Identity theft is one of the leading crimes in the US that can affect anyone these days. Identity theft is extremely frustrating when the victim finds out his or her identity has been stolen and used in some illegal acts. In identity theft, the victim’s name, address, social security number, credit card details or any other personal information can be stolen and used illegally by the thief.There are countless fraudulent dealings that can be performed by making use of the victim’s personal information. The thief can make use of the victim’s credit card to make some huge purchases. This credit card information can even be used for opening up a new credit card account. This new account carries the personal details of the victim and the thief performs all the activities under the victim’s name and other information. In some cases the thief may also withdraw funds by gaining access to the victim’s savings or checking account. Identity theft is also associated with bank fraud, tax fraud, telecommunications fraud, mail fraud, social program fraud and even computer fraud.
The devastating effect of identity theft does not limit itself to just financial tribulations. But this crime can even take a toll on the victim emotionally as well as personally. Identity theft can also involve several criminal activities such as laundering money, alien smuggling, drug trafficking, organized crime and even cyber crime. Victim’s name can get associated with any illegal activity. This horrible thing called identity theft can cause emotional struggles and make a person feel violated. Identity thieves can even cause damage to a person’s reputation by carrying out illegal activities under his/her name.
The damages caused by identity theft can take weeks or sometimes months to finally repair or clear up. In some complicated cases, it can even take some years to clear all the illegal transactions from the victim’s credit report. Victims of identity theft often feel highly embarrassed and under stress while explaining the situation in the case of a background check being performed by a loan lender or a potential employer. But there are ample of ways to protect you from becoming an identity theft victim. You need to know several important things in order to combat identity theft.
An identity theft is a very bad thing that can happen to any hard-working, good person. With advanced technology, it has become easy for the lawbreakers to get hold of a person’s personal details. These felons use multiple methods to steal identities. The commonest ways include alluring credit card offers and Phishing. Phishing is a very common method in which the victim is contacted either by a phone or an e-mail and is asked to verify information related to his/her PayPal, checking account, back account, etc. It is important to keep in mind that no financial institution or Credit Card Company ever asks for passwords or any sensitive information over a phone or by e-mail.
Identity theft is undoubtedly a federal offense but unfortunately a diminutive percentage of felons ever get caught or punished. Though the new improved security measures have made it very hard for the scammers and hackers to steal an identity through internet but even a single occurrence of identity theft can create havoc in your financial, professional as well as personal life. You need to take several preventive measures in order to protect your personal details such as name, address, age, sex, Social Security Number, credit card number or driving license number from getting stolen.
Frequent internet users are at a greater risk of becoming a victim of identity theft and especially if their computer is not completely protected against viruses, spyware, adware, malware, Trojans, etc. These malicious programs allow the wrong-doers to easily get hold of all the sensitive information present on the computer. Therefore, it is vital to keep your personal information as confidential as possible. Never make a mistake of storing your Social Security Number, driving license number, account PIN number or passwords in your computer. A hacker may easily get hold of all this information and that can result in some serious consequences.
The credit bureaus must be immediately notified in case you loose your wallet or credit card. This allows you to put a block on all the financial activities through your account. It is also important to file a police report for maintaining a record of the stolen belongings. In fact you must make a habit of reviewing credit reports from time to time. This helps to know in case any fraud or theft has occurred. These reports clearly state the opening of any new accounts or the applying of any new loans. This allows you to clear the matter with appropriate authorities before it gets too late. You can even approach a lawyer to handle such identity theft cases.
In order to gain complete protection against identity theft, make sure that all the papers are properly shredded before being thrown into the trash. Also ensure that your credit card does not go out of your sight in restaurants or departmental stores. If you are unsure of the authenticity of a place then prefer paying by cash instead of using your credit card. The same thing applies even for online shopping. Do not purchase online if you are not sure about the authenticity of that site. By following some simple tips you can reduce the risk of identity theft considerably.
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