| Victims of identity theft are not limited to Americans. It | | | | million dollars has occurred s a result of identity fraud. In |
| is a crime that affects national economies all over the | | | | 2007 it was estimated that approximately 2 million |
| world and in some cases is a more serious concern | | | | Australians have had their personal information stolen |
| than national security or even the war on terror. | | | | and used fraudulently. A poll conducted in 2007 |
| The Federal Trade Commission recently reported a | | | | indicated that 87% of Australians were more |
| loss of approximately $50 billion dollars annually in the | | | | "concerned about identity theft" than terrorism. |
| United States. In the United Kingdom, the Home Office | | | | This crime is not limited to the United States, but |
| estimated the cost of identity theft (known as identity | | | | statistics do indicate that the US has some of the |
| fraud in most other countries) as approximately $3.2 | | | | highest ranking incidences of identity theft. There could |
| billion dollars over the last three years. The Australian | | | | be several reasons for this: either it does not occur at |
| Centre for Policing Research estimates the costs of | | | | the level it does in the US, other countries simply do |
| identity theft to individuals to be at $3 billion each year. | | | | not keep or report the information United States does |
| Citizens of the UK can request a copy of their credit | | | | and the differences in terminology may cause |
| report from the three major credit reporting agencies | | | | confusion. |
| of Callcredit, Experian or Equifax to monitor their credit. | | | | It is clear that identity theft is a global problem, |
| But, in the UK those who discover they have been | | | | however, how do some countries have such a low |
| victims of identity fraud must first attempt to resolve | | | | level of incidents compared to the US? There are five |
| the disputed credit through the lending agency and | | | | reasons why the US residents and citizens may be at |
| then if unsuccessful report that they dispute certain | | | | a higher risk for identity theft. |
| information on their credit report. This makes it much | | | | 1. Social Security numbers, though issued by other |
| more expensive and time consuming for victims to | | | | names (such as in Canada and Great Britain) in many |
| resolve identity fraud. | | | | countries are not used for a catch all identifying |
| Spyware is the most often used information gathering | | | | number. Account numbers are used to indicate identity, |
| tool in the UK. Approximately 91% of all computers are | | | | and those are issued by the credit agencies or |
| estimated to have been affected by spyware. The | | | | businesses making it more difficult to have access to |
| most common forms of identity fraud are not | | | | personal information. |
| necessarily those involving credit, but it has been | | | | 2. There are laws in many Western European |
| determined that personal information is being used to | | | | countries that prohibit the sharing, selling, or releasing |
| obtain fraudulent passports, health services, driver's | | | | your private, personal, or financial information. However, |
| licenses, money laundering, and other forms of | | | | in the US it is a common practice for marketers to |
| government benefits. | | | | obtain mailing list and other information from many |
| In Canada, identity fraud is one of the fastest growing | | | | different sources, therefore information in the US is |
| crimes. The credit agencies of TransUnion and Equifax | | | | more likely to be accessible. |
| report 1800 Canadians file complaints every month. | | | | 3. Credit reports are designed differently in many other |
| Other common forms of identity fraud in Canada | | | | countries. In France, Spain and Denmark only negative |
| include the obtaining and use of Social Security | | | | information may be reported. In many other European |
| benefits (Social Insurance Numbers). The Canadian | | | | countries credit information is limited to specific banks |
| government reported that there are approximately 2.4 | | | | that have been approved to have access to the |
| million more social insurance numbers than there are | | | | information. In the US, access to credit information is |
| actual Canadians. This brings into question the security | | | | far too easy to obtain and it has more information than |
| of the social benefits systems, as well as the security | | | | we may wish to have available. |
| of the full amount of money lost to the government | | | | 4. In many other countries credit cards are not used on |
| through this abuse. | | | | a regular basis for purchases. For the majority of |
| Can identity fraud be more frightening than terrorism? | | | | Europeans, a debit card is used limiting not only the |
| In Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong; it is. Many | | | | purchase power to the amount in their bank but limiting |
| banks, businesses, and the government have placed | | | | the use of the card by others. Credit cards are also |
| tighter security measures on the release and use of | | | | more difficult to obtain. |
| personal and financial information, citizens still feel | | | | 5. In the US credit cards use a magnetic strip with the |
| threatened by identity theft. In these countries, the | | | | account information imprinted on it, making it easy for |
| most common form this crime takes is the abuse of | | | | anyone with a "skimmer" to find out the account |
| credit/debit card theft. Next in most frequent theft | | | | number for the card and use it. However, many |
| results are fraud that occurs as a result of online | | | | European countries utilize a "smart card," that uses a |
| shopping and/or bill paying. The most frequent | | | | computer chip that requires a pin code to be |
| information gathering tool in these countries is the use | | | | accessed. In France, since the introduction of the smart |
| of Trojans and spyware, with an estimated 20% of | | | | card identity fraud has decreased by 50%. |
| people affected through these systems. | | | | No country has been able to eliminate identity theft, |
| Twenty five percent (25%) of reported frauds in | | | | and while the methods for obtaining information |
| Australia involve assuming a false identity. A study of | | | | changes it does not stop identity thieves from finding |
| birth certificates indicated that 13% of the sample | | | | ways to obtain personal and financial information. One |
| resulted in false or inaccurate information. One popular | | | | fact is clear; identity theft is a top concern among |
| method of obtaining information to establish a new | | | | many nations. With this being the circumstance; citizens, |
| identity in Australia is the use of "identity kits," easy to | | | | banks, businesses and government must continually |
| purchase of such high quality that it is easy to fool | | | | change their habits to keep their information safe. |
| people. Banks report that a loss of approximately $25 | | | | |