Identity theft is a form of stealing someone's identity in which an individual pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name.
The theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it without your permission. The victim of identity theft can suffer adverse consequences if he/she is held accountable for the perpetrator's actions. It’s a serious crime that can wreak havoc with your finances, credit history, and reputation. Additionally, it can take time, money, and patience to resolve.
Here, in St. Kitts-Nevis when dealing with this offence the Police use the Larceny Act and the Debtors Act to combat this crime. When dealing with victims of identity theft the Police always advise the victims to report the theft immediately. The idea behind this is that acting fast limits your liability for charges you didn’t authorize by reporting the theft of your card to the card issuer as quickly as possible. Once you report the theft of your ATM or debit card, you should not be held liable for unauthorized transfers that occur after that time.
The Police believe once identity thieves have your personal information, they can drain your bank account, run up charges on your credit cards, open new utility accounts, or get medical treatment on your health insurance. In some extreme cases, a thief might even give your name to the Police during an arrest.
If your wallet, Social Security card, or other personal, financial or account information is lost or stolen, contact the credit reporting company or bank so that they can and place a fraud alert on your credit file. Check your bank and other account statements for unusual activity.
The Police also advice persons to keep their personal information secure offline by locking your financial documents and records in a safe place at home, and lock your wallet or purse in a safe place at work. And also to keep your information secure from roommates, friends or workers who visit your home.
When you’re online know who you share your information with. Keep financial information on your laptop only when necessary. Don’t use an automatic login feature that saves your user name and password, and always log off when you’re finished. That way, if your laptop is stolen, it will be harder for a thief to get at your personal information.
Corporal Thompson from the Police Local Intelligence Office (LIO) of the St. Kitts-Nevis Police Force always advises, “Before you dispose of a computer get rid of all the personal information it stores.” In respect to mobile device disposal, he advises that you check your owner’s manual, the service provider’s website, or the device manufacturer’s website for information on how to delete information permanently, and how to save or transfer information to a new device.
The Police stressed, never post your full name, Social Security Number (SSN), address, phone number, or account numbers in publicly accessible sites. And to keep a close hold on your Social Security number and ask questions before deciding to share it.
The decision to share is yours. Luckily, in St. Kitts-Nevis the SSN is not so much an issues as it relates to identity theft, but passports. So persons are encouraged to secure their passports properly. The new passport with its security features makes it difficult for the theft to occur.
Let us encourage our Parliamentarians to pass the Theft Act, which will better aid the Police in dealing with this crime and, at the same time, protect us from becoming victims.
