Identity Theft

 Identity Theft as a term refers to Fraud that involves stealing money or getting other benefits by pretending to be someone else. The term is relatively new and is actually a misnomer, since it is not inherently possible to steal an identity, only to use it. The person whose identity is used can suffer various consequences when they are held responsible for the perpetrator's actions.

Elaborately, Identity Theft can be basically of four types :

• Financial identity theft (using another's identity to obtain goods and services)

• Criminal identity theft (posing as another when apprehended for a crime) 

• Identity cloning (using another's information to assume his or her identity in daily life) 

• Business/Commercial identity theft (using another's business name to obtain credit)

Identity Theft can occur as casually as on such Social Networking sites like Orkut and Face book which encourages one to reveal ones Personal Information in order to have a so called “Celebrity Status”, but anyone who hates your guts can tarnish your personal information and can ruin your public image. Identity Theft can also be used to faciliate crimes like Illegal Immigration , Terrorism and Espionage, further it can also be used as a tool for Blackmail.There have also been cases on Identity Cloning so as to attack the Payment Systems , Online Credit Card Processning , Online Banking (well known Axis Bank Website Replica Case)

Some Common Proficiencies for obtaining such Information :

• Stealing Mails.

• Retriving Information from Computer servers that have been disposed off carelessly.

• Researching information about the person from Government Registers, Internet Search Engines or Public Records .

• Retriving Information from Social Networking Webites (Orkut , Face book , My Space etc )

• Stealing Personal or Payment Identity cards through Pickpocketing etc.

• Stealing information in Computer Databases (Trojan Horses, Hacking)

• Advertising Bogus Job Offers.