The FTC estimates that over 27.3 million Americans have been the victims of identity theft in the past five years. The

Given the widespread effects of identity theft, it’s clear to see why 18% of Australians believe they are at risk in the next 12 months. Some alarming statistics regarding identity theft are:

Along with this, you will need to contact all three of the major credit bureaus in order to place a fraud alert on your records. The bureaus that you will need to contact are; Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You will also need to talk to your financial institution and look into closing accounts that have been opened under your name.

„ There is growing concern about identity theft There is growing concern about identity theft

Identity theft is a negative issue in the entire United States, but the state of Florida is where it is most common and where there is the most cases. Due to Florida having the most identity theft complaints, it is important to question just how vulnerable the state is to this form of fraud. However, it is evident that Florida needs to find more efficient ways to limit identity theft drastically, since it has led the nation in identity theft for the past three years. This paper will examine the steps that are involved in identity theft and the areas that are most negatively affected by this crime, in the state, In addition, this paper will examine the best strategies that individuals can utilize to prevent identity theft and protect their personal information, such as shredding paperwork that contain sensitive information before throwing it away and not carrying a Social Security card with them. The paper will make the readers understand how serious of a crime identity theft is and why it happens in Florida more often than any other state in the United States.

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.

If this does happen to you there are ways you can fix it. It will take a lot of time and money, but in the end it will be all worth it. It may take a few years to realize that your identity has been stolen, but when you discover identity theft you should try to file a police report providing specific details on the theft itself. By doing so, you are entitled to certain legal rights when it is provided to the three major credit agencies or to the company where your misused information was sent. An identity theft report can be used to permanently block fraudulent information that results from the theft such as, accounts or addresses from appearing on your credit reports. If the thief made charges on an existing account and you have been able to work with the company to resolve the dispute, you may not need an identity theft report. In 1998, Congress passed the federal identity theft and assumption deterrence ACT which makes it easier for prosecutors to conduct their cases. The act is broadly described so that the act of identity theft is easier for prosecutors to judge. The majority of U.S states have passed legislation on identity theft but do not consistently define the act.

Therefore, she says to college students to not carry their social security number or credit information everywhere. Finally, Kadlub says that if students feel like they have been victims of identity theft or if they are already, students need to contact their banks and the Federal Trade Commission to report their incident.

Once someone else gets your personal information, they can create tax fraud, bank fraud, financial fraud, credit card fraud, and benefits fraud, just to name a few. Likewise, a person can find themselves burdened with debt and they must go through the process of proving the debt is not theirs, however that might prove to be very difficult. As fast as technology develops, identity thieves search for advanced methods of stealing information, however it is almost impossible to completely stop identity theft. Thus, soon as someone discovers that their identity has been stolen they should contact all credit bureaus and place a fraud alert, contact their financial institution and do the same, file a police report, and if a credit card was stolen contact the credit card institution and report the fraud, to name a few. In addition, a person can also contact the Federal Trade Commission, and the IRS to inform them of the fraud (Solove,

The less sophisticated thieves have perfected the art of “dumpster-driving” rummaging through trash. Abusing employer’s authorized access to credit reports or some even playing ‘landlord’ has given them unauthorized access to victim’s reports. Some victims have been scammed fro information by an identity thief posing as a legitimate businessperson or government official. In the most recent news from Concord, NC (Aug. 19, 2004), the police have uncovered a more sophisticated case of ID theft. The newspapers stated, “Authorities think a portable credit card reader, or skimmer, was used to read personal information off a credit card’s magnetic strip. Then those details were applied to the strip on the back of a different cared.”

     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