This type of crime relates to obtaining another person’s personal or financial information to use their identity to commit fraud, such as making unauthorised transactions or purchases. Identity theft is committed in many different ways, and its victims are typically left with damage to their credit, finances, and reputation.

Understanding Identity Theft

This type of crime occurs when someone steals your personal information, such as your identity number, bank account number or credit card information. Identity robbery can take on many different shapes and sizes. Some identity thieves sift through trash bins looking for bank account and credit card statements.

More high-tech methods involve accessing corporate databases to steal lists of customer information. Once identity thieves have the information they are looking for, they can ruin a person’s credit rating and the standing of other personal information.

Identity thieves increasingly use computer technology to obtain other people’s personal information for identity fraud. To find such information, they may:

• Search the hard drives of stolen or discarded computers
• Hack into computers or computer networks
• Access computer-based public records
• Use information-gathering malware to infect computers
• Browse social networking sites
• Use deceptive emails or text messages

Types of Identity Theft

There are several types, including:

Financial identity theft

In financial identity theft, someone uses another person’s identity or information to obtain credit, goods, services, or benefits.

Social Security

If identity thieves obtain your identity number, they can use it to apply for credit cards and loans and then not pay outstanding balances. Fraudsters can also use your number to receive medical, disability, and other benefits.

Tax

Tax identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, including your Social Security number, to file a bogus state or federal tax return in your name and collect a refund.

Criminal

In criminal identity theft, a criminal poses as another person during an arrest to try to avoid a summons, prevent the discovery of a warrant issued in their real name, or avoid an arrest or conviction record.

DigiSure offers you online insurance to protect your personal data online – in the same way as you’d protect your physical assets.

DigiGuard protects you against identity theft on the deep and dark web. If you’d like more information about the comprehensive cybersecurity solutions that Digimune can offer, please don’t hesitate to reach out.