Identity theft

About: Identity theft is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2284 publications have been published within this topic receiving 31700 citations.

Siccolla Identity Verification Architecture and Tool

Abstract: Siccolla is an identity verification architecture utilizing wireless phones as an identity verification tool. The wireless phone has a specialized built-in fingerprint sensor, camera, and blood sensor to acquire high quality images of biometrics, including but not limited to the iris, face and fingerprints, as well as DNA sampling, to perform identity verification via biometric recognition to secure credit card/debit card/financial instruments and general multi-purpose local and/or remote identity verification transactions at the Point-of-Sale terminals (POS), online for E-Commerce, and at any general purpose point of transaction at which a positive identity verification in real time must occur to prevent identity theft and financial fraud and enable commerce, E-Commerce, or general access or business to proceed and prosper. In doing so the system also feeds the biometrics obtained of all those individuals fraudulently attempting to utilize someone else's identity into a database, creating a watch list of fraudsters against which institutions can verify any and all of the identity of any and all individuals that they come across in the line of their business, to protect themselves from financial losses, fraud, and/or physical events or actions which may cause harm to themselves, their physical and logical facilities, as well as all their customers, employees, and/or innocent bystanders.

System and method to curb identity theft

Abstract: Personal identity-identifiers such as social security numbers, finger prints, and biometric identifiers are fixed for life; once disclosed they can not reliably be used to authenticate the identity of a person claiming to own the identity-identifier(s). This limitation is overcome by introduction of one or more identity-passwords that are related, attached, or commingled together through a preset “rule”. Authentication methodologies claimed by this invention use a three-way-cross-authentication among three entities; a person to be authenticated, an entity requesting the authentication, and a trustee that issues, keeps, and verifies identity-data. Such methodologies can trace back the entitlement of one or more identity-identifiers to its correct owner through a three-way-cross-match of its identity-passwords. Specific methods are described to authenticate one's social security number, credit card number, door pass, computer software licenses, and the like. Another method is described that eliminates the need for business to ask for peoples' identity-identifiers.

Policing identity crimes

Abstract: Identity-related crimes pose a significant problem to both the UK economy and also its citizens because they cause estimated annual losses of around £1.5billion. Not only do identity crimes cause considerable public concern, but they also create challenges for policing them; not least, because policing responses, in the broader regulatory sense, are often over-reactive or take the form of dramatic Public Relations gestures rather than coherent policing policy. Yet, the realities of identity-related crimes are quite different from the ways that they are perceived and even more important is that fact that this difference presents many challenges for those whose job is to ‘police’ them. This article will look at what identity crimes are and at the very real problems they pose for policing them as non-routine policing activities. The article will, firstly, map out identity crimes and outline the behaviours that we understand as identity crimes and their core characteristics. It will then consider how the char...

Automated identity theft

Abstract: Honeynet intruders often use Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to communicate with their peers. When they do, honeynet operators can observe social interactions among black hats, which could disclose their attack and intrusion tactics, describe their motives, or otherwise shed light on their underground activities. In one recent case, honeynet intruders exposed the existence of automated tools that support and facilitate identity theft and credit-card fraud. Members of a community who call themselves carders use these tools to defraud Internet merchants and consumers of potentially large financial sums.

Medical identity theft and telemedicine security.

Abstract: M edical identity theft is defined as the use of patient identification information and=or physician identification information used to bill or obtain medical services. This is differentiated from the more common form, financial identity theft, in which identifying information like Social Security Numbers and credit card numbers are fraudulently used for financial gain. According to a 2008 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimate, medical identity theft represents 3% of all identity theft cases, or approximately 250,000 incidents annually. Health and Human Services, however, has jurisdiction over medical identity theft, not the FTC. Furthermore, the Fair Credit Reporting Act cannot be used to remove fraudulent medical records. The World Privacy Forum (WPF) and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association estimate that approximately 1% of all fraud is medical identity theft. The WPF also provides another interesting statistic. The ‘‘street value’’ of a stolen Social Security number is $1. The ‘‘street value’’ of stolen medical identification information is $50. It’s worth noting, however, that in many cases medical ID numbers are Social Security numbers.