In 11 countries with the highest rates of identity theft in the world, this crime has become rampant. Developed countries has been facing this problem for some time now, but as other countries develop their Internet infrastructure and more and more people turn to online banking, identity theft has started to be a major issue worldwide. In order to stay safe from it, check out the list of the 10 most dangerous places in the world before going abroad.
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For several years, identity theft is number one reason for consumer complaint in the United States, outscoring bank complaints, debt collection and car related complaints. Identity theft is often followed with credit card fraud, where criminals try to gain access to the victims’ bank accounts. That is why there’s not a single European country among countries with the highest rates of identity theft, because they use system called EMV (Europay, Visa, Masters) which adds additional security layer in a form of a
PIN number. Although the system has been formally introduced in the United States in 2013, it will take some time for banks to update all of their ATMs so that they can accept new cards. Until then, credit cards fraud will remain one of the most serious effects of identity theft.
While America is one of the top victim countries in the world, Russia is considered the main source of identity theft. Russian hackers are the world’s biggest supplier of fraudulent credit card numbers and other PII (personally identifiable information). High unemployment rates have pushed thousands of software engineers and programmers into poverty, forcing them to turn to illegal activities in order to survive. The Russian mob has welcomed them with open arms, providing them with the equipment and reaping the benefits of their criminal work.
11 countries with the highest rates of identity theft in the world are a strange mix of wealth and poverty, but they have few things in common. All have strong economies and citizens who prefer to do their banking online, leaving enough trails for hackers to pick up and steal their identity. Since it can take several months before the victim discovers what has happened, the damage is often done long before the police get involved.
