| There is a problem plaguing corporate America today. | | | | home of a retired banker that had the credit card |
| And it is a serious enough problem that could have | | | | details of over one thousand of the bank's clients. Why |
| repercussions on the very nature of our economy. | | | | the retired banker had the information was irrelevant. |
| This is a problem that can strike any one of us who | | | | What was relevant was that the theft was |
| ever held a credit card or a bank debit card or ever | | | | discovered in time to prevent any large scale identity |
| shopped online. The problem is one that has come to | | | | theft. But the thieves have been getting smarter and |
| be known as Identity Theft. | | | | better. |
| The repercussions are more than mere identity. | | | | One of the more common methods of identity theft |
| Estimates of the financial fall out of identity theft range | | | | nowadays involves fraudulent retailers who set up |
| from a few billion dollars a year to as much as 480 | | | | dummy retail outlets on the banking network and try |
| billion dollars! And experts in the field of identity theft | | | | out stolen credit cards for nominal charges. Once they |
| only claim that it is growing by the day. | | | | are approved, they typically make a large withdrawal |
| Identity theft first made an appearance in the news | | | | from a nearby automated teller machine. |
| headlines when the odd shopper or credit card holder | | | | But as the perpetrators of identity theft get smarter, |
| reported the loss of a small amount of money. | | | | the banks too have begun installing security features |
| Frequently, this was discovered to be related to fraud | | | | that make it more and more difficult for the fraudsters. |
| more than identity theft. One particular case that made | | | | Today's network security systems are smart enough |
| the headlines pertained to a man who had been buying | | | | to enable bankers to spot the first instances of identity |
| pornography on the Internet and had used his wife's | | | | theft almost as soon as the theft occurs. But a lot |
| credit card. When he was found out, as he ultimately | | | | more needs to be done to restore the faith of the |
| would have been found, he cried identity theft and | | | | general public in the infallibility of their credit cards. |
| lodged a complaint. Turns out the man had not even | | | | Identity theft will always be with us but, there are steps |
| bothered to cover his tracks. The IP address of his | | | | you can take to minimise your risk. Have a look around |
| computer was tracked to the websites he had visited | | | | the web and you will see there is a plentiful supply of |
| and the hoax of identity theft was quickly discovered | | | | free information. specialises in preventing internet |
| and plugged. | | | | banking fraud. If you use internet banking then take a |
| But there are several genuine cases of identity theft | | | | look: Don't be a victim, Follow our Step-By-Step-Guide |
| that occur on an alarmingly frequent basis. A recent | | | | to Internett Banking. |
| news report mentioned the theft of a lap top from the | | | | |