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IDENTITY THEFT
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Identity
theft is the most insidious of all types of fraud. Individuals who
become victims of identity theft have their lives stolen in many ways;
many suffer tremendous financial losses. In addition, victims of
identity theft may experience significant psychological impact as they
spend most of their spare time trying to undo the damage that the
identity thief has done to their credit, their driving record, and even
their criminal history! In some cases, this damage cannot be
repaired.
In the case
of identity theft, the criminal actually "becomes" the victim
to various degrees. Some simply illegally gain credit in the
victim's name. Others go to the length of getting a driver's
license, duplicate Social Security card and birth certificate, as well
as credit cards and bank accounts in the victim's name. They may go on
to assume loans in the victim's name, buying homes, cars, boats, other
expensive items. When they fail to pay for these items, the financial
burden falls on the victim, leaving them with tremendous debt and bad
credit. In extreme cases, the identity thief will commit crimes
while masquerading as the victim, sometimes resulting in the suspension
of the victim's driver's license, a criminal record, and large
fines. Victims have actually had to spend time in jail as a result
of identity theft before the matter could be cleared up through
fingerprinting.
It
often takes years to try to straighten out the mess left behind by an
identity thief. Often, the victim may not be aware that the theft
has occurred until bill collectors begin calling. To make matters
worse, victims may fall prey to multiple thieves, or the same thief may
continue to use the identity even after discovery, creating an on-going
problem.
Individuals
need to be aware that is it very easy to get detailed information about
them that might allow identity theft to occur. A lot of this
information is easily available over the internet. Some companies
with which you do business may sell this information to other companies.
Check with your banks and credit card companies to see if this is a
standard practice at their company; if so, opt out of the mailing
list. To be even more proactive, have your name removed from
telemarketing and mail-marketing lists. For more information on
how to do that, see the
RESOURCES page.
Safeguard
your social security number and social security card---do not carry your
card in your purse or wallet where it could be stolen. Do not give
it out to strangers or over the phone. Do not provide it to
businesses or others unless you initiate the call and it is absolutely
necessary. Shred or burn old bank statements, credit card
statements, medical records, or any other paper that contain sensitive
information about you; do not simply throw them away. One way for
thieves to acquire information is to "dumpster
dive."
In
today's fast-moving, information-oriented society, there is no one way
to be absolutely secure from identity thieves. There are some
steps you can take to protect yourself, however. Know the people
and companies with whom you do business. Safeguard your personal
information, and assert your right to privacy. And, it never hurts
to request a copy of your credit report to see if there is anything
unusual included on it. If so, follow up. For information on how
to request a credit report, browse the internet, or see the
RESOURCES
page. |
