Identity Theft Council: Consumer Education Is Best Solution to Identity Theft

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Identity Theft Council: Consumer Education Is Best Solution to Identity Theft

Posted On : Nov-12-2010 | seen (788) times | Article Word Count : 617 |

We’re losing the battle against identity theft—in 2009 there were more than 11 million victims in the US alone, the highest on record. It’s not an understatement to call it an epidemic and one only likely to get much worse.

(Identity Guard)
We’re losing the battle against identity theft—in 2009 there were more than 11 million victims in the US alone, the highest on record. It’s not an understatement to call it an epidemic and one only likely to get much worse.

To put those numbers in perspective, there were more victims of identity theft last year than there were reported burglaries, attempted burglaries, petty thefts, purse snatchings, pickpocketings, arsons, and auto thefts nationwide, combined!

But here’s the important difference. If someone were to break into your home or your car, or steal your purse or wallet, there’s a very good chance that a police officer will show up (even if it’s just eventually), take a report, gather any evidence and witness statements, and start an investigation.

The same thing is likely to happen if a thief were to steal just $20 from you. But if a thief were to steal your home from under your nose, or take out a loan on your home without your permission, chances are a police officer won’t come. If a thief steals your identity and makes you liable to hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, chances are a police officer won’t come. And if you end up arrested and sitting in jail, for weeks or even months, all because a criminal used your identity to avoid arrest, chances are a police officer won’t come to your home afterwards to take a report or start an investigation.

That’s one of the major differences with this crime epidemic. Never in the history of this country has such a major crime spree gone so unchecked, which explains why so many criminals love identity theft.

Someone once described identity theft as a “perfect storm wrapped in a vicious circle”. On the one side, identity theft is ticking constantly upwards, with more incidents and victims, and more criminals turning to identity theft. The bad economy hasn’t helped, forcing many to turn to identity theft in a desperate move to save a job or a home.

And as if picking the perfect moment, organized crime has started flooding the world with the most sophisticated malware ever, capable of fooling everything from bank security measures to desktop security and anti-virus software.

On the other side, there is growing apathy amongst consumers towards identity theft. Maybe it’s headline fatigue, and consumers are just so tired of all the warnings about identity theft they’re starting to tune them out.

On the law enforcement side, most police departments have almost completely stopped investigating identity theft. Some cite budget and manpower challenges, but many in law enforcement still don’t regard identity theft as a “real” crime, but more of a personal inconvenience for the victim, or a contractual issue between consumers and financial institutions. Whatever their reasons, most police departments are investigating less than 1% of identity theft reports, the lowest for any crime in history.

And there’s the vicious circle. Criminals know that if cops aren’t investigating identity theft and making arrests, and prosecutors aren’t prosecuting, identity theft is one of the easiest and most lucrative crimes even for a novice. The risks of getting caught and punished are remote, which attract even more criminals and fuel that vicious circle.

It’s hard to know where or how to fix any of these. If we have to pick the battles we can win, my focus would be on consumer education. That’s a fix that doesn’t require any investment, so we can’t use that excuse. The challenge is getting this message to consumers—we’re not winning the battle.

Try identityguard.com for 4 weeks of unlimited access of Identity Theft Protection.

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<h1>Identity Theft Council: Consumer Education Is Best Solution to Identity Theft</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_alvinwriter.aspx'>alvinwriter</a> (Identity Guard) 
We’re losing the battle against identity theft—in 2009 there were more than 11 million victims in the US alone, the highest on record. It’s not an understatement to call it an epidemic and one only likely to get much worse.

To put those numbers in perspective, there were more victims of identity theft last year than there were reported burglaries, attempted burglaries, petty thefts, purse snatchings, pickpocketings, arsons, and auto thefts nationwide, combined!

But here’s the important difference. If someone were to break into your home or your car, or steal your purse or wallet, there’s a very good chance that a police officer will show up (even if it’s just eventually), take a report, gather any evidence and witness statements, and start an investigation.

The same thing is likely to happen if a thief were to steal just $20 from you. But if a thief were to steal your home from under your nose, or take out a loan on your home without your permission, chances are a police officer won’t come. If a thief steals your identity and makes you liable to hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, chances are a police officer won’t come. And if you end up arrested and sitting in jail, for weeks or even months, all because a criminal used your identity to avoid arrest, chances are a police officer won’t come to your home afterwards to take a report or start an investigation.

That’s one of the major differences with this crime epidemic. Never in the history of this country has such a major crime spree gone so unchecked, which explains why so many criminals love identity theft.

Someone once described identity theft as a “perfect storm wrapped in a vicious circle”. On the one side, identity theft is ticking constantly upwards, with more incidents and victims, and more criminals turning to identity theft. The bad economy hasn’t helped, forcing many to turn to identity theft in a desperate move to save a job or a home.

And as if picking the perfect moment, organized crime has started flooding the world with the most sophisticated malware ever, capable of fooling everything from bank security measures to desktop security and anti-virus software.

On the other side, there is growing apathy amongst consumers towards identity theft. Maybe it’s headline fatigue, and consumers are just so tired of all the warnings about identity theft they’re starting to tune them out.

On the law enforcement side, most police departments have almost completely stopped investigating identity theft. Some cite budget and manpower challenges, but many in law enforcement still don’t regard identity theft as a “real” crime, but more of a personal inconvenience for the victim, or a contractual issue between consumers and financial institutions. Whatever their reasons, most police departments are investigating less than 1% of identity theft reports, the lowest for any crime in history.

And there’s the vicious circle. Criminals know that if cops aren’t investigating identity theft and making arrests, and prosecutors aren’t prosecuting, identity theft is one of the easiest and most lucrative crimes even for a novice. The risks of getting caught and punished are remote, which attract even more criminals and fuel that vicious circle.

It’s hard to know where or how to fix any of these. If we have to pick the battles we can win, my focus would be on consumer education. That’s a fix that doesn’t require any investment, so we can’t use that excuse. The challenge is getting this message to consumers—we’re not winning the battle.

Try www.identityguard.com for 4 weeks of unlimited access of Identity Theft Protection.About the Author: Neal O'Farrell is a nationally recognized security expert and a vocal advocate for the importance of better user education and awareness, and currently acts as a spokesperson and customer security advocate. Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Identity-Theft-Council-Consumer-Education-Is-Best-Solution-to-Identity-Theft_41489.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Identity Theft Council: Consumer Education Is Best Solution to Identity Theft_41489.aspx</a>

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Identity Theft Council: Consumer Education Is Best Solution to Identity Theft_41489.aspx

Author Resource :
Neal O'Farrell is a nationally recognized security expert and a vocal advocate for the importance of better user education and awareness, and currently acts as a spokesperson and customer security advocate.

Keywords : identity theft, identity theft protection, identity protection, identity guard,

Category : Internet Business : Security

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