- Credit card theft can happen to just about anyone any time your credit card is out of your hands or whenever you use the number. Another form of credit theft is when someone takes out a loan or a line of credit in your name. Credit theft can ruin your credit, take years to clear up and cost thousands of dollars to restore your credit.
- Keep your driver's license information secure. A thief can use the information to report a lost or stolen ID and get a new one with his picture, or to "move" out of state, obtaining another driver's license in your name somewhere else. This type of ID theft is used to skirt traffic offenses. The thief gives a false name (yours) or perhaps the fake driver's license. Traffic violations wind up in your name and don't get paid, which could lead to suspension of your license without you even knowing it.
- Social security number (SSN) theft causes problems when a thief works or collects money under your SSN, leaving you responsible for the income tax. If those taxes are not paid, you can wind up with charges of tax evasion and have your wages garnished. If the problem is not corrected, your social security benefits may be revoked because of fraud.
- If a criminal were to commit a crime in your name, it would be character identity theft or criminal identity theft. It would create personally destructive and life-altering consequences for you. A warrant could be issued in your name along with investigations for crimes you did not commit. Imagine the complications of this kind of crime, considering how common the "Not Guilty" plea is even for a criminal.
- Medical identity theft occurs when someone obtains medications illegally or undergoes a procedure (such as for an HIV test, gunshot or stab wounds) using another person's identity. This can present itself to the victim during a visit to the doctor or emergency room when he is told he can't take certain medications due to the risk of complications with other medications already prescribed in his name.
