A study done by Javelin Strategy and Research in the US showed a significant increase in the number of people who became victims of identity theft. A 16% percent increase from 13.1 million in 2015 to 15.4 million in 2016. That is in MILLIONS. While the study was conducted on US adults, the significance to us here in Malaysia and the people all over the world is big. Physical theft needs careful planning, and cannot be reproduced with the same level of ‘success‘ repeatedly. Digital crimes, on the other hand, can. The landscape of cyberspace is the same everywhere. It may have an extra wall or two for protection in the form of firewalls and such, but in generality, its the same. The efforts shared in a forum, can very well sprout imitations throughout the world by different individuals, with more or less the same outcome.
Tara Seals of the InfoSecurity Magazine wrote an article on how Crooks Raked in $16B via Identity Fraud in 2016.
Javelin Strategy and Research posted this infographic to help understanding.
[gview file=”https://people.utm.my/hazinah/wp-content/uploads/sites/709/2017/02/17-1001J-2017-LL-Identity-Fraud-Hits-Record-High-Javelin.pdf”]
We as a consumer and user, must always be vigilent of our usage and storage of credit cards and such. Take steps to stay safe.
