Identity Theft Destroying the Financial Security - Essay Example

Identity theft has become an increasing problem globally in recent years, causing millions of people undue emotional and financial trauma, while costing society a great deal of money. The heartache caused has limited access to critical services and credit availability for millions of honest and hardworking citizens globally, particularly in the United States. It is a serious issue that must be tackled. The short paper aims to introduce the seriousness of this problem and to present possible research questions that should be explored to better introduce society to various methods to limit the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft.

Problem Statement

The problem is that identity theft is destroying the financial security and freedom of countless individuals worldwide. As honest, hardworking people have their identities stolen, they are subject to a loss of credit, difficulty in terms of employment, and encounter problems of various sorts with law authorities. Such victims must prove that their identity was stolen, often causing a great deal of anguish in the process. Local and national governments are currently taking measures to prevent identity theft, but the problem seems to be growing.

There are five major types of identity theft being practiced today: 1) Criminal identity theft, 2) Financial identity theft, 3) Identity cloning, 4) Medical identity theft, and 5) Child identity theft. This proposed research study will examine each of these areas to help the reader understand the warning signs and avoid becoming a victim of such types of identity theft.

In short, identity cloning involves one person taking on (stealing) the identity of another for the express purpose of hiding their own identity for one reason or the other. This is a bit different than other forms of identity theft, as financial information is not typically involved, causing the stolen identity to often go undetected for a long time (Anderson, Durbin, & Salinger, 2008, p. 171). Criminal identity theft involves one person committing a criminal act, getting arrested, and then telling law enforcement officials that they are a different person (Harrison, 2007, p. 84). Conversely, synthetic identity theft refers to identities that are almost entirely made up. Most commonly this occurs by using a real social security number, but a different name or date of birth to make it more difficult to track (Ciechanowicz, 2010, p. 41).

Medical identity theft involves one person seeking out medical care, not in their name, but in the name of another person. There are many reasons why an individual might perpetrate this type of crime, including a lack of insurance on the part of the person (Agrawal & Budetti, 2012, p. 459). Finally, child identity theft involves just what its name implies. The criminal here commonly steals the social security number of a child, and then opens a line of credit, and commits other unlawful behavior using the stolen identity. This crime is particularly difficult to detect because children typically do not realize their identity has been stolen until well into adulthood (Dwan, 2004, p. 16).

Relevance and Significance
As demonstrated to this point, identity theft is a serious issue that must be tackled. It affects nearly everyone in society, either directly or indirectly. Even if a person is not a victim themselves, they pay the price in other ways. An individual who has fallen victim to any of the major types of identity theft can find themselves embroiled in years of heartache trying to set the record straight. Families are denied mortgages, criminals are set free, and hospital services are rendered to people who have falsified their own identities. When honest people then go to utilize these same services, which are rightful there, to begin with, they can quickly discover that they do not have access. It is an unfair burden, but one that criminals have bought to the forefront of modern reality. For these reasons, we must understand the issues surrounding how identity theft, how to avoid it, and how to prevent it moving forward. That will be the focus of this study. Read More