Examples of Identity Theft

Author: Andy Mitchel | Filed under: Types of Identity Theft | Tags: examples of identity theft | No Comments »

Have you ever wondered why people were victims of identity theft? The truth is there are countless ways in which thieves can can get access to personal information and steal another person’s identity. Some are more common, such as theft of credit cards, bank account information, social security numbers, employment, mail, online ID theft, and scams. Once thieves get the information they need, they can wreak havoc on your life in many ways. The following are some examples of identity theft to keep in mind going forward.

Examples of Identity Theft

Under your name, thieves can file to have your address changed. Then all of your mail will be sent to their home to gain access to financial and personal information. Some will also just try to steal mail out of other people’s mailbox before they can get to it. This could include credit card payments and possible outgoing mail, which is why it’s best not to leave bill payments in your mailbox.

Other examples of identity theft include stealing phone numbers, social security numbers, driver’s license, and identifiers from checks.

Dumpster diving involves thieves sorting through dumpsters or garbage cans in an attempt to find bank statements, credit card statements, canceled checks, or pre-approved credit card offers. These examples of identity theft can be prevented by shredding all of these documents.

A traditional form of identity theft is stealing purses and wallets, which of course gives thieves access to credit cards and any other identification cards. While this example of identity theft may seem almost outdated compared to the latest techniques, it still happens.

Another involves burglars breaking into a home and stealing important documents such as tax returns, passports, birth certificates, social security cards, and so on.

Children have had their identities stolen without even knowing it. Doing this is attractive to thieves because children have no history of credit, and it will be years before this theft would be discovered by the victim.

Thieves will sometimes falsely claim to be a legitimate business person or government official and tell credit reporting agencies that they need to collect personal information about an individual.

Other examples of identity theft include hacking into computers to steal information, buying stolen records from a co-worker, and gathering personal information from a newspaper article or Who’s Who book.

Phishing involves the process of sending an e-mail that asks you to visit a website and provide personal information. These e-mails often appear legitimate and claim to represent a real company, but of course they aren’t.

These are just several of many examples of identity theft. It can happen at anytime to any person, including you, so don’t take this lightly. Always be on the lookout for scams. Be smart and learn as much as you can about identity theft so you can avoid being the next victim.