Identity Theft
Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years-and thousands of dollars-cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of a good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims of identity theft may lose job opportunities, be refused loans for education, housing, or cars, and even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit. Humiliation, anger, and frustration are among the feelings victims experience as they navigate the process of rescuing their identity.
How Identity thieves get your personal information:
- They get information from businesses or other institutions by
- stealing records or information while they're on the job
- hacking record codes
- birbing an employee who has access to these records
- conning information out of employees
- They may steal your mail, including bank and credit card statements, credit card offers, new checks, and tax information.
- They may steal your wallet or purse.
- They may steal personal information from you through email or phone by posting as legitimate companies and claiming that you have a problem with your account. This practice is known as "phishing" online, or "pretexting" by phone.
- They may steal your credit or debit card numbers by capturing the information in a data storage device in a practice known as "skimming". They may swipe your card for an actual purchase, or attach the device on an ATM machine where you may enter or swipe your card.
- They may get your credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized access to them, or by posting as a landlord, employer, or someone else who may have a legal right to access your report.
- They may rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or public trash dumps in a practice known as "dumpster diving."