Identity Theft
What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is when someone
obtains, and illegally uses, your identification information, such as name,
address, date of birth, social security number or mother's maiden name.
How does this crime happen? There
are many ways for an identity thief to get your personal information, some
of then are;
-
You lose your wallet or purse, they
have access to whatever information you carry with you, credit cards,
social security number, drivers license, etc.
-
Someone where you use a credit card
can copy you card information.
-
Someone going though your trash can
obtain personal information from personal papers you may have discarded.
-
Hackers could get information on your
from the Internet.
-
Almost everyday we hear reports of
someone losing a computer or disk that has personal information on it.
-
You could be mugged, or your home or
office can be broken into.
-
And there are countless other ways
for thieves to obtain your personal information.
An
imposter can open new credit card accounts, drain your bank accounts,
purchase automobiles, apply for loans, open utility services and on and on.
What steps can you take;
-
Limit the amount of personal
information you carry with you.
-
Be careful of what information you
give out about yourself, and who you are giving it to.
-
Your social security number is quite
possibly the most valuable information to an identity thief, you should
take great care to safeguard it.
-
Be very careful filling out forms on
the internet, be sure you are on a legitimate site and that whatever
information they are asking for is really necessary.
-
Many retailers are making use of data
terminals that allow you to slide your credit card without handing it to a
clerk. use them when you can.
-
Buy and use a paper shredder for your
trash, be sure you shred anything that contain any personal information,
papers, cards, computer disks, cd's etc.
No matter how cautious you are, you
cannot guarantee that a criminal will not obtain your information. The links
below will take you to sites with tips to avoid identity theft and the steps
to take to stop the damage and to recover from this crime, if it does
happen.
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