Identify theft is a crime where key pieces of personal information (i.e. driver's license or social security numbers) are stolen in order to impersonate another person. With this information, the thief can start a line of credit, purchase merchandise or use other services in the name of the victim. Anyone can be victims of identity theft, but there is a growing number of occurrences involving child identity theft, which some have given the term "burdened beginnings." It has been estimated that more than 140,000 children are victims of identity theft each year, which leaves these victims with destroyed credit by the time they are 18 (huffpost). The potential impact on these children can have huge consequences later, including difficulty receiving student loans, purchasing vehicles, or credit checks for jobs and/or places to live.
Often this occurs because of data breaches on the fault of schools, stolen laptops, or lost/stolen mail. Data breaches leave people six times more likely to become victims of identity theft (huffpost). What's even worse about identity theft is that is often very difficult to locate the perpetrator because stolen credit cards or social security numbers are assigned new identities and names after they have been stolen. Many people may not even know that their identity has been stolen until its too late. According to PBS, "a picture posted on Facebook with your address or an accidental login into a fake Amazon page may be the only tools that a criminal needs to steal information."
Teaching students about identity theft is crucial in a growing technological society. Being safe online and keeping personal information private are important skills to teach young children who are rapidly becoming a part of the Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube generation. There is an app available to students called "Beat the Thief" designed by The University of Texas to teach children about safe information to share online. The app allows players to share various types of information in a social media type setting. Depending on how and what information players share, he/she either gains points or the thief gets closer (and may eventually steal his/her identity). It is a great real world example of how to protect yourself against these online criminals and its interactive and fun! To see an example of the app, click here.
No matter what age, identity theft is a real and growing problem around the world. It is our responsibility (as teachers) to keep our own personal information, as well as our student's information, protected, but also to teach the next generation how to stay safe and stay aware.
Sources used:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/15/students-identity-theft_n_1140119.html
http://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/85064-study-10-of-children-are-identity-theft-victims
https://www.identitytheft.gov/
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/identity-theft
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blogs/education/2014/10/four-ways-to-help-students-avoid-online-identity-theft/
Sources used:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/15/students-identity-theft_n_1140119.html
http://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/85064-study-10-of-children-are-identity-theft-victims
https://www.identitytheft.gov/
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/identity-theft
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blogs/education/2014/10/four-ways-to-help-students-avoid-online-identity-theft/
https://identity.utexas.edu/beat-the-thief-game
Hey Amy!
ReplyDeleteI am placed in a high school classroom, and even though I haven't thought about it before, I see how teaching my students awareness about identity theft is important. Most of them have cell phones and access to the internet and all kinds of websites. It scares me to think about what they could get into!
I found a recent story about a couple that would look over the shoulders of customers at Wal-Mart stores, steal their identities to create counterfeit checks to cash at another Wal-Mart store. This scheme is called "shoulder surfing" and another strategy to be aware of and educate our students about.
The couple, known as the "Bonnie and Clyde of counterfeit checks" were caught and the man sent to prison.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man-sentenced-wal-mart-check-scam-targeting-hundreds-36721515
Celeste!
DeleteI've heard of these shoulder surfers and it always freaked me out so much! I think that's the kind of stuff that would be most relevant to our students, however. Smart phones and technology are an expectation in our students lives and teaching them to keep their messages and passwords hidden and private is vital to keeping them safe. Thanks for sharing the article, it was a good reminder for me as well.
I had actually never heard of shoulder surfing before I saw this article. I'm glad I found it though because now I know I have to be more aware of the people around me especially when entering important information. And I know what kind of things to teach my students.
DeleteI am getting so many ideas for my student teaching the next 10 weeks because there is a Community Based Activities class I will have to plan for. My students need to know this stuff!
That's awesome!I'm teaching at a high school that really focuses on life and transition skills so I'm also excited to start creating lesson plans with these ideas in store!
DeleteIt's really pretty easy to steal information this way. Further, a quick snap of a cameraphone, with the flash off, can take a picture of another screen.
ReplyDeleteThere's also been devices attached to ATM machines and gas pumps that read credit card strips. People don't notice it, so when they swipe their card, the other reader collects the data, too.
That actually happened to a friend of mine last year! It's amazing how sneaky it can be and how at risk we are with simple transactions like getting gas.
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