Professor Milena Head

The following article is reprinted courtesy of the Hamilton Spectator, McMaster University’s partner in the Science in the City Lecture Series.

So Who's Stolen You?

Natalie Alcoba

The Hamilton Spectator
Feb. 8, 12:50 EDT

Your personal information is out there and people are taking it.

Stealing it, in fact, from your dumpster and your magnetic credit card strip. They're accessing your bank account and then they're helping themselves to your money. Sometimes the criminals use your information to take out loans or apply for a passport.

In this digital age, we're more exposed than we think. "It's scary how easy it is for them to get this information," said McMaster University professor Milena Head.

Identity theft, described as the unauthorized collection or fraudulent use of personal information, is the fastest-growing crime in North America. Millions of dollars have been stolen, and thousands of hours wasted by people trying to put their identity back together.

But most people don't realize how pervasive the crime is, said Head, or the impact it can have on your life. Her goal is to make people more aware so they can protect themselves.

She's become an expert in the field, and will be sharing her knowledge in a Science in the City lecture this evening. The free session is held in The Hamilton Spectator auditorium and doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Head is part of a team of researchers from four Canadian universities that are trying to create a library of information on identity theft. McMaster is looking to take the lead on the project, that also involves Queen's, Carleton and Ottawa universities.

The e-business research centre has allocated $1.7 million towards the study of identity theft, said Head. One program looks at defining and measuring identity theft. Head said in Canada the RCMP has taken a lead in this fast-expanding crime, but the data is scattered, at best, and there's no centralized tracking system.

"We don't even necessarily know in Canada to what scale the problem is," she said.

Figures for 2003 released by Phonebusters, a national anti-fraud centre, suggest just over 13,000 Canadians were victims of identity theft that year. It cost them nearly $22 million. "I'm guessing that that is grossly underestimated," said Head.

American figures suggest an average victim loses about $800 US. But that doesn't take into account the time it takes -- about 600 hours per victim -- to get their information back in order, said Head. Add to that the emotional damage of having someone else assume your identity and the victim experiences trauma akin to a violent crime, she said.