I would compare both types of identity theft to church attendance; many participate but few really understand. Most people know what identity theft is, but very few realize how common and easy it is to steal someone's identity. Quite literally, 1.4 million identities were stolen in 2018. This resulted in a loss of $1.48 billion due to identity theft in 2018 alone. Although the prison sentence of up to up to 27 years is the sentence for an identity thief, that doesn't stop him at all. No type of monetary identity theft could ever compare to someone stripping another of everything that defines them, throwing them into a category, leaving behind nothing but a hollow shell of a human . This metaphorical type of identity theft is not measurable, but it happens every day. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayLiteral identity theft has increased exponentially over the past decade due to technological advancements and everything becoming electronic. These days, everything is online, so all it takes is a simple hack and a thief has all the information they need to log into a bank account anywhere or order anything online. line. It has become easy to steal credit card information, banking passwords, or even medical information to access prescription medications. In some of the worst cases, friends and family steal valuable information from each other for a few thousand dollars, or whatever they can get from their loved ones. Empish Thomas was a victim of identity theft twice. His first experience was in 1996, when a newly hired colleague stole a few wallets from employees, including Thomas. The thief then purchased groceries, designer clothing, perfume and even tried to rent an apartment in her name using her credit card and social security numbers. By then, Thomas had frozen all of his accounts and called the police about the apartment. Luckily for her, a few weeks later she received a call informing her that the thief had been arrested and she was able to get her money back. After her first experience, she considered herself informed about identity theft and took every precaution to prevent it from happening again. The second time Empish Thomas' identity was stolen, it was a completely different story. Ms. Thomas struggled with her vision disappearing. In 1996, she could still read and see colors. In 2006, when this crime took place, she was completely blind. Empish Thomas went out to dinner with a close girlfriend and her son, but previously stopped at an ATM to withdraw money for the meal. She had difficulty using the machine because there was no Braille on the touch screen, so she gave her PIN to her friend and collected the money. Once she arrived at the restaurant, she went to the bathroom and left her wallet at the table. A few days after the dinner, Thomas noticed a $400 withdrawal from his bank account and immediately contacted the bank to report fraud. She explained that she did not make any transactions at that ATM, but asked her friend to help her at another ATM because it was not accessible for her. The bank representative informed her that it was not fraud because she disclosed her PIN, even though she was blind and could not.