The History of Identity Theft And How NOT to be Part of It

Identity theft occurs when identities of people are used by others for conducting dealings and transactions not sanctioned by the former. By stealing someone else's identity, the history of identity theft began its due course. But why is identity theft so rampant nowadays? Identity theft and fraud have always been about gaining access to goods and services, often financial in nature, which the criminal may not have gotten with his or her own identity. As such, the thief prowls for anothers identity for monetary gain.

The history of identity theft cases has shown that even a single occurrence can cause tremendous damage to the life of the person whose identity was stolen in terms of his reputation and credit standing. For instance, you may not be able to apply for loans because of a history of identity theft that you may not even have been aware of until after it happened and the damage had been done. Sometimes, you will not even gain enrollment in an educational institution or be accepted for employment at a company because of a bad reputation caused not by you but by the identity thief!

Identity Theft - More Rampant, Malicious and Dangerous than Ever

Statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation have shown that identity theft is on a constant rise. In fact, it is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States today.

In the history of identity theft, the first instances were reported during the 1970s. However, they are nothing compared to the breadth and scope of identity theft today which involves larger sums of money in both the individual and corporate level. By 2002, about 10 million Americans have reported to be victims of this crime.

There are two basic forms of identity theft, each differing in its gravity and the consequences that it brings.

The first kind of identity theft deals with credit card transactions. Sometimes, this may not be a deliberate case but may result from the carelessness and negligence of the user or someone else who used the credit card. Sometimes, when credit cards are lost or stolen, identity theft occurs in the form of small, unauthorized purchases.

The second kind of identity theft is the total usage of another person's identity. New bank accounts, credit cards and other personal records may be opened and falsified. Online databases have made it easier for just anyone to obtain your personal information and use it for their personal gains. The most resourceful of thieves can get all your personal information if they only know where to look and who to ask.

The history of identity theft shows that this is a malicious crime committed for nothing but gain at someone elses expense. Dont let that someone be you!