Identity Theft Is Becoming More Common
1.
Identity theft is when someone uses, without your permission, your personal
information in order to commit a fraud or crimes. Identity theft is a felony that is
becoming more and more common. Because some of us do not guard personal
information carefully, we make it easier for others to steal our identity. We should
always be careful with information like our Identification number (ID), credit card
number, birth date, employment information, driver's license number, etc., because if
such numbers get into the wrong hands, the consequences can be very serious. People
that have been victims of identity theft have spent months trying to repair what others
have damaged, and in the meantime they have been unable to get a bank loan or they
have lost a job opportunity or, sometimes, they have gotten arrested for something they
did not do.
2. If you have the slightest suspicion that someone has gained access to your personal
information, acting quickly is a must. First of all, you should call the fraud department of
the bank where you have your accounts and request them to initiate a credit alert on
your accounts. This way the creditors are obligated to contact you before taking any
actions regarding your accounts. At the same time, you should close the accounts you
believe are corrupted. The second step would be filing a police report and keeping a
copy of it so to have a proof of the crime.
3. It is difficult to deal with an identity theft and it is very difficult to repair what others
have messed up for you. We cannot completely prevent identity theft, but we can take
some simple precautions to minimize the risks. The most important thing to do is to pay
attention to your bank statements: they should arrive on time and you should check
them very carefully. Your bank statement should always arrive almost at the same date
each month. If you don't get your statement one month, this could mean that someone
has changed your billing address to prevent you from discovering any unauthorized
activity in your account. Also, you must check every statement as you get it and be sure
that you have made all the purchases recorded on it.
4.
Another simple precaution for preventing identity theft is to be careful with your
personal papers. Never carry all of them with you, as this is not safe. If you don't need
your ID card, birth certificate or passport, leave it at home in a secured place. Carry
personal papers with you only when you need them for a specific reason. Also, you
should be careful with your mail as it often contains personal information. Either put a
lock on your mailbox or have your mail delivered to a post office box.
5.
Nowadays, purchases made over the Internet are very common and some thieves
have turned their attention to this domain. The way to protect your personal information
when shopping online is to never release it unless you are using a secure browser. If
you don't have a secured browser or the website you're visiting is not secured, place
your order by phone or email. Also, for the websites that require a password or a
personal identification number (PIN) don't use common names or dates as anyone can
guess them, but create your own password or PIN made of numbers and letters.
6.
These precautions do not really guarantee that you'll not be an identity theft victim
but they will surely minimize the chances that you'll become one. Being careful with your
personal information should not be a hustle but a routine. This way you can be sure
you'll not spend months or years and lots of money to restore your credit record and
your name after thieves have messed it up. Precaution is the name of the game.
Bibliography/Works Cited: United States Department of Justice: <
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html> LynnG3: “How to Prevent
Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft.” < http://www.ehow.com/> Jon Arnold: “Steps You
Can Take To Avoid Becoming An Identity Theft Victim” <
www.idtheftprotectiontips.com>
Identity Theft - Comprehension Questions
1. a. What can be the direct result of our carelessness?
______________________________ (TWO words)
b. How can it be prevented?
________________________________________________________
2. List the consequences of identity theft.
a. People __________________________________________
b. They____________________________________________
c. They____________________________________________
d. They____________________________________________
3. Paragraph 2
“This way the creditors are obligated to contact you before taking any
actions regarding your accounts” (Lines 4-5)
Which way does the author refer to?
___________________________________________________________
4. According to paragraph 3, if your bank statements keep on arriving
regularly after the identity theft, you have nothing to worry about.(Refer to
the whole paragraph)
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text
____________________________________________________________
5. How many general precautions are mentioned in paragraphs 2-4? ____
6. What is the relationship between paragraphs 2-4 and paragraph 5?
a. Cause and effect.
b. Additional information
c. Main idea and examples
d. Contrasting ideas
7. How can we protect our personal information while shopping online?
Mark with a check (V) the TWO correct answers
___ Use a phone to order items
___ Use your name as a password
___ Use a reliable browser
___ Use random numerals and numbers in your PIN
8. The author concludes the article by saying that __________(ONE WORD)
can help us avoid unnecessary problems.
9. Find the synonyms for the following words
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
data
-
results
illegal
-
-
shopping
-
work
-
avoid
-
chance
-
safe
-
crime
-
space
-
begin
-
assure
-
compulsory -
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 6
safety measure-