Understanding and Preventing Identity Theft

Answer 1

Each year unsuspecting people have their identities stolen. Identity theft can be big business for the criminals who steal identities. Stolen credit card numbers are sold or used to make purchases using the good names of innocent people. By stealing social security numbers, identity thieves can open new credit card accounts, rent apartments, buy vehicles and luxury items. By the time the victim learns about the theft, his or her credit is ruined. According to the Federal Trade Commission, about 9 million people have their identities stolen every year. Identity theft puts innocent people at risk. They may not be able to get a job or purchase anything on credit and it may take years to restore a victim’s good name.

How identity theft occurs

Identity theft occurs in a variety of ways. Scam artists steal identities by taking personal information from credit card statements, obtaining social security numbers from personal papers, stealing mail from mailboxes and engaging in a practice known as dumpster diving. Dumpster divers search dumpsters and garbage outside of businesses and homes to get personal information to commit identity theft. The internet is also a place where identity theft runs rampant. Personal information thieves can hack into computer systems and steal social security numbers or credit card information, This points to the need to protect oneself from these types of activities.

Prevent identity theft

There are steps that can be taken to prevent identity theft. The first step is to protect personal information. Before putting mail in the garbage, shred any items that contain personal information. Another way to keep track of personal information is to watch credit card statements for unauthorized purchases. Contact the credit card issuer immediately if suspicious charges appear on a statement. When giving a credit card to a restaurant server, be aware of how long they are gone. Some people have had their card numbers stolen by servers. Never give social security numbers or personal information to someone who calls. Some clever identity thieves will call and pose as bank representatives for the purpose of stealing personal information. Be careful about visiting internet sites. When going to a banking website make sure it is not a bogus site set up to steal personal information.