Methods Identity Theft Takes Place

Identity theft is a kind of theft that involves someone stealing the identity of someone else by assuming that person's identity (Lai, Li, & Hsieh, 2012). This is usually a method of gaining access to the person's resources like credit cards and other things in the person's name. This is considered a white-collar crime and it has gained popularity amongst criminals. Identity theft does not involve any physical theft. Therefore, the victim might not realize the theft until significant damage has occurred.

Identity thieves make use of a variety of methods, and not all of them are computer based. Thieves can go through the person's trash or mail searching for bank and credit card information, statements, and tax information. The information stolen can then be used to commit crimes like accessing credit under the person's name and using their details. Another method used to steal information is stealing the person's credit cards, identification, and bankcards from their purse or wallet.

Stealing the person's identification and credit cards would allow the thieves to pose as the person and obtain credit using the person's identity. Thieves can also redirect the victim's mail by completing a change of address form, which allow them to receive the victim's mail and personal information. Posing as a property owner or someone else who is authorized to obtain a credit report, the thieves can acquire a person's credit report. Thieves can also use a contactless credit card and bankcard reader to obtain personal information.

The readers have the ability to acquire data wirelessly from the RFID cards. When this method is used, the victim would not be aware that the theft has occurred unlike the physical stealing of purses, or wallets. Other computer-based methods can be used to commit identity theft like phishing, hacking, brute force attack, and exploiting computer breaches. Using the phishing method, the thieves will create a look-a-like website of a genuine website in order to trick victims to submit their personal information.

The thieves will send emails to potential victims requesting or informing them that they need to change or update their personal information (Tajpour, Ibrahim, & Zamani, 2013). The link provided within the link directs the victims to the fake website, and if they submit any information, the thieves will use it to commit fraud. Hacking involves forcefully accessing computer networks, databases, and computer systems in order to steal the information being transmitted or stored. Thieves will sift through the information searching for personal information that they can use.

The thieves will attempt to exploit any security weaknesses within a computer system or network. They will mostly target supermarkets, financial services institutions, and government records. Hacking might also involve the use of malware, spyware, or Trojan horse. These features will allow the hackers to gain access to the victim's computer or network without being noticed and steal personal information. It is normally recommended that one use strong passwords that contain a mix of numbers, symbols, uppercase, and lowercase letters.

This would make it hard for thieves to employ brute force attack to crack the passwords. The brute force method involves trying different combination of passwords to access a potential victim's account. Normally this is done by using programs that can generate multiple password combinations per second. The programs usually make use of specified algorithms and databases in order.