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Table of Contents

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………... Page 3

How-to Guide …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 4

Night Shift ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 5

Bamk mail ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 6

Acrostic Poem ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 8

Genre 5 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 9

Reflection ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 10

Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 11

Introduction

Stealing is a social issue that can have either a drastic impact or slight one on an individual’s life.

I chose theft as my topic because I have never written about it before. This helped to spur on my

interest in the subject and finding different viewpoints about it. Not only did I look at different

views, but I also discovered that there are various ways to steal from people that others should

take precautions against. I chose an email to represent fake ads that are capable of stealing

identities and credit card information because I’ve seen them before and know how frequently

they’re sent out. I utilized my narrative skills in order to write a story about someone with a fear

of being robbed. It was to a point where his working environment became a stress center that

ruined each and every one of his days. It demonstrated how stealing can indirectly affect a

person, even when it doesn’t happen. I also created a how-to-guide against identity theft,

focused on giving helpful tips with slight comic relief.

“How-To:” Protect against Identity Theft

Keep your Social Security number protected

o Sometimes hiding the card under your

mattress isn’t enough, take extra

precautions

Keep personal identification numbers secret

o Not your age or your height, you can’t really hide those.

Bank pins, debit pins, etc.

Protect your credit and debit card numbers

o It doesn’t matter if your wife says that she

only needs the card for a second; online

shopping is your wallet’s worst nightmare

Be aware of your incoming and outgoing mail

o Shred documents with your name and

personal information on them instead of

simply tossing them away. You don’t

want the neighborhood hobo taking your

name and info

Pay close attention to transactions in your bank account

statements and credit card bills

o If you didn’t buy that lava lamp, tiny horse, and tricycle

that are showing up on your account, you should look into

it.

Keep yourself anonymous on the internet

o Do not give out personal information to

anyone on the web. Even if they don’t

believe that you’re 18 and just happen to

sound like a 12 year old, it isn’t worth

giving out who you really are.

Report any and all fraudulent activity on your credit record,

despite if you are unsure about its authenticity.

o Maybe you can’t remember whether it was you that bought a

tricycle AND a small goat. After all, the goat seems like a

logical purchase. Call and ask.

SOURCE: https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/alerts/theft.html

The Night Shift

Another hour passed. We’re almost done, just a little while longer. I’ve been counting down the minutes

since 9 p.m. yesterday. It’s already 2 a.m. If I can make it another 3 hours in this isolated prison that I call

a workplace, then I’ll be ok. I’ll go home, and won’t have to deal with this until 9 again. Did I hear

something? Someone is at the door. I unlock it from the button next to the bullet-proof glass window in

front of me, already tracing my free hand under the counter for the emergency 911 button. They idle

around the store near the drinks, and my anxiety only grows worse. Will this be the day? Did my

progress up until this far mean nothing? My breaths get shorter as the customer makes his way up to

the counter. Then my breathing stabilizes. Just some trail mix and a soda for this man. I have never been

so relieved by a bag of nuts and raisins. He leaves, the door locks, and I begin to wait yet again. This is

the struggle that I face every night here. I’m left wondering when these late hours of the night come by

as to whether or not I’ll make it out alive. Despite the bulletproof glass, the idea of being robbed while

I’m alone in this store strikes me with more fear than anything else. But I need the money and so I

continue coming back. The corner-store down the street was just robbed last week. That could’ve been

me. I just want to get out of here. They had the reinforced glass before we did. It didn’t stop them.

Another stop at the door... Please… Just one hour left…

An email from your local bank

Acrostic Poem

Sneak

Take

Embezzle

Abduct

Loot

Invade

Nab

Grab

Different words for the same thing

No matter how it’s worded, it can ruin your life.

DON’T STEAL

Reflection

This project helped me open my eyes to the concept of theft in various ways. Generally people

see theft as simply taking a belonging of someone else’s, or a product. However, people fail to consider

that theft reaches as far as ruining someone’s life through identity theft. Although have never been

personally affected. Some people feel almost as if they need to steal in order to survive because they

can’t afford to feed themselves or their family. Comparatively, there are people who get a thrill from

stealing. They enjoy the act itself and find it addicting even. In contrast to these people, there are those

who have a deep fear of being stolen from. They experience paranoia and anxiety from the idea of being

robbed. All of these different factors contribute to stealing’s huge impact on society. Stealing is more

than simply the act of taking a product, since it has ruined the lives of many people in various ways. I

never would have realized these factors if it were not for this project.

Works Cited

"Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation." FDIC: Identity Theft. Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.