How to Steal Someone's Identity

According to the FBI, identity theft is one of the fastest-growing U.S. crimes. Studies show that about one in five families has been a victim. Identity theft can occur in a variety of ways. Thieves can steal your Social Security or credit card numbers, then change the address on your bills. They then use your information to impersonate you, buying or renting products or using your personal information to commit criminal acts. Most damaging of all, you often don't know you're a victim of this federal crime until months later, when you are unexpectedly turned down for a loan or get a call from a collection agency about an account you never opened. You might even get a call from the police about a crime you didn't commit. And once identity theft happens to you, it can take many months and thousands of dollars to restore your credit. Isn't it time to take steps to protect yourself against this devastating crime? The truth is identity thieves are extremely smart and know how to act quickly in damaging your identity and credit.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. How Do Identity Thieves Do It?
   
   First, they steal your personal information by:
   
   -Going through your mail or trash, looking for bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, and tax information.
   -Stealing personal information from your wallet or purse such as identification, credit, or bank cards.
   -Completing change-of-address forms to redirect your mail.
   -Acquiring personal information you share on unsecured sites on the Internet.
   -Buying personal information about you from an inside source -- for example, a store employee that gets your information from a credit application or by "skimming" your credit card information when you make a purchase.
   -Getting your personnel records at work.
2. Then they use your personal information by:
   
   -Opening new credit card accounts using your name, date of birth, and Social Security Number. When they use the credit cards and don't pay the bills, the delinquency maybe reported on your credit report.
   -Establishing phone or cellular service in your name.
   -Opening a bank account in your name and writing bad checks on the account.
   -Counterfeiting checks or debit cards, and draining your bank account.
   -Buying cars by taking out auto loans in your name.
   -Calling your credit card issuer and, pretending to be you, changing the address on the account. Bills get sent to the new address, so you may not realize there's a problem until you check your credit report.
   -Filing for bankruptcy using your name to avoid paying debts they've incurred under your name.
3. Identity theft can all start in strange ways: a credit card you've never applied for shows up in your mail box. Perhaps a debt collector calls about a credit card you've never had in your wallet. And so begins the painful experience of discovering your identity has been stolen. The key to limiting the damage of identity theft is acting fast. The key to keeping your sanity is being thorough and patient.
4. Here are the four key steps to immediately take if you think your identity has been stolen:
   
   1. Prevent New Damage: The first step is to stop the risk that new credit will get issued in your name. You need to contact Equifax, Experian and TransUnion directly, asking that they either place a "fraud flag" on your credit report or they "lock" your credit report. Locking a credit report is only available in a limited number of US states. A fraud flag is available to any US resident. You also need to get a copy of your credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, so you can identify any accounts fraudulently opened in your name. IDFreeze offers Identity Theft Restoration Services that would take care of all these details for their customers.
   
   2. Contact Law Enforcement Authorities: Report identity theft crime to your local law enforcement office right away. If the crime occurred somewhere other than where you live, report the crime there too. Get a police report detailing the crime and ensure that the report lists the fraudulent accounts. You will need to show this report to creditors, and may need to provide the name and contact information of the investigator who wrote the report.
   
   3. Contact Creditors - New Credit: If you learn from your credit reports that new credit accounts have been opened in your name, you need to immediately contact the appropriate creditors by telephone and in writing. It is important to know your rights: under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, (§623(6)(B)) businesses cannot report any fraudulently opened accounts to the credit bureaus. As a result, your credit score should return to normal, once you have reported the fraud and completed the necessary paperwork detailing the fraud.
   
   4. Contact Creditors - Existing Credit: If your existing credit accounts have been used fraudulently, immediately contact the financial institution by phone and in writing. Request replacement cards with new account numbers. In addition to calling the credit grantor regarding the identity theft fraud, you will need to follow up in writing and will likely be asked to provide a fraud affidavit or a dispute form. Send the letter to the address given for "billing inquiries," not the address for sending payments. Carefully monitor your mail and bills for evidence of new fraudulent identity theft activity.

Tips & Warnings

• For additional details on what to do if you are a victim of ID theft, you can also refer to information available from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a non-profit organization.
• IDFreeze is the only complete solution for protecting your identity and credit. This differs from "credit monitoring" services which only help notify individuals after they have already become the victims of identity theft.