In many countries, financial crime involving identity theft is increasing. What are the causes of this trend, and what effect does identity theft have on the victims involved? Give reasons for your answer, and provide ideas and examples from your own experience. You should write at least 250 words.

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There is no doubt that identity fraud is a great concern, especially in
western
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Western
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countries where people are most at risk. I think there are two main causes
,
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apply
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and a number of damaging effects. The major cause is probably the almost universal
use
of digital technology to store financial data and undertake financial transactions. It is surprisingly easy for criminals to obtain personal information about a possible victim, and
then
to
use
this
information to impersonate the target. Because bank accounts and loans can be applied for digitally, without the need for face-to-face contact, the criminals are able to apply for financial products remotely, often before the victim is even aware of the attack. The second key cause is, I believe, the increasing probability of ‘traditional’
crimes
(
such
as armed robbery, mugging or burglary) being detected. When criminals see the widespread
use
of CCTV, DNA profiling and fingerprinting, they are less inclined to indulge in
such
old-fashioned
crimes
. Rather, they prefer the lower risk and more profitable
use
of data-based
crimes
. The effects on the unfortunate victims can be quite devastating.
Firstly
, there is the loss of money from bank accounts or by being connected to a fraudulent loan. In some cases,
this
can take years for the victim to pay back or resolve with the banks and the authorities.
Secondly
, there is the damage to their credit rating, which means they may find it impossible to obtain legitimate credit in future. In extreme cases, people’s employment prospects can even be damaged as well, as they find themselves profiled as a financial risk.
Overall
, the presence of technology and the decline of ‘traditional’
crimes
are the key causes behind
this
trend. The effects on the victims involve long-term financial hardship in many instances
Submitted by aariful91 on

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Include an introduction and conclusion

A conclusion is essential for IELTS writing task 2. It is more important than most people realise. You will be penalised for missing a conclusion in your IELTS essay.

The easiest paragraph to write in an essay is the conclusion paragraph. This is because the paragraph mostly contains information that has already been presented in the essay – it is just the repetition of some information written in the introduction paragraph and supporting paragraphs.

The conclusion paragraph only has 3 sentences:

  • Summary
  • Restatement of thesis
  • Prediction or recommendation

Example:

To summarize, a robotic teacher does not have the necessary disciple to properly give instructions to students and actually works to retard the ability of a student to comprehend new lessons. Therefore, it is clear that the idea of running a classroom completely by a machine cannot be supported. After thorough analysis on this subject, it is predicted that the adverse effects of the debate over technology-driven teaching will always be greater than the positive effects, and because of this, classroom teachers will never be substituted for technology.

Start your conclusion with a linking phrase. Here are some examples:

  • In conclusion
  • To conclude
  • To summarize
  • Finally
  • In a nutshell
  • In general

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