当一个人声称自己是其他人时，会使用身份盗窃(Identity Theft)一词，目的是为了获得经济利益而进行欺诈。当这在Internet上在线完成时，称为在线身份盗窃(Online Identity Theft)。本文旨在扩展什么是身份盗窃(Identity Theft)，它是如何可能的，它的领域是什么，以及如何防止它和保护自己。
什么是在线身份盗窃
如上所述，身份盗窃是冒充他人。(Theft)这通常是出于犯罪意图并要求刑事指控。从事在线身份盗窃(Online Identity Theft)的人可能会获取某人的信用卡信息或驾驶执照信息，并使用这些信息将自己伪装成该人。数字身份信息泄露的那个人成为受害者(Victim)。
在许多情况下，身份盗窃(Identity Theft)只是使用受害者的凭据和信用卡信息来购买东西并由犯罪分子转移资金。这可以一直持续到信用卡(Credit Card)用尽或直到受害者知道他或她是身份欺诈(Identity Fraud)的受害者。在某些情况下，犯罪分子将自己伪装成受害者，并获得巨额无担保贷款，直接牵连身份盗窃受害者。因此，确保所有数据的安全并且在任何情况下都不要放弃它是非常重要的。
身份盗窃是如何发生的？
窃取他人身份信息的最常见来源是影响政府或联邦网站的数据泄露。(data breaches)也可能是私人网站的数据泄露；包含重要信息，例如 - 信用卡信息、地址、电子邮件ID(IDs)等。
用于窃取身份信息的第二常用技术是网络钓鱼(Phishing)(Phishing)。尽管我们大多数人都不注意询问我们个人详细信息的电子邮件，但一些网络钓鱼攻击——例如被称为尼日利亚网络钓鱼诈骗(Nigerian Phishing Scams)的攻击——通常会成功地从毫无戒心的人手中获取数据，这些人落入犯罪分子的陷阱- 在这种情况下，身份窃贼(Identity Thieves)。
然后是社会工程学(social engineering)，犯罪分子可以亲自或通过电话、电子邮件或社交媒体与受害者交朋友。一旦他们成为“朋友”，犯罪分子就可以轻松获得他们想要的信息。然后，这些信息被用来冒充受害者，并将他们的身份用于不同目的，甚至可能包括刑事案件。
身份盗窃(Identity Theft)有哪些不同类型？
根据身份盗窃资源中心，(Identity Theft Resource Center)身份盗窃(Identity Theft)主要有四种类型：
- 刑事
- 政府的
- 金融的
- 医疗的
本文已经讨论了犯罪和金融身份盗窃的类别。在犯罪身份盗窃(Criminal Identity Theft)中，被刑事指控的人将冒充他人，她或他通过上述方法之一获取了他人的详细信息。这些刑事指控必然会改变受害者的生活，因为这些指控与他们终生相关。有一些选择可以清除，但它们涉及到法庭并证明他们是真实的。这可能会达到进行 DNA 测试以确定该人确实是受害者的程度。随着指控等进入官方登记册，它们仍然不时出现，受害者必须出示法庭判决以证明自己是干净的。
政府身份盗窃(Governmental ID Theft)主要与所得税(Income Tax)申报表有关。罪犯可能以受害者的名义和身份在某处工作。在这种情况下，她/他可能不会提交 IT 申报表，因此您将被传唤。尽管您可能已经支付了 IT 回报，但您这样做只是为了您知道自己获得的收益。政府的记录将表明您从另一个您完全不知道的实体收到资金。虽然您可以在法庭上将其作为身份盗窃案进行抗辩，但在您被清除之前，您仍然需要支付额外的税款。
财务身份盗窃(Financial Identity Thefts)与身份盗窃者利用您的详细信息进行贷款有关。有一天，您可能会收到贷方的信，并发现您没有偿还您没有偿还的贷款。这也会破坏您的信用报告。这是一团糟，因为您必须联系所有信用评级机构并告诉他们您是身份盗窃的受害者。这也可能最终在法庭上，并花时间洗清你的名字。
最后，医疗身份盗窃(Medical ID Theft)是指身份盗窃者在医院和药店使用您的医疗福利。在您遇到一些医疗状况并就医之前，没有更简单的方法可以发现它。
无论如何，一旦成为身份盗窃的受害者，就很难清除姓名。因此，您应该不惜一切代价避免它。下一部分着眼于如何保持安全并避免身份盗窃。(In any case, it is very tough to get the name cleared once it is a victim of identity theft. Hence you should avoid it at any cost. The next section looks at how to stay safe and avoid ID thefts.)
如何防止身份盗用(Identity Thefts)和保护自己
避免身份盗窃(Identity Thefts)并不难。您所要做(All)的就是在与人打交道时谨慎行事并运用常识——无论是在线还是离线。
1] 不要回复说您赢得了从未参加过的彩票的电子邮件。任何公司都没有这样的计划，他们随机提取电子邮件地址并想赠送巨额资金甚至折扣券。
2] 没有寡妇或垂死的人需要您的帮助将他们的钱转移到您所在国家的非政府组织(NGOs)。如果您收到此类电子邮件，请立即将其删除。
3] 没有任何贷款公司愿意在没有任何担保的情况下向全球人民借钱。远离此类电子邮件/索赔。
4]贪婪(Greed)和快速赚钱的愿望通常是人们成为此类骗局受害者的原因。因此，如果您有“机会”无缘无故地获得数百万美元，请控制您的兴奋和行动。
5]仅在受信任的网站上在线购物。(Shop)当网站使用锁定图标时，您就知道它是受信任的。这些网站在除Internet Explorer(Internet Explorer)之外的所有浏览器的地址栏中都以绿色显示公司名称。此外，还必须考虑在线购物中心的声誉。当然，您可能想尝试新的商店。通过对这些网站进行背景调查，谨慎购买此类网站。
6] 不要通过电子邮件直接用简历回复在线工作机会——即使工作网站很有名。任何人都可以轻松地在工作网站上注册并发布职位空缺。对公司做一点背景调查，看看它是否真的是一家公司。如果职位空缺也要求您提供银行详细信息，请忽略它。安全总比后悔好。
7] 如果朋友对您的社会保险号和银行详细信息感兴趣，他或她可能不是朋友。把细节留给自己。
8]每月平衡(Balance)您的信用卡对帐单，看看是否存在任何您无法关联的项目。
9]每年检查(Check)一次您的信用报告，看看是否有任何您没有接受的贷款。
10]在单击电子邮件、即时消息或聊天会话中的链接之前，请三思而后行，并怀疑任何紧急请求个人财务信息的电子邮件。(Think)
报告在线身份盗窃
如果需要，您可以通过ftc.gov/idtheft美国联邦贸易委员会(U.S. Federal Trade Commission)报告身份盗窃，或拨打免费电话 (877) 438-4338 或通过microsoft.com/reportabusemicrosoft.com/reportabuseMicrosoft报告。
使用这些在线安全提示(online safety tips)，您将能够防止在线身份盗窃(Online Identity Theft)、保护自己并保持安全。请遵循这些网上银行安全提示(Online Banking Safety Tips)，以确保您的金融交易安全。
Avoid online scams! Stay Safe Online & always protect your personal information while browsing!
IDTheftCenter.org提供了一些关于(IDTheftCenter.org)在线身份盗窃(Online ID Theft)的有用资源。您还可以从Microsoft下载有关(Microsoft)在线身份盗窃(Online Identity Theft)的电子书。它还为主题带来了额外的亮点。
下载相关电子书和手册：(Download related eBooks and Brochures:)
- 在线欺诈预防、检测、恢复
- 计算机安全、数据隐私、在线安全(Computer Security, Data Privacy, Online Safety)
- 家庭在线安全提示。
Online Identity Theft: Prevention and Protection tips
The term Identity Theft is used, when a person purports to be some other person, with a view to creating a fraud for financial gains. When this is done online on the Internet, it іs called Online Identity Theft. This article aims to expand on what is Identity Theft, how it is possible, what all comes under its domain, and how to prevent it and protect yourself.
What is Online Identity Theft
Identity Theft, as mentioned above, is an impersonation of some other person. This is often done with criminal intent and calls for criminal charges. A person engaged in Online Identity Theft, may obtain credit card information or driving license information of someone, and use it to present himself as that person. That person, whose Digital Identity information is leaked becomes the Victim.
In many cases, Identity Theft is simply using credentials and credit card information of the victim to buy things and transfer funds by the criminals. This can continue until the Credit Card is exhausted or until the victim comes to know that he or she has been a victim of Identity Fraud. In some cases, the criminals present themselves as the victim and take up huge sums of unsecured loans that directly implicate identity theft victims. It is – therefore – very important to keep all your data secured and not to part with it in any case.
How does Identity Theft take place?
The most common source to steal identity information of others are data breaches affecting government or federal websites. It can be data breaches of private websites too; that contain important information such as – credit card information, address, email IDs, etc.
The second most used technique for stealing identity information is Phishing. Though most of us do not pay attention to emails asking for our personal details, some of the phishing attacks – such as the one referred to as Nigerian Phishing Scams – often succeed in getting the data out of unsuspecting people who fall into the trap of criminals – in this case, Identity Thieves.
Then, there is social engineering where the criminals befriend victims personally or over the phone, email, or social media. Once they become “friends”, the criminals can easily get the information they want. This information is then used to impersonate the victims and use their identities for different purposes that may even include criminal cases.
What are the different types of Identity Theft?
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there are four main types of Identity Theft:
- Criminal
- Governmental
- Financial
- Medical
The category of criminal and financial ID thefts have already been discussed in the article. In Criminal Identity Theft, the person caught on criminal charges will impersonate someone else, whose details she or he secured via one of the methods described above. These criminal charges are bound to change the lives of victims as the charges are associated with them for a lifetime. There are options to get cleared, but they involve moving to the court and proving that they are the real ones. This might go to the extent of getting DNA tests done to ascertain that the person is indeed a victim. As the charges etc. made it to official registers, they still keep on popping up at times and the victims have to produce court verdict to prove themselves clean.
The Governmental ID Theft is related mainly to the Income Tax returns. The criminal may be working somewhere under the victim’s name and identity. In that case, s/he may not file IT returns due to which you will be summoned. Though you may already have paid IT returns, you did it for only the gains you know you made. The records of the government will indicate you have been receiving funds from another entity that is completely unknown to you. While you can counter this in courts as a case of ID theft, you still have to pay extra taxes until you are cleared.
Financial Identity Thefts relate to ID thieves taking up loans on your details. You might receive a lender’s letter someday and find that you have not repaid a loan you did not take. This also spoils your credit reports. This is a mess as you have to contact all the credit rating agencies and tell them that you are a victim of identity theft. This too, might end up in courts and take the time to clear your name.
And finally, Medical ID Theft refers to ID thieves using your medical benefits at hospitals and pharmacies. There is no easier way to discover it until you encounter some medical condition and approach the hospital.
In any case, it is very tough to get the name cleared once it is a victim of identity theft. Hence you should avoid it at any cost. The next section looks at how to stay safe and avoid ID thefts.
How to prevent Identity Thefts and protect yourself
It is not very hard to avoid Identity Thefts. All you have to do is to use caution and exercise common sense when dealing with people – online or offline.
1] Do not reply to emails that say you won a lottery that you never entered. There are no such schemes from any company where they pull up an email address randomly and want to give away a huge sum of money or even discount coupons.
2] There are no widows or dying people who need your help to transfer their money to NGOs in your country. If you receive such emails, delete them immediately.
3] There are no loan companies that are willing to lend money to people across the globe without any security. Stay away from such emails/claims.
4] Greed and the desire to make quick money has usually been why people fall victim to such scams. So control your excitement and actions if you get a ‘chance’ to lay your hands on millions of dollars, for no reason.
5] Shop online only on trusted websites. You know a site is trusted when it uses a lock icon. These sites show the name of the company in green color in the address bar of all browsers except Internet Explorer. Plus the reputation of online shopping centers has to be considered. Of course, there can be new stores that you may want to try out. Exercise caution in buying from such sites by doing a background check on the sites.
6] Do not directly reply with your resume to online job offers via emails – even if the job website is reputed. It is easy for anyone to register with job sites and post job vacancies. Do a little background check on the company to see if it is indeed a company. If a job vacancy asks you for bank details as well, ignore it. Better be safe than sorry.
7] If a friend is interested in your social security number and bank details, he or she may not be a friend. Keep the details to yourself.
8] Balance your credit card statements every month to see if any item exists that you cannot relate to.
9] Check out your credit reports once a year to see if there are any loans that you did not take.
10] Think before clicking links in the e-mail, instant messages, or chat sessions and be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information.
Report Online Identity Theft
If the need arises, you can report the identity theft to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/idtheft or call toll-free (877) 438-4338 or to Microsoft at microsoft.com/reportabuse.
Using these online safety tips, you will be able to prevent Online Identity Theft, protect yourself, and stay safe. Follow these Online Banking Safety Tips to keep your financial transactions secure.
Avoid online scams! Stay Safe Online & always protect your personal information while browsing!
IDTheftCenter.org offers some useful resources on Online ID Theft. You can also download an eBook on Online Identity Theft from Microsoft. It also throws additional light on the subject.
Download related eBooks and Brochures:
- Online Fraud Prevention, Detection, Recovery
- Computer Security, Data Privacy, Online Safety
- Family Online Safety Tips.
