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Identity Theft (ID Theft) is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States and usually occurs when someone uses your name or personal information to open new accounts, initiate transactions in your name, or commit other forms of financial fraud.
Identity Theft involves the invasion of privacy and personal information and poses a risk to your credit rating and reputation, and it can be time-consuming to resolve problems caused by incidents of fraud.
Identity thieves employ numerous techniques to gain access to personal information:
Group Identity Theft: a thief gains access to a repository of personal information for businesses or organizations such as a retail store, fitness center, car dealer, school, hospital, or websites.
“Dumpster Diving”: a thief scours through your trash to find unshredded information, such as credit card offers, bank statements, bills, or personal correspondence.
Stealing Your Wallet or Purse: a thief may gain access to personal information available on a driver’s license, social security card, or credit card. A wallet may contain a wealth of information more valuable to Identity thieves than the limited cash inside.
Intercepting Mail: a thief may complete a “change of address” and redirect personal correspondence to another location.
Directly from You: a thief may pose as a legitimate representative of your financial institution, your employer, a government agency, a business or your landlord, people who may have valid reason to request such information. They may even use fake e-Mail and websites to try to obtain information from you.
An Identity thief may be someone you know and have entrusted with personal information, such as a roommate, landlord, or coworker.
For further information about protecting yourself from Identity Theft or if you have been a victim of Identity Theft, please visit these informative sites.
Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Site
Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline
U. S. Postal Inspection Service
Better Business Bureau
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