Criminals steal personal information, such as Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, credit card numbers, ATM cards, telephone calling cards and other key pieces of individuals' identities. They use this stolen information to impersonate their victims, spending as much money as they can in as short a time as possible before moving on to their next victim.
Identity thieves
use a variety of ways to gain access to this personal information including:
- Stealing your mail
- Looking through your garbage - "dumpster diving"
- Stealing your wallet or purse
- Posing as your employer, bank or utility company needing to "update their records"
- Grabbing information off internet sites that are not secure
- Completing a "change of address form" at the post office
- Stealing the information from "the inside" - as in a grocery store clerk taking key information off of a check that you have written
Once the thief has access to this information, they may open a new credit card account in your name providing a "new" billing address. Given that the credit card bills will not go to your address, chances are, you will not be aware of the new account. When the thief does not pay the bills, the credit card company will report this to your credit file. The thief may also open up bank accounts in your name and write bad checks, apply for services in your name or request a "replacement" card to be sent to a new address.
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