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Stealing Your Identity
There are many ways to steal ones identity. Identity thieves may use a variety of low and high-tech methods to gain access to your personally identifying information. Most can be eliminated just by safeguarding your own personal information.
Some examples of how a thief may commit their act include:
- They get information from businesses or institutions by:
- Stealing records from their employer
- Bribing an employee who has access to the records
- Conning information out of employees, or
- Hacking into the organization's computers
- They rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or dumps in a practice known as "dumpster diving."
- They obtain credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized access to credit reports or by posing as a landlord, employer or someone else who may have a legitimate need for and a legal right to the information.
- They steal credit and debit card account numbers as your card is processed by using a special information storage device in a practice known as "skimming."
- They steal wallets and purses containing identification and credit and bankcards.
- They steal mail, including bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks, or tax information.
- They complete a "change of address form" to divert mail to another location.
- They steal personal information from your home.
- They scam information from you by posing as a legitimate business person or government official.