In the course of a busy day, you may write a check at the grocery store, charge
tickets to a ball game, rent a car, mail your tax returns, change service providers
for your cell phone, or apply for a credit card. Chances are you don't give these
everyday transactions a second thought. But an identity thief does.
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.
Despite your best efforts to manage the flow of your personal information or to
keep it to yourself, skilled identity thieves may use a variety of methods to gain
access to your data.
How identity thieves get your personal information:
• They get information from businesses or other institutions by:
4 stealing records or information while they're on the job
4 bribing an employee who has access to these records
4 hacking these records
4 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 rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or public
trash dumps in a practice known as "dumpster diving."
• They may get your credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized
access to them, or by posing as a landlord, employer, or someone else who
may have a legal right to access your report.
• 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 to an ATM machine
where you may enter or swipe your card.
• They may steal your wallet or purse.
• They may steal personal information they find in your home.
• They may steal personal information from you through email or phone by
posing as legitimate companies and claiming that you have a problem with
your account. This practice is known as "phishing" online, or "pretexting"
by phone.
If you would like more information on LIFELOCK . . #1 Identity Theft Protection, call 805-478-9018.
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