They Will Do Anything: Identity Theft and Internet Fraud

They will do Anything, Identity Theft and Internet Fraud Who are they? What do they want? How do they get it? How do they use it? What can we do to prevent it? Identity theft and internet fraud are two of the most significant problems faced by individuals and society. With the explosion of technology into the "internet of things", everyone is in danger. There is no choice. As individuals we must take actions to protect ourselves, our digital identities, and our digital clones. Information is the competitive edge, enabling every type of human activity. This applies to all of society, personal relationships, health care, business competition, politics, and government. Data, acquired from multiple sources, when merged with other data, become comprehensive information databases. Criminals use this information for and against us, and we must protect our digital selves. Additionally, criminals use advanced technologies to commit age-old illegal activities, like blackmail. Discussions on databases have equal application to legal and illegally acquired data. These data are gathered, consolidated, bought, and sold. They all build personal profiles, and these profiles, lawful or not, have application in the real world. The difference is that commercial applications influence consumer behavior by legal means, whereas governments use it for national security and social control. Criminals target our valuables using all methods. If fraudsters have enough information to compromise you individually, socially, economically, or politically, and chose to exploit that information, you will do what they want or suffer the consequences.