Understanding victims of identity theft: A grounded theory approach
- Authors: Turville, Kylie , Firmin, Sally , Yearwood, John , Miller, Charlynn
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 5th International Conference on Qualitative Research in IT and IT in Qualitative Research, QualIT 2010
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- Description: Being a victim of identity theft can be a devastating and life-changing event. Once the victim discovers the misuse they need to begin the process of recovery. For the "lucky" victims this may take only a couple of phone calls and a small amount of time; however, some victims may experience difficulties for many year. In order to recover, victims of crime require support and assistance; however, within Australia this support is sadly lacking. In order to identify the issues currently faced by victims of identity theft as they work through the recovery process, a Grounded Theory methodology was identified as most appropriate. This paper provides a brief overview of the history of the research project; a brief introduction of grounded theory with a focus on preconceived ideas and their implications; and a description of the research project currently being undertaken. A discussion of some issues experienced when using grounded theory within an IT department with very little experience of qualitative research will be provided, along with some preliminary results.
- Description: E1
Understanding victims of identity theft: Preliminary insights
- Authors: Turville, Kylie , Yearwood, John , Miller, Charlynn
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
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- Description: Identity theft is not a new crime, however changes in society and the way that business is conducted have made it an easier, attractive and more lucrative crime. When a victim discovers the misuse of their identity they must then begin the process of recovery, including fixing any issues that may have been created by the misuse. For some victims this may only take a small amount of time and effort, however for others they may continue to experience issues for many years after the initial moment of discovery. To date, little research has been conducted within Australia or internationally regarding what a victim experiences as they work through the recovery process. This paper presents a summary of the identity theft domain with an emphasis on research conducted within Australia, and identifies a number of issues regarding research in this area. The paper also provides an overview of the research project currently being undertaken by the authors in obtaining an understanding of what victims of identity theft experience during the recovery process; particularly their experiences when dealing with organizations. Finally, it reports on some of the preliminary work that has already been conducted for the research project. © 2010 IEEE.