Thieves gain access to personal information in many ways, but the most common method is to take it from the victim themselves. They steal mail such as account statements, new checks and offers of credit left in a mailbox, discarded in the trash or stored in an easy to access location in your home or office. They access credit card and personal identification from your purse or wallet. Without realizing, you may give the information directly to the criminal when you enter data at an unsecured or unknown website, or in response to a fraudulent request for account information through an unverified e-mail; this is known as "phishing". Thieves also ask for information from you through unsolicited phone calls, tricking you into thinking it is someone you know, such as your bank; this is known as "pretexting".
How does an Identity Thief get your personal information?
Professional Identity thieves know exactly how to get your personal information and these are some of the common means used:
1. They steal a purse or wallet, or personal information from the victim's home, or business information from the workplace.
2. They steal bank statements, pre-approved credit card applications, cancelled checks or tax information from mailboxes.
3. They divert your mail to another location by completing a change of address form.
4. They "dumpster dive" for credit card receipts, statements and other personal data.
5. They pose as a landlord or employer by fraudulently obtaining a credit report.
6. They watch/ listen to a victim at an ATM machine or telephone for PINs (Personal Identification Numbers).
7. They use personal information obtained from various Internet accounts.
8. They scam victims through emails, posing as if genuinely interested in business.
9. A person such as a waiter can write down your card number/ expiry date or capture your card information via a small handheld device and make unauthorized purchases with your information; this is known as “skimming”.
Once having obtained personal information, identity thieves commit crimes and fraud using your name and credit report. Some of the most common occurrences are:
1. They open a new credit card account in the victim's name, use the card and don't pay bills which results in a bad credit report.
2. They call the victim's credit card issuer to change the address of mailing and run up charges before the victim even realizes a loss.
3. They establish a phone/ wireless service in the victim's name.
4. They open new bank accounts in the victim's name and write bad checks on these accounts.
5. They file for bankruptcy under the name of the victim.
6. They counterfeit checks or debit cards and drain the money from the victim's bank account to their accounts.
7. They buy cars by taking out auto loans using the victim's name.
8. They give the victim's name to the police upon being arrested. Then after not showing on the court date, an arrest warrant is issued in the victim's name.
Identity theft occurs in many ways, ranging from careless sharing of personal information to intentional theft personal information. The best approach to prevent identity theft is to be proactive and take the necessary steps to avoid being a victim.
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