It’s the number one source of consumer complaints at the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC), and unfortunately, it’s one of the simplest crimes to
commit. Identity theft involves information from your daily life, from
shopping, bill-paying, and even applying for a job. Thieves take
advantage of everyday opportunities to discover your personal
information, including your Social Security number (SSN), bank or credit
card account numbers, income, name, address, or phone number, and use it
to commit fraud or other crimes.
How can a stranger get to your
information? According to the FTC, identity thieves may pose as
legitimate representatives of an organization, as business professionals
or agents of the government, conning you into revealing sensitive
information. Common scams include impersonating employees from banks,
credit card companies, Internet service providers, and utility
companies. If someone calls you claiming to represent a legitimate
organization, confirm this by calling the customer service number listed
on your statement or bill.
Thieves may also use your place of employment to get the information
they need. A co-worker may steal information from your employer; someone
could hack into your company’s computer and copy employee records; or a
criminal could resort to the old-fashioned method of bribing someone you
work with for your information. Check with your employer to find out the
company policy on securing your records and disposing of them when
you’re gone.
If your employer is authorized to pull credit reports on employees or
potential customers, someone could take advantage of this access to
retrieve illegal reports. Criminals may also pose as employers,
landlords, or collection agents to pull your credit information. It’s a
good idea to order a copy of your credit report once a year to check for
unauthorized entries.
Shredding your documents before you throw them away is also good
idea, whether at work or at home. Identity thieves have been known to
sift through garbage, in the trash can or at the dump, to find sensitive
information.
The most common form of identity theft is credit card fraud.
Technology has allowed criminals to begin stealing your credit or debit
card numbers as you use the cards, “skimming” them with an information
storage device. In addition, thousands of drivers’ licenses and credit
and debit cards are stolen each year. Keeping your Social Security card
in a secure location and safeguarding your purse or wallet while at work
are necessary precautions.
Even your mail is a source for identity thieves, who may complete
credit card applications in your name and go on a spending spree. After
stealing your bank or credit card statements, tax information, or box of
replacement checks, criminals are able to access your accounts and spend
the funds in your name. They may even change the address on your
existing account, diverting the bills to keep you from recognizing the
problem until it’s too late. Being aware of your billing cycles can help
you catch a discrepancy in the arrival of your statements.
Identity thieves have a variety of ways to use your information for
their personal gain. They may shop for big-ticket items using your
credit or bank account information and then sell the items for cash.
With your SSN and date of birth, they can open new bank accounts or
apply for lines of credit. In fact, banks have granted loans to
criminals using stolen identities for purchases as large as cars.
Telephone or internet service can be set up using your SSN. Thieves
can avoid impending eviction or accumulated debt by filing bankruptcy in
your name. Perhaps the most emotionally traumatic, police could issue a
warrant for you if a criminal was arrested using your name and failed to
appear at a court hearing.
The ways that identity thieves have conceived to acquire your
personal information are numerous, but your vigilance and heightened
awareness can curb their ability to make you a victim.
