Identity Theft Resolution - In Depth
This text is replaced by the Flash movie.
Credit Card Fraud
Social Security Number Fraud
Check Fraud
Driver's License Fraud
Passport Fraud
Fraudulent Use Of Mail/False Change Of Address
Online Identity Theft
Telephone Fraud
Bankruptcy Fraud
Automobile Identity Theft
Medical Identity Theft
Criminal ID Theft
CREDIT CARD FRAUD
Credit card fraud is the most common type of identity theft. It's when someone uses your stolen credit card, or stolen credit card number, to obtain loans, goods, or services. The accumulating unpaid bills end up going to collection, which can affect your credit. Sometimes the thief calls the credit card company, pretending to be you, and changes the mailing address on your existing account. Or in many cases, the thief opens a new credit card account in your name, using stolen personal information. Because the bills are being sent to a new address, the victim doesn't realize there's a problem. The thief then uses the credit card without paying the bills, ruining your credit.
Top
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FRAUD
Social Security number misuse is one of the most dangerous types of identity theft. A thief may use your SSN fraudulently to obtain Social Security benefits, welfare benefits, tax refunds, or credit. In other cases, a thief might use your SSN to obtain employment in your name. The thief's employer reports wages earned to the IRS under your SSN, leaving you to pay income taxes on these earnings. An identity thief's use of your SSN can cause you to lose the legitimate benefits to which you are entitled. In most cases, the Social Security Administration does not provide assistance to identity theft victims.
Top
CHECK FRAUD
Check fraud occurs when an identity thief steals or counterfeits checks. Criminals can easily create checks with just a checking account number and the bank routing number, using an ordinary home computer. Therefore, checking account numbers are just as valuable to criminals as credit card numbers and should be treated with similar care.
Top
DRIVER'S LICENSE FRAUD
A thief presents your stolen driver's license to law enforcement when apprehended for crimes or traffic-related offenses. When the identity thief fails to appear in court, warrants are issued in your name. This can result in suspension of your driver's license and loss of auto insurance.
Top
PASSPORT FRAUD
American passports can be an attractive target for identity thieves at home as well as abroad. Travelers should keep their passports on their person at all times, and also keep photocopies of their passports on hand in a separate place from the passport. In the case of passport theft, contact the passport office immediately.
Top
FRAUDULENT USE OF MAIL/FALSE CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Theft of mail is one of the most common methods identity thieves use to obtain information about their victims. Using your stolen mail, identity thieves will contact your bank and credit card companies and change the mailing addresses on your accounts, claiming to be you. This prevents you from discovering that your identity has been stolen for weeks or even months. Thieves may also submit a false change-of-address order in order to hijack sensitive information from your mail.
Top
ONLINE IDENTITY THEFT
The terms "spoofing" and "phishing" have been used to describe the act of collecting personal information using a fake e-mail in order to commit identity theft, credit card fraud, and Internet fraud. These e-mails may appear to be legitimate messages from financial institutions or popular e-commerce businesses such as eBay or PayPal. To provoke responses, these e-mails might warn that your account will be suspended unless you act, or claim that fictitious charges have been applied to your account. Genuine e-mails regarding your online accounts will address you by name, and NOT by "Dear PayPal User" or "Dear eBay Member." Be wary of links in e-mails that might take you to a faked version of a familiar site and ask you to "log in" with your personal account information. If you suspect an e-mail of being fraudulent, forward the entire e-mail to the customer service department of your online account and then delete it.
Top
TELEPHONE FRAUD
A common tactic for identity thieves is to call people and trick them into giving out their personal information. They might pose as a financial institution asking to "confirm" your account information, or claim that you have won a prize, in hopes of getting you to volunteer your credit card number or other personal details. Never give any personal information over the telephone unless you initiated the call and are certain of whom you are calling. If you have any doubts about the caller, hang up and call the organization back at their legitimate customer service number.
Top
BANKRUPTCY FRAUD
An identity theft may take the extreme measure of filing for bankruptcy using your name to avoid paying debts they've incurred under your name. You may very well have no idea that this has happened until you have your credit report checked.
Top
AUTOMOBILE IDENTITY THEFT
Thieves can steal the legitimate Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN's) from cars in parking lots, in gas stations or from Internet auto sales listings. They then attach the numbers to stolen vehicles of the same model and offer them for sale or distribute them in different states. Since states do not share registration details among each other, one car can be registered in multiple states at the same time. Many cars with altered VIN's are sold to other criminals, but they then turn up at auto auction houses and car dealerships. Cars are then sold to buyers who are unaware of the fraud.
Top
MEDICAL IDENTITY THEFT
Medical ID theft occurs when someone steals your identity and either obtains medical insurance in your name or uses your current medical insurance policy to obtain treatment or prescriptions. Medical identity theft frequently results in erroneous entries being put into existing medical records, and can involve the creation of fictitious medical records in the victim's name. You can be denied health coverage or lose your current health coverage because of false information placed in your medical record.
Top
CRIMINAL ID THEFT
In one of the most extreme forms of identity theft, the thief is a criminal using the victim's information to establish a new life. They work and live as you. These thieves might be illegal aliens, fugitives avoiding warrants, or persons abandoning their own poor work and financial history. If brought up on criminal charges, the imposter presents the victim's identification to law enforcement instead of his or her own. Warrants can be issued in your name, and you could end up being arrested and spending time in jail.
Top
