Austin Bedsaul 16 September 2014 Informative Speech CAS 100B Identity Theft Outline Introduction I. Attention Grabber Did you know that research has

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1 Austin Bedsaul 16 September 2014 Informative Speech CAS 100B Identity Theft Outline Introduction I. Attention Grabber Did you know that research has shown that identity theft has become the fastest evolving crime according to the FBI? Are you aware that over nine million Americans on average have their identity stolen each and every year? Have you or someone you know been a victim of this? II. Thesis Identity theft has become a very common crime in today s society, but there are several ways to avoid it by understanding what it is, how it occurs, and what you can do to prevent it. Body Main Points I. What is it? A. When an unauthorized person gains access to: 1. Your full name 2. You mother s maiden name 3. Social Security number 4. Birthday 5. Driver s license/phone number 6. Mailing address 7. Credit card information B. When someone opens a financial account under your name, such as: 1. Credit card 2. Any type of loans (car, mortgage, etc) 3. Contracts (cellphone, TV service, etc) 4. Bank accounts C. File for bankruptcy to avoid debts

2 D. When an individual uses your name when committing a crime and/or receiving a fine of some sort. II. How does it happen? A. When someone takes business information by: 1. Stealing files out of offices in which you were in association with 2. Hacking into systems and/or servers shared by the business B. Being sneaky, (aka shoulder-surfing ) by doing the following: 1. Watching you during transactions in stores or ATMs and memorizing: A. Your name B. Contact information (phone numbers, s, addresses, etc) C. Credit card numbers D. In some cases, social security numbers C. Going through personal files by: 1. Looking through garbage (at home, landfills, dumpsters, etc) 2. Stealing mail or accessing s D. Taking advantage of authority, such as: 1. Stealing credit card numbers during transactions (restaurants, store, etc) 2. Gaining access to your information stored on company servers E. Stealing personal items that hold your information, including: 1. Wallets 2. Purses/Backpacks 3. Personal electronics (Laptops, phones, tablets, etc) F. Other ways: 1. Sharing personal information online (Facebook, Twitter, etc) 2. Taking documents from your home 3. Through scams (usually through internet and phones) III. What can be done to prevent it? A. Avoid giving personal information out: 1. On social media websites (Facebook, Twitter, etc) 2. To companies that aren t well-known 3. People without a legitimate reason for the information

3 B. Keeping information as private as possible by: 1. Covering keypads when entering PIN numbers, credit card information, phone numbers, social security number, etc. 2. Never carrying your social security card with you 3. Only carrying credit cards that you know you will need for that trip C. Be on the look out 1. If possible, check credit report regularly or once a month 2. Look over all financial statements to be sure all transactions are from you 3. Check your mail for new credit cards that may have been opened by someone else 4. If you applied for a credit card, be sure it is delivered to you within the company s estimation and report any un-delivered cards D. Take action immediately if: 1. You your wallet becomes lost or stolen A. Cancel all credit cards B. Check statements for any unauthorized transactions 2. A credit card comes in the mail that you didn t apply to 3. Your credit report shows new activity that was t made by you E. Additional precautions include: 1. Creating secure passwords for all online accounts, computers, phones, and any other electronic device or online service you may have/use 2. Never share information to strangers or even friends, especially if they don't have a reason for needing it 3. Verify that online services are secure and legitimate 4. If you notice anything different on your credit report or financial statements, contact them immediately, including three major credit agencies to be sure that the problem is addressed and taken care of

4 Conclusion I. Summary Most people would agree that becoming a victim of identity theft can be very stressful and sometimes have devastating outcomes. When someone other than yourself opens accounts of any sort under your name, or accused crimes they committed as yours, that is considered identity theft. People can gain this information very easily or in more complex ways depending on the actions you take to help protect yourself. Be sure that all your financial information stays private and that you don t post anything that can relate to your information online. II. Ending Device After hearing all these facts and statistics, as well as preventions and sources of identity theft, are you going to be more aware of how you present your personal information and who you give it to? Transitions I. Between Thesis and Body Becoming aware of what identity theft is can help you better understand why it is an issue in today s society and how it affects people. II. Internal Summary A. What is it? Identity theft is when a person uses your personal information to gain economic advances at your expense, but there are ways to prevent it. B. How does it occur? Identity theft is when an unauthorized person gains access to your personal information and abuses it. There are several ways identity theft can occur and some are easier than others, but there are also ways to prevent this if the right precautions are taken. C. What can be done to prevent it? When someone gets ahold of personal information, they can open financial accounts or commit crimes in your name, by accessing your information through several ways. But there are also many ways to prevent such things from happening.

5 Bibliography (MLA) Card, or Other Account Statements IDENTITY THEFT (n.d.): n. pag. Identity Theft. Web. 16 Sept < "Idenity Theft." Introduction to Identity Theft. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept < content/police/inetmenu/introduction.html>. "Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft." U.S. PIRG Education Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept < "USDOJ: CRM: About the Criminal Division." USDOJ: CRM: About the Criminal Division. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept <