The History of Identity Theft

Identity theft is thought of as a modern crime, happening mostly online, but it has been around since long before the internet was born. Criminals have long been using other people’s identities to commit crimes and steal money and are sure to continue. But when did it start, and how did it occur without the technology we have today?
There is no set date we can trace identity theft to but a hundred years ago if a criminal wanted to assume another person’s identity they didn’t steal their personal information and open credit cards, they killed that person and then pretended to be them. This was identity theft’s grizzly beginning and while it is not as violent anymore it can still ruin a person’s life.
As society advanced the phone and mail box became the next targets of identity theft. Now criminals could just steal information and assume another person’s identity without violence. The first identity theft scams were conducted over the phone. Unsuspecting people were contacted by criminals and told they had won a prize or were approved for credit. In those simpler times many people were conned into giving away personal information in this way. Mail box theft was also born as credit cards and loans became more common and personal information was being sent through the mail. Getting personal information out of the trash also became increasingly common as credit card companies grew and began sending more mail that wound up n the trash. All these practices continue today, but as technology advances so does the way criminals steal identities.
After the internet became wide spread, it gave criminals even more ways to commit identity theft; they could send spoof emails requesting personal information, create websites to harvest this information for them or use viruses and spyware to collect information right off personal computers. Criminals continue to use the old methods of identity theft as well as new technology. The internet has revolutionized they way we communicate and get information but it has also revolutionized the way our identities can be stolen. No matter how a criminal gets their hands on a victim’s information identity theft is still a problem today.