Cyber Scamming and Identity Theft

I spent some time thinking about this week's assignment and tried to reference a positive communication exchange that occurred in the realm of cyberspace. It was important to find something unique that did not fall into the everyday category of email exchange. I struggled a great deal and came to the conclusion that communication online was not something that had been an overly positive experience for me. As nothing stuck out in my mind I thought back to a time five or six years ago when I had my identity stolen online. I learned this through reviewing my monthly bank statement to find that someone other than myself had charged a great deal of money to my visa for various memberships to japanimation websites.

I knew these charges were incorrect right away as I viewed my monthly bank statement but I was unsure how this person got a hold of my credit card information. I thought back to recent purchases and my activity online. I had recently purchased some merchandise on ebay but was under this impression that my credit card information was secured through PayPal. This obviously was not the case as I became a target of identity theft. I am fairly hesitant to make online purchases and give out any private information online. This situation could have been avoided if I did not give out my credit card information to a complete stranger in cyberspace. This situation was exacerbated due to the fact my transaction took place online. When people give out information online they become easier targets for identity theft and scams. Identity theft can happen offline but it is far more difficult. When transactions occur online it becomes much easier to fall victim to scamming and identity theft.

The lesson I learned from this was that it is important to use caution and be responsible in giving out your credit card online. This may seem like a "no brainer" but I was misinformed to believe I was using a secure website in which my information would be kept private. Just because a website claims it is secure does not mean this is necessarily the case. Computer hackers are extremely intelligent as they can navigate through cyberspace and obtain very personal information from anyone or any organization.

Wood and Smith discuss race, class, and internet usage in chapter 8 of their text. Internet access has become a key component to public life for most Americans according to a research study conducted of September of 2001. During the time the research was conducted it was concluded that over 2 million more Americans will go online every month. It was also concluded that internet usage nearly doubled for users of all races between 1998 and 2001. With more people using the internet everyday it becomes easier for cyber-theft to occur. Identity theft can happen to anyone and crosses all boundaries of race, age, and sex. With more Americans putting themselves in cyberspace it is important for us all to use caution and be careful of our activities online.