Thieves have been a part of life since Biblical times and there appears to be little we can do about it. When a friend or relative becomes the victim of crime, we help them the best we can, give thanks it did not happen to us, and try get on with our lives. Keep in mind there are proactive measures you can take to minimize the possibilities of being a victim.
Unfortunately, for some victims of crime, it is difficult to get back to normal lives. This is especially so if the crime was heinous or of a severe financial nature. This is even more so when the victim of a financial crime is unaware the theft even took place.
In today’s society, criminals have discovered how to steal identities of innocent victims. Thieves have always been a problem, but in the past, victims were immediately aware of the crime. In other words, for a thief to carry out their illicit plans, they had to get up close and personal with their mark.
Today, the story has changed; the injured party may not know of the crime for months. Modern day robbers discovered how to use computers as a way to steal from their victims. They can now ply their trade without the threat of confrontation. Thievery by use of the information highway has become a multi-million dollar problem for people in the United States as well as in other countries.
Thieves discovered that as with most tools, the computer allows them to be more efficient at doing what they do. This new type of offense known as identity theft, poses little risk to the robber as he or she carries out the crime.
Identity theft is a 21st century crime. With widespread use of the Internet and high speed connections, stealing from the unwary has never been easier. Likewise, for those in the know, protecting yourself from computer and identity theft is almost as easy.
There is an old joke about two hikers surprised in the woods by a bear. One hiker takes off running and the other sits down to change quickly into his Nike running shoes. The first says to his partner he cannot possibly outrun the bear. To which the second hiker responds, “I don’t have to outrun the bear. All I have to do is outrun you.”
In cyberspace, the principle is the same. The harder you make it for a criminal to access your information, the more likely he or she is going to go after someone else. All you have to do is “outrun” the others.
The trick is to know what you have to do to make yourself a more difficult target for the thieves.
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© 2010 J. Clark
