Internet Fraud and Identity Theft Essay - 1176 Words

Internet Fraud and Identity Theft The Internet is not just a medium for information; it is a tool for communication. Creating a new social sphere and environment, the Internet allows virtually anyone to be a participant. Chat rooms, discussion boards, instant messaging services and e-mail are all mediums that allow individuals to engage in communication. However, although the Internet is a public domain, individuals do not have to honestly represent themselves. Many individuals use false names and identities on the Internet. As a result, detecting authenticity, genuineness, and sincerity may prove to be problematic. Thus, by the Internet’s opportunity to perpetuate false representations, the digital illustration of society’s†¦show more content†¦Identity theft is the leading fraud complaint registered with the Federal Trade Commission† (Frick, 2004). Yet to many individuals who take precautious steps on the Internet, those who intend to obtain private information, do so very effortlessly.† Websites exist solely for the purpose of trading in personal information. Information brokers will provide data about an individual’s medical records, bank details, credit rating, criminal record, driving license and vehicle registration documents for a small fee. In short, everything that the imposter needs to select a victim and misappropriate his or her identity is readily available on the Internet† (Newman, 1999). In addition, consulting websites are not the only way to retrieve one’s personal data. For new comers to the Internet, individuals may not realize the potential dangers of unknown e-mail messages.†In their haste to explore the exciting features of the Internet, many people respond to spam  ­ unsolicited E-mail  ­ that promises them some benefit but requests identifying data, without realizing that in many cases, the requester has no intention of keeping his promise†(U.S Department of Justice, 2000). Furthermore, there is also the growing numbers of so-called â€Å" phisher websites, which are designed to look exactly like legitimate Web addresses, such as Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and PayPal.com.†(Roberts, 2003). Individuals are tricked by the knock-offShow MoreRelatedThe Globalization of White Collar Crimes: An Inside Look of How Fraud, Embezzlement, Cybercrime, Identity Theft and Forgery Are Increasing World-Wide794 Words   |  4 PagesInside Look of How Fraud, Embezzlement, Cybercrime, Identity Theft and Forgery Are Increasing World-Wide In this paper I will examine some of the aspects of white collar crimes such as: fraud, embezzlement, cybercrimes, identity theft and forgery. I will explain what each of these are pertaining to criminal justice and how they relate to one another. And I will conclude by how each of these topics are growing into global problems. 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