How Has Identity Theft Evolved

It could be hard to believe that the history of identity theft is young but there are several cases that speak about piracy and id theft. Much before the technology age, most of the thieves had to work had to make their living as they nearly had to go out and grab someones wallet or handbag. According to the identity theft statistics it is found to be much common in todays world than it was before. This is mainly due to the widespread use of internet. However identity theft was also common much before the internet technology.

Identity theft ages before

Much before the internet technology had gained popularity, identity theft was common in the form of dumpster diving and by going through your trash in case you have thrown away any personal identifying information such as bills or documents. However much before that, identity theft was considered as a white collar crime and it was a lot dangerous.

This means that if the thieves wanted to steal your identity they would just kill you for it and just assume you identity and walk away. During those days the thieves also used phone scams to know about your personal information. For instance, the identity thief would just phone someone and say they had won a huge prize and that the needed their personal information such as social security number and date of birth to verify their identity. This information was quite sufficient for them to commit crimes and leave you under debts. However with the rise of the internet technology, identity theft has become a more common crime and even easier and safe to perform without being caught.

The quick growth of id theft

History of identity theft had suddenly taken a sharp turn at about the time free exchange of personal and financial information become common by the use of computer and electronic devices. Identity theft is today considered to be one of the fastest growing crimes throughout the world. This rapid growth is mainly because of multiple ways people live their lives and process information.

Although this new technology made it easier for people to communicate with each, secure credit and make purchases globally, it has also made it much easier for your personal information to fall into the hands of identity thieves through online pirating systems which made people release the need to protect privacy against these harsh systems.

How governments responded

It had taken the government organizations a while to catch the potential dangers related to identity theft. Although these organizations were slow in reacting during the past, the course which the history of identity theft has taken is today recognized as ID fraud which is a crime which cannot be overlooked.

There was also law passed out during 1998 in the United States called the Identity Theft and Assumption Act and this legislation offers all the federal agencies like the FBI, US Secret Services, FTC and the US Postal Inspection Services the power to investigate any suspected ID fraud or crime cases. This act had laid the foundation for several more legislations to follow the law.

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