Operation successful, patient died! This old joke in the medical profession reminds me of yet another, that law enforcers usually reiterate when you go to the station to file a report, “Unless something happens, I/we cannot file a report.” An epitome of innocence, and at times a simpleton, I felt safe in the conviction that prevention was better than cure. However, I felt traumatized when I visualized someone beheading me and leaving me dead by the roadside, to file an assault report. If you are wondering about the reason behind my ramblings about the law enforcers “so-called response” which they mete out to the victimized, it is because I went through a similar experience when I mustered up the courage to file a report about identity theft and I was unsuccessful in filing the report on that day.
As time for uploading my fourth composition is nearing, an individual offender or a team of offenders have been busy hacking into my business services website, business emails, Microsoft Teams containing personal information books that are live, forthcoming titles, email communications with the respective organizations, invoices, memberships with writing organizations, subscriptions, resources etc. My concerns that my fourth manuscript would be stolen by the offenders is not shared by the law enforces. Recently there was a ‘A Current Affairs’ segment about an Australian lady who undertook the role of a sleuth to nab her identity thief, and though I could be regarded as skilled in composing investigative stories by my readers, I could not bring myself to carry out private investigations like the victim in this video.
Armed with the knowledge of the definition of identity theft and how identity theft occurs from a website run by NSW Police, I matched what happened to me and what is continuing to happen to me with those on the list such as ‘Internet scams including phishing emails or spoofing sites designed to replicate banking and payment sites,’ ‘Remote access scams giving access to a computer,’ ‘Hacking of websites or business servers containing personal information databases’ and ‘Fake online social media profiles.’ and submitted a report online via Crime Stoppers website and obtained a reference or submission number. Feel free to access the link below for further information about identity theft.
https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime/frauds_and_scams/fraud_categories/identity_theft
The fact that I came across an impostor pretending to be me, on Z library, as the offender has used my second book’s cover with my name on it which I had purchased from Book Design Templates in US dollars and has uploaded a different manuscript beginning with ‘Prologue’ in English with wrong product details such as Italian for language and ISBN from Thorpe Bowker purchased by me with Commonwealth Bank card in my name, confirms that it is a case of identity theft.
In one of the resumes on which I had included Facebook link, to provide access to my prospective employers, when clicked, led to a younger woman’s fake Facebook profile even though the URL remained mine. A few years ago, a gentleman named Sethu was communication via my yahoo email as me to obtain a personal or home loan from Santander Bank, Triton Square, London as I had emailed them identity documents previously. I realized it was not a genuine offer and flatly refused to continue with the bank in further dealings. Offenders hacking into your email accounts and blocking you out of your emails must be reported and their offences must not be regarded as a minor issue. They could communicate as you to both your regular and occasional contacts and you could be held responsible for criminal offences such as fraud, using abusive language to blackmail or threaten etc., as it is your email id.
Paranoia has imprisoned me to such an extent that, when panelists ask me during interviews if I intended to go on a holiday, worry begins to eat me alive. I am not sure if it is because I linked my Australian passport number to COVID -19 digital certificate and obtained an International COVID-19 certificate. I hope the identity theft issue is not going to lead to my disappearance. The idea that I could be on holidays anytime soon is floated around without my consent. I have not booked plane tickets, not applied for tourist visa or chosen a destination for holidays. According to me holidaying is an impossible feat while surviving on job seeker payments, and Working for DOLE, an obligation that I am required to meet until I find substantive employment or till the first week of May when Certificate III Business (Records and Information Management) would commence. Statistics reveal that there are hundreds or thousands of silent and non-silent sufferers or targeted individuals like me. How can this issue be resolved?
Should necessary amendments be made to law to investigate identity theft concerns of individuals, and should they be allowed to file reports before irretrievable loss in any form occur? Should the public be informed about the consequences they would have to face if they were involved in any form of identity theft besides being educated about or made aware of how identity theft occurs? Does organized gang stalking or community stalking, usually aimed at controlling individuals’ lives, result in identity theft issues?
A Writer's Exposé 