Cybercrime: Identity Theft/Fraud

A Cybercrime
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Number and Name
Professor's Name
Date
Identity Theft/Fraud
Introduction
Identity theft occurs when one’s personal data is stolen online, to commit criminal acts and fraud. These criminal acts include applying for credit, filing taxes, or acquiring medical services. Identity theft is serious for the victims since it damages their credit status and costs them money and time spent in restoring their initial status (Goel, 2019). In the United States (US), people are mostly online, for their basic needs and communication. The increased internet use has seen one of fiftenn people being at risk of identity fraud every year (Goel, 2019). Today, Americans are more conscious than ever in how they dispose off their personal information online, especially in social media sites.
The concept of identity theft began several decades ago, with criminals who wanted to escape culture. They would often kill people to steal their identities for malicious activities. They would then go on with their lives, without being found out or imprisoned for their criminal activities. At this time, identity theft was so easy since there were no crucial identifying documents such as national identity cards and social security numbers (Steel, 2019). A person’s identity was verified by their word of mouth or unique signature. As technology advanced, mobile phones became a household staple. Thieves would use them to their gain by calling people claiming that they have won a huge chunk of money. They would then ask for their personal information in order to release the money. In 1964, identity theft gained national attention following the increased cases (Steel, 2019). Efforts were made to curb the criminal activity by educating people on how to keep their personal space and information safe. Fastforward, people adopted the internet quickly and attracted more thieves into their online spaces, which have seen a significant increase in identity fraud since the internet became readily available.
For the longest time, thieves have used bank statements, tax notices, and other sensitive information on documents found in people’s trash. However, with the advancement of technology in today’s world, thieves use technology to devise new strategies for identity theft, as a cybercrime (Button & Cross, 2017). Technology has enabled criminal activities such as computer hacking and phising through email scams. Computer hackers usually enter into another computer network where they view personal documents and use them to their advantage. Technology has indeed hastened the evolution of identity fraud.
Identity Theft Legislation
The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 gave rise to section 1028(a)(7) of the U.S. code, criminalizing identity theft. The Section prohibits the transfer, possession, or usage of another person's means of identification for criminal purposes or any unlawful activities that violate Federal law or that amount to felonies under local or State law. 18 U.S.C. § 1028(d)(7) gives examples of means of identification, which include unique identifiers such as social security numbers, as well as non-unique identifiers such as date o...