Boluwatife Oyesola

Identity theft is a growing concern that can cause significant financial and emotional harm to individuals. One way to detect and prevent identity theft is by using machine learning algorithms, such as decision tree. In this study, we investigate the effectiveness of using a decision tree algorithm in detecting and preventing identity theft. A dataset consisting of personal information, as well as information on suspicious activity, was collected from a financial institution. The dataset included a total of 284807 rows of data and 30 columns. The decision tree algorithm was implemented using the Python programming language and the scikit-learn library. The algorithm was trained on the training set and used to classify new cases as either fraudulent or non-fraudulent. The performance of the decision tree algorithm was evaluated using several performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score. Results showed that the decision tree algorithm was effective in detecting and preventing identity theft, with an overall accuracy of 99%. These findings demonstrate the potential of using decision tree algorithms in detecting and preventing identity theft, which can help to curb the increasing problem of identity theft and protect individuals from financial and emotional harm.