With 15 million Americans having their identities stolen each year, the subject of identity theft has become one that most people are now familiar with and taking steps to guard against. That being said, millions are still exposing their information without realizing it. One way thieves are picking up identities is through copy machines.

At first glance, you might think copiers would not be a problem area. Although you make a copy of something sensitive, you have the copy and the original document. As long as you don’t leave them on the copiers or lose them going to and fro, what’s the possible risk? Well, it has to do with technology.

Most copiers these days are not just copiers. Instead, they do everything but make you a martini. You can copy, fax, scan, email and so on. How exactly does the copier do all of this? It makes an image out of your document, saves it to a hard drive as data and then acts on that data depending on what you tell it to do.

The words “hard drive” should clue you into the identity theft threat when it comes to modern copiers. The hard drive contains a copy of everything it, well, copies. Deleting something from a hard drive does not get rid of it. Instead, it merely breaks the link to the document. Any computer programmer with half a brain can go in and find the documents. In fact, there is computer repair software for sale that does just this.

So, what is the actual threat? Well, identity theft criminals are going in and buying used multi-task copiers on the cheap. They are then yanking the hard drive and rummaging through them to see what they can find. People make copies of their bank and credit card statements, social security cars and driver’s licenses all the time. If you’ve done it on one of these copiers, particularly at a retail shop, you are at risk. It is that simple.

How do you fight this? Well, do you really need to make copies of your documents? If so, do so only on a straight copying machine that doesn’t use a hard drive to store images of the documents being copied.

Mark P. Warner is with IdentityTheftandPenalty.com – where you can learn more identity theft and penalty provisions for those involved in it.

Identity theft has risen from 4.2 million to 6-7 million cases throughout the last 5 years in which e-commerce has grown over the Internet. Potential victims are unaware of the thieves’ intentions until they receive their credit reports and make their claims. Statistics of identity theft are approaching alarming numbers as thieves use more complex scams to handle others’ information. It may include creating phony web pages and replaying server directors to send potential victims to their sites to enter their information. How can this be occurring so easily in the new, advanced society? Apparently the internet opened the door most identity thieves have been waiting for years.

E-Commerce

The first cases of identity theft popped up once the internet created a sweeping presence in the business markets. Identity thieves created ways to pop up in IPO servers to gather some information from listing companies. These identity thieves create phony business accounts under previous victims to gather intelligence on future victims. With the phony business accounts available, the listing companies gave away the information to numerous identity thieves which increased the identity theft statistics around the globe. The numbers continue to climb at this moment because many victims are unaware of their information being mishandled by the companies. Privacy Act laws made it clear that companies must keep information confidential.

Chaotic Results

Highest rank in cases regarding identity theft occur offline because of the misuse of information. The statistics of identity theft are not surprising due to the thieves walking around preying on innocents as if it were a game. Out of the most degrading acts of identity theft are the “friendly hellos” in which identity thieves offer to help the elderly with house chores to handle their financial conditions. These individuals are not aware that the friendly hand that was offered to them is being used to take their savings or spending their social security checks in the wrong way.

Protect Your Identity

Many of the identity theft statistics have something to do with internet transactions in which the victims were unaware of their information being collected for malice reasons. Placing A firewall prevents illegal access to your personal network or computer. Generally, they assist in protection from spyware, adware, worms, Trojan viruses, and hackers. Please set your security levels at the highest possible to protect your vital information from spybots that will linger through your computer system. Your social security cards, birth certificates, and other certified documents should be placed in your safety deposit box. The bank’s safe is more than enough to consider real security of your belongings. Help lower the identity theft statistics affecting numerous individuals across the globe.