Experts Make Top 10 Identity Theft Predictions for 2010

A team of experts has come up with a “Top 10” list of identity theft predictions for 2010, and the immediate future does not look any brighter for victims of the crime.

According to a press release, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) – a non-profit organization established to support identity theft victims and broaden public awareness of the crime of identity theft – and nationally recognized identity theft expert Robert Siciliano have teamed up to create a Top 10 list of identity theft predictions for 2010 and beyond.

1. The recession will lead to more identity theft scams, since identity thieves always find a way to use difficult economic times to their advantage.
2. Identity thieves will take advantage of high unemployment rates by tricking jobseekers with fake job listings and work-at-home scams.
3. The number of individuals with no criminal history who will begin to explore the crime of identity theft for financial gain will increase.
4. Child identity theft and identity theft cases perpetrated by people close to the victim – such as friends, roommates, and fellow workers – will increase in tough economic times.
5. Medical identity theft will rise as high unemployment and high medical insurance costs cause uninsured people to use the coverage of friends, relatives, or strangers to get medical care.
6. Insider identity theft will increase due to the failure to secure workplaces to prevent identity thieves from gaining access to personal information contained in databases or paper files.
7. Individuals will fall victim to Governmental identity theft after they apply for government assistance and benefits using their own Social Security Numbers (SSNs), leading to complications with government institutions.
8. Criminal identity theft – when one individual uses another’s personal information to avoid having a criminal record – will grow, leading to loss of employment and benefits, and to arrests of identity theft victims.
9. Social media identity theft will increase, allowing identity thieves hack social media accounts with “phishing” to create infected links or false pages to steal personal information from users and their “friends.”
10. Over the next two years, identity theft crimes – and the  number of victims – will increase unless changes are made in information security, especially to the current system of identification that has few safeguards to protect consumers.

While these predictions show how identity theft could get even worse, the crime is already a problem for millions of people. According to Javelin Strategy & Research, identity theft and fraud increased 22 percent in 2008, affecting nearly ten million Americans. And those numbers are expected to get worse before they get better.

To help protect against identity theft, MyBackgroundCheck.com – the nation's leading provider of applicant-supplied background checks – offers individuals “personal” background check services to help keep personal information current, accurate, and secure. For more information about personal background checks, visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.

pr@mybackgroundcheck.com