Identity Theft - A reality in India

Have you ever paid attention to the fact that in today’s digital age, your personal information like name, date of birth, address, phone number, email ID  etc. are easily accessible online and offline. Did you know that such easily available information can lead to the simplest form of identity theft? With this bit of basic information, some fraudster can be on his way to buy a phone connection or a credit card pretending to be you. And you won't know about it until you get your statement and it's too late!Identity theft has become rampant around the world today and has become one of the fastest growing crimes of this century. It occurs when someone uses another person's personal information, such as name, credit card number, bank account details, address, or other identifying information to take on that person's identity, in order to commit financial fraud or other crimes. Contrary to popular belief, the primary cause of it is not because more people are online, since the crime of identity theft is not limited to online transactions or online banking. But, it is caused by people not paying attention to the contents of sensitive information that they receive, online or offline, such as personal details, bank or credit card statements, telephone bills, and not guarding that information with the care that it deserves.Stealing an identity is, unfortunately, surprisingly easy to do and happens when you least expect it. Protecting yourself is very important. If someone steals your identity it can take months or even years to recover from the disorder they leave behind.

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