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Document the names and phone numbers of everyone you speak to regarding the incident. Send such letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the company received and when. It also provides sample letters(opens new window) and other helpful resources. For example, a thief opens a credit card in your name uses it to make purchases. Almost half of all college students receive credit card applications on a daily or weekly basis. When an identity thief gets his (or her) hands on your personal information, they gain the power to wreak havoc on your finances, credit and reputation. You may occasionally store some items that include personal info with out realizing which you left them in there. Do you store personal information in your computer? If you’re lucky, you can do this before the con artists update anything or steal your personal data. This sort of data can be used with a prison to place you in the world of a crime, placing you under warm water. They were perplexing thefts, lacking a clear motive or payoff, and they happened in the genteel, not particularly lucrative world of publishing: Someone was stealing unpublished book manuscripts.

Identity theft occurs when someone else uses your personally identifying information without your knowledge or permission to obtain credit union fraud detection systems cards, get wireless or phone products and services, obtain loans and mortgages, get a job, and commit other types of fraudulent or even criminal acts, in your name, leaving you responsible for the consequences. Each of these routine actions places you at risk of being a victim of identity theft because each of these transaction requires you to share personal information such as your bank and credit card account numbers, your Social Security number, or your name, address, and phone number. Do not send attachments, embedded links, or personal information in your email. Phishing occurs when an identity thief sends an email from a familiar and official-looking company (such as your bank or a retailer) and asks you to click on a link to verify or update personal information. This is the same personal information that identity thieves use to commit fraud. Certain articles about identity theft additionally discuss particular methods used by id robbers to easily access that private information. Fraudulent access to your bank account is another.

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that credit card fraud and bank fraud account for 16 percent and 6 percent, respectively, of all identity theft cases reported annually. Learn more about identity theft from the Federal Trade Commission. Your driver’s license can be used to hide the criminal’s true identity in the commission of various types of crimes. Also, in many cases the fraud is not discovered for many years, so the thief has plenty of time to fully leverage the stolen identity. In the time it takes to resolve these issues, you may lose job opportunities and be refused loans for education, housing, or a car. If your identity is stolen, you may spend months or even years clearing up the damage thieves have caused to your reputation and credit record. If somebody steals your medical insurance number and goes to a physician or hospital and receives services, possibly even surgery, you are able to have some large issues. A medical identity thief uses your identity to get healthcare. If you filed a paper return, you will get a rejection notice in the mail, alerting you that your return has already been filed. Be sure to get a certified copy of the fraudulent filing before updating your filings with the Secretary of State’s office.

The certified copy of the wrong filing may be used as evidence in court. Without a credit protection their criminal acts may become easier for them. Each of these services offers different levels of monitoring protection for their customers at different price points. If you start getting bills for medical services you didn’t receive, call the provider and dispute them. If you’ve ever received a doctor bill in the mail for treatment that you don’t remember getting, you could be a victim of medical identity theft. Medical identity theft not only leaves a stack of medical bills, it also causes incorrect information to be placed in your medical file. The identity thief uses key pieces of your information such as Social Security and driver’s license numbers to obtain credit, merchandise and services in your name. Credit monitoring services scan activity that shows up on your credit reports. Do you use your personal computer to buy merchandise or purchase tickets for travel, concerts, or other services? In simple terms, identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, such as your name and Social Security number, without your permission. Do you use your personal computer for online banking transactions? You probably answered yes to at least one of these questions about daily transactions that you routinely perform.