Student and Non-Student Awareness of Identity Theft

Student and Non-Student Awareness of Identity Theft
      This article was written by John Winterdyk and Nikki Thompson for the Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice. It is titled “Student and non-student awareness of identity theft,” and encompasses the rising concern of identity theft. The article, subsequently, continues to reveal the increasing number of identity fraud cases throughout the United States and Canada over the last decade, with particular focus on the susceptibility of young adults.   Moreover, it measures the awareness about the nature, extent, risk and effects of identity theft and a variety of fraudulent behaviors among university students and non-students. The intended purpose of the article is to demonstrate how oblivious society is to the procedure and effects of identity theft. Winterdyk and Thompson begin the article by providing a statistical analysis of the frequency of identity theft. They discuss the increasing media attention regarding identity theft, its role in smuggling undocumented migrants and its ties with organized crime. It is described as “one of the fastest growing white-collar crimes,” with nearly 10% of Canadians being victims of such theft at some point in their lives. The article continues to inform the intended audience of the ways identity theft is commonly performed. The first form of identity theft is stealing other people’s identification information through physical means. A second form of identity theft involves using another person’s identifying information in order to illegally establish a financial account in that person’s name. The third form discussed is electronic hijacking of another person’s existing account. Lastly, the authors identify the fourth category of identity theft which involves creating a fictitious identity using the information of a deceased person or through other surreptitious means. After identification and explanation of the many forms of identity theft, Winterdyk and...