Identity Theft is the practice of unauthorized access and use of personal identifiers such as names, addresses, account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, etc. for the purpose of fraud, typically for financial gain. To be perfectly correct, "Identity Theft" is really "identity fraud" the criminal impersonates the victim, he does not confiscate the person's identity. Although Identity Theft includes such low-tech practices as stealing mail, rummaging through garbage, eavesdropping or stealing an individual's wallet or purse, increasingly, online techniques are being used. These techniques include Phishing, Pharming, keyloggers, Trojans, and other forms of Spyware. It is estimated that 1 in 23 Internet users will be a victim of Identity Theft and 1 in 2 users will lose data as a result of malicious interference. 8 out of 10 businesses are attacked and e-mail viruses alone are responsible for more than $10 billion in lost productivity. Those who do online banking are at even higher risk for Identity Theft: More than 90% of Phishing scams counterfeit the branding of a financial institution for the express purpose of Identity Theft. |