Identity theft is the fastest-growing type of fraud and a growing source of losses for banks as cyber criminals target the vast array of personal information. You see, giving your information freely out on the web can also make you a target and a possible victim of identity theft. I will be focusing on online personal identity theft and the negative affects it has on the user and businesses as well.
To start our journey into the study of identity theft, we have to look no further than the story of ‘The curious case of Leah Palmer’. A BBC report that entail the story of a woman called Ruth Palmer, and how she fell victim to online identity theft. She discovered that someone created a false persona online using pictures of both her and her family, creating the guise of ‘Leah Palmer’. The persona of ‘Leah Palmer’ was used across different social media sides including: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even the online dating site Tinder.
This is a very common situation that many people find themselves in. A survey done by the guardian found hat 51% of them were victims of identity theft online. Luckily for Ruth, she didn’t find herself fall victim to financial loss or fraudulent activities. However she had to deal with the stress of knowing that someone was using her personal pictures online.
A popularized TV show called Catfish covers people in similar situations to Ruth, victims of identity theft. This is a show I have personally watched, along with my friends and is a situation I would personally dread to be in.
Notorious conman Frank Abagnale has stated that Facebook users are at a high risk of identity theft. This is because it is a site where many of us share our most personal and delicate information including: D.O.B., where you was born, pictures etc. It is clearly highlighted to the different ways we put ourselves at risk.
But how does this affect businesses you may ask? In a recent study it is found that the UK loses more £670m a year with a number of cases going unreported. Identity theft can affect businesses customers and employees. If your customers are victims, it will affect their ability to secure credit. This is also a very big issue as many victims, including Ruth Palmer didn’t know how to go about dealing with her ‘doppleganger’. It is estimated 32% of online identity thefts go unreported.
However, there are a number of ways to avoid being a victim of online identity theft listed below:
References:
Camarda, Thomas. (2015). How Identity Theft Affects Businesses . Available: https://thomascamarda.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/how-identity-theft-affects-business/. Last accessed 25th November 2016.
Jones, R.. (2014). Cybercrime now becoming a serious problem for many Britons . Available: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/oct/21/cybercrime-identity-theft-hacking-abuse-social-media-britons. Last accessed 25th November 2016.
Kleinman, Z.. (2015). Who’s that girl? The curious case of Leah Palmer. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31710738. Last accessed 25th November 2016.
Silver, J.. (2013). 20 ways to keep your indentity safe from hackers. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/may/12/20-ways-keep-internet-identity-safe. Last accessed 25th November 2016.
Sweney, M.. (2013). Facebook users risk identity theft. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/mar/20/facebook-risks-identity-theft-frank-abagnale. Last accessed 25th November 2016.
Yeates, C.. (2016). Identity theft surges. Available: http://www.watoday.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/identity-theft-surges-80-per-cent-as-cyber-criminals-target-online-data-veda-20161124-gswiuc.html?deviceType=text. Last accessed 25th November 2016.
Melak's Blog 
Hi Melak,
This is a very well written and logical post. The topic of identity theft is daunting and I appreciate the way in which you’ve tackled it and gave a very clear and informative example of this happening. I also liked how your main goal was never lost throughout, which was to discuss how it affects business. The short prezi also does presentation does incredibly well in giving advice on how not to be stolen of your identity.
However, because I was so intrigued on how it could affect business, I would have liked more specific examples of how it, in fact, does affect a business. You have given a large figure to demonstrate how much money is lost due to this issue and I personally wanted to know more.
Kevin
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Hi Melak,
As this was the first time I’ve been on your blog, I thought it was easy to read and the structure was very well laid out. However, majority of your blog was talking about what happened to Ruth Palmer when her identity was stolen. This meant you couldn’t really go into more detail about the way it impacts businesses. The statistics you gave were quite vague, so I was wondering if you had more information and facts?
I liked your press on ways you can keep your identity safe and thought it was important to add, although I do feel like I needed more information on the points given. But overall, I did enjoy reading your post and will probably make sure to implement the points on your prezi!
Nicole
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Hi,
I thought this blog was very well structured and laid out. I don’t enjoy reading large blocks of text so the way you broke it up with images and a video really appealed to me. I think when our generation thinks of identity theft the first thought they come to is catfish so that example was extremely relevant to the modern age!
I found the statistics towards the end very shocking where you referenced “the UK loses more £670m a year”. It is clear that there is allot of money in this sort of crime. Do you think that the future of crime may be becoming more focused on the internet? I feel, as the other topics have shown us, all aspects of the “real” world are becoming more relatable to the “online” world whether it being your identity, work and now criminal activity.
Overall I really enjoyed your blog and look forward to reading more of your posts.
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