People who are intent on stealing your identity have a variety of ways to obtain enough information to impersonate you on credit card and loan applications. By knowing how an identity thief operates, you will be in a better position to better protect yourself from this increasingly credit-damaging crime that can affect you for years.An identity thief works in a variety of ways:
He impersonates you when he calls your credit card issuer and asks to change the mailing address on your credit card account. He runs up charges but you are unaware because bills are sent to another address.
Using your name, date of birth, and Social Security number, she opens a new credit card account. Unpaid charges eventually show up on your credit report.
He opens phone or wireless service in your name.
A credit union or bank account is opened in your name and she writes bad checks o
n that account.
To avoid paying debts he has incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction,
he fi les for bankruptcy under your name.
She counterfeits checks and debit cards and drains your bank account.
He buys a car by taking out an auto loan in your name.
She writes a letter to you, using letterhead stolen from a fi nancial institution, stating
that you must furnish your Social Security number to clear up a problem.
He sends you a phony IRS form that requires personal information.
With a stolen ID, she opens a bank account, takes out a loan using your address, then you are dunned for the payments never made on the loan. You know you’ve had your identity stolen when:
Your credit card bills show unauthorized charges.
Your credit rating takes a major dip because of delinquencies on loans or credit cards of which you had no knowledge.
You are denied employment, credit, loans, mortgages, government benefi ts, utilities and leases because your credit report and background checks show fraudulently incurred debts or wrongful criminal records.How a thief gets your personal information:
By stealing your wallet or purse containing your identifi cation, credit cards, and bank cards.
By stealing your mail.
By completing a “change of address” form to divert mail to another address.
By rummaging through your trash at home or work for personal information.
By posing as a landlord or employer in order to get personal information.
By getting your business or personnel records at work.
By finding personal information in your home.
By purchasing personal information from “inside” sources, such as paying a store employee for information you provided on a credit application.
By using a pocket-sized scanner to get your credit card number when you present it for payment for goods or services.
By fitting a false ATM front on a machine that “swallows” your ATM card.
images/.png" width="200" border="0" alt="How An Identity Thief Operates - April 08, 2009" title="How An Identity Thief Operates - April 08, 2009" align="left" class="newsimage" />People who are intent on stealing your identity have a variety of ways to obtain enough information to impersonate you on credit card and loan applications. By knowing how an identity thief operates, you will be in a better position to better protect yourself from this increasingly credit-damaging crime that can affect you for years.An identity thief works in a variety of ways:
He impersonates you when he calls your credit card issuer and asks to change the mailing address on your credit card account. He runs up charges but you are unaware because bills are sent to another address.
Using your name, date of birth, and Social Security number, she opens a new credit card account. Unpaid charges eventually show up on your credit report.
He opens phone or wireless service in your name.
A credit union or bank account is opened in your name and she writes bad checks o
n that account.
To avoid paying debts he has incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction,
he fi les for bankruptcy under your name.
She counterfeits checks and debit cards and drains your bank account.
He buys a car by taking out an auto loan in your name.
She writes a letter to you, using letterhead stolen from a fi nancial institution, stating
that you must furnish your Social Security number to clear up a problem.
He sends you a phony IRS form that requires personal information.
With a stolen ID, she opens a bank account, takes out a loan using your address, then you are dunned for the payments never made on the loan. You know you’ve had your identity stolen when:
Your credit card bills show unauthorized charges.
Your credit rating takes a major dip because of delinquencies on loans or credit cards of which you had no knowledge.
You are denied employment, credit, loans, mortgages, government benefi ts, utilities and leases because your credit report and background checks show fraudulently incurred debts or wrongful criminal records.How a thief gets your personal information:
By stealing your wallet or purse containing your identifi cation, credit cards, and bank cards.
By stealing your mail.
By completing a “change of address” form to divert mail to another address.
By rummaging through your trash at home or work for personal information.
By posing as a landlord or employer in order to get personal information.
By getting your business or personnel records at work.
By finding personal information in your home.
By purchasing personal information from “inside” sources, such as paying a store employee for information you provided on a credit application.
By using a pocket-sized scanner to get your credit card number when you present it for payment for goods or services.
By fitting a false ATM front on a machine that “swallows” your ATM card.
Two provisions of the Credit CARD Act of 2009, aimed at protecting consumers, become effective on August 20, 2009.
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People who are intent on stealing your identity have a variety of ways to obtain enough information to impersonate you on credit card and loan applications. By knowing how an identity thief operates, you will be in a better position to better protect yourself from this increasingly credit-damaging crime that can affect you for years.An identity thief works in a variety of ways:
