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When Did Identity Theft Originate?
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When Did Identity Theft Originate?

By: Paul Wilcox

Identity theft is a huge problem in our modern world. This criminal activity not only hurts the organizations that are never paid, but also the individuals that have had their identities stolen. It also harms the general public because we are forced to pay the extra fees and higher interest rates companies must charge to make up for the money lost through these crimes. Although the origin of identity theft may seem difficult to pinpoint, it is really simply a part of a crime that has been a part of human history since prehistory. That crime is of course thievery.

The Origin of Identity Theft " Just a Creative Slant on Stealing?

At it's simplest, identity theft is just a form of stealing. It can actually be traced back before the internet. A recent movie called "Catch Me If You Can" portrays the life of a conman. He lived his life as someone else of various professions often carrying out check fraud.

This movie helps to demonstrate the origin of identity theft. This form of thievery eventually developed into modern-day identity theft. Conmen and thieves have simply become better at it. Today, unscrupulous people are able to use various sources (the internet and e-mail for one) to essentially impersonate not a profession, but an individual.

One of these ways this is done is by e-mail. An e-mail containing a virus can be sent to you to gather your personal information from your computer. The best way to stop this is by not opening e-mails if you don't recognize the sender. You need to read the information provided in the subject line and who has sent it to you.

Sometimes things can be misspelled or be obvious spam. Never open a message that you know to be spam. Keeping you virus program updated and running regularly will also help you with these unwanted messages.

Another way these criminals are able to get information is by simply checking the trash that leaves your house. Never throw away paperwork that shows your social security number, birth date, account numbers, or other identify information.

Regardless of the origin of identity theft, individuals need to be careful with their person information to protect themselves from becoming a victim of this crime.

Article Source: http://articlenexus.com

Do you know identity theft can happen over the internet? If you're not running the right kind of internet security, your private data can be stolen. Find out how to protect yourself at the Security Manor website.

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