Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger
Do an online search for "fake ids" and you will be amazed to discover how easy it can be to get an ID allowing you to pose as someone else. Or how it can be easy for someone else to get an ID that allow him to pose as you. Some websites peddle poor quality cards, others offer excellent quality, and many websites are simply scams.
The fact is, our existing identification systems are insufficiently secure, and our identification documents are easily copied. Anyone with a computer, a scanner and a printer can recreate an ID. obsolete systems exasperate the problem by making it too easy to get a true identity to the DMV, with either legitimate or falsified information.
Another glitch is the potential for individuals to change their appearance completely. Men with facial hair can wreak havoc on the current system. This is sometimes done as a prank. In other cases, the individual is trying to overthrow the system to maintain a degree of anonymity. New technologies such as facial recognition, should eventually solve some of these problems, but they are still far from being fully implemented.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, a man was able to get six different IDs. He accomplished by visiting various different registers throughout the state and use of borrowed and stolen information names. He obtained data jobseeker from a body shop bankrupt business he had owned. He used false identities to open checking accounts at several banks and write fraudulent checks to himself. He was caught when applying for his seventh ID through a facial recognition software. But it is alarming to know that he was able to acquire six different identities stolen all real people, without detection. He was a bank clerk who finally noticed he had two different accounts under two different names. If man has not been so greedy, he would have gotten away with it.
Identity theft continues to be a major problem, due to failures of our existing identification systems. Until further notice, there will continue to be a major problem. Meanwhile, it is up to you to protect yourself. The best defense against the new account fraud is identity theft protection.
You can also set your own credit freeze in consumersunion.org. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. Some of identity theft protection services will NextAdvisor.com review on your behalf.
Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses identity theft.
Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an expert on identity theft, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 and start-up companies as a consultant on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. the thoughts and advice of Siciliano on all these issues often appear in both television and print media news, including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of safety training as a member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on high alert; How to take control of your personal safety and to prevent fraud . He also established a partnership with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness of the growing threat of identity theft and provide tips on how you can protect yourself.