written 5.0 years ago by |
- Financial identity theft
- Criminal identity theft
- Identity cloning
- Business identity theft
- Medical identity theft
- Synthetic identity theft
- Child identity theft.
1. Financial Identity Theft
Financial ID theft includes bank fraud, credit card fraud, tax refund fraud, mail fraud and several more. For example, the fraudster fraudulently can open a new credit card account in the victims name and the card charges up, payment is neglected, leaving the vcictim with bad credit history (i.e., horrible credit score) and a world of debt. In some cases, the fraudster will completely take over a victim's identity, which enables the fraudster to easily open bank accounts, multiple credit cards, purchase a vehicle, receive a home mortgage or even find employment in the victim's name.
The process of recovering from the crime is often expensive, time-consuming and psychologically painful. This type of fraud often destroys a victim's credit and it may take weeks, months or even years to repair.
2. Criminal Identity Theft
It involves taking, over someone else's identity to commit a crime such as enter into a country, get special permits, hide one's own identity or commit acts of terrorism. These criminal activities can include:
- Computer and cybercrimes
- Organized crime
- Drug trafficking
- Alien smuggling
- Money laundering
Individuals who commit ID theft are not always out to steal the victim's money or ruin victim's credit. This type of fraud/theft occurs when a fraudster uses the victim's name upon an arrest or during a criminal investigation.
The victims of this crime are left with the burden to clear their own name in the eyes of the criminal justice system. It is very crucial and important to contact local police department immediately in case of becoming a victim of criminal ID theft. This should be the first step in building a case and clearing your name.
3. Identity Cloning
Identity cloning may be the scariest variation of all ID theft. Instead the personal information for financial gain or committing crimes in the victim's name, identity clones compromise the victim's life by actually living and working as the victim. ID clones may even pay bills regularly regularly, get engaged and married, and start a family. In summary cloning is the act of a fraudster living a natural and usual life similar, to a victims life, may be at a different location.
4. Business Identity Theft
"Bust-out" is one of the schemes fraudsters use to steal business identity; it is paid less importance in comparison with individual's ID theft. A fraudster rents a space in the same building as victim's office. Then he applies for corporate credit cards using victim's firm name. The application passes a credit check because the company name and address match, but the cards are delivered to the fraudster's mailbox. He sells them on the street and vanishes before the victim discovers the firm's credit is wrecked. The consequences of business ID theft may call for a disaster to the business, such as call out from market and damage to the reputation, and hence it is extremely important to employ countermeasures for such type attacks.
5. Medical Identity Theft
India is known to have become famous for "medical tourism." Thousands of tourists, every year visit India with dual purpose - touring the country plus getting their medical problems attended to because India has made name for good quality and yet reasonable priced in medical services. In the process thousands of medical records of foreigners as well as locals who avail medical facility get created. This has created a boom for cybercriminals.
Medical facility providers are moving from cumbersome paper records to faster and easier file and trace electronic records; however, the concern over medical ID theft is growing. The stolen information can be used by the fraudster or sold in the black market to people who "need" them. This could lead to many more cases. For example, invoice of thousands of dollars of emergency medical services was received by a man situated in Houston (Texas), who had never had any health issues, as reported in the New York Times. A fraudster had used this man's identity for the fraudster's emergency medical needs.
According to a 2008 Identity Theft Resource Center survey, some of the reasons why medical ID theft is particularly damaging the victims include:
- Approximately one-third of victims of medical ID theft surveyed had someone else's medical information or medical history on their medical record, increasing the possibility of patients being treated incorrectly because of incorrect medical records.
- More than 10$\%$ of victims of medical ID theft surveyed were denied health or life insurance for unexplained reasons.
- More than two-third of victims surveyed receive a bill for medical services that were provided to an imposter.
6. Synthetic Identity Theft
This is an advanced form of ID theft in the ID theft world. The fraudster will take parts of personal information from many victims and combine them. The new identity is not any specific person, but all the victims can be affected when it is used.
7. Child Identity Theft
Parents might sometimes steal their children's identity to open credit card accounts, utility accounts, bank accounts and even to take out loans or secure because their own credit history is insufficient or too damaged to open such accounts.