The first thing you need to know about protecting yourself from Identity Theft is knowing the different types of Identity Theft – the more you know, the better you can protect yourself and your family.
- New Account Identity Theft: When a thief opens up a completely new account in a victim’s name. This can be done by digging credit card applications out of the mailbox of your trash.
- Existing Account takeover Identity Theft: This is when criminals gain access to existing accounts and make charges to credit cards, steal money from bank accounts, and file claims against insurance policies.
- Tax-related Identity Theft: This occurs when the criminal submits an income tax return using someone else’s Social Security Number and fraudulent income data, hoping to receive a refund.
- Criminal Identity Theft: This is when a criminal uses someone else’s identity when providing information to a law enforcement official. It could be for something as simple as a minor traffic violation. However, when fines are never paid and when the victim does not show up in court, authorities can issue an arrest warrant in the victim’s name.
7 Ways Identity Theft Can Happen to You
1. Mail Theft: Unsecure mailboxes allow thieves to steal sensitive information like bank statements and account numbers.
2. Data Breaches: Use a Mobile Wallet for secure shopping. It shares only encrypted tokens, protecting your info during data breaches.
3. Phishing: Fraudsters pose as legitimate entities to steal sensitive information. Always verify before responding.
4. Dumpster Diving: Shredding documents with sensitive information prevents criminals from accessing valuable data.
5. Unsafe Internet Connections: Public Wi-Fi, even password-protected, can expose your online activity to criminals.
6. Weak Data Protection: Secure sensitive documents when unfamiliar individuals are in your home.
7. Lost Social Security Card: Losing your Social Security card provides thieves easy access to personal details.
If you'd like more information or fear that your identity's been stolen, please visit the Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Recovery Center here.