• Conning information from employees by pretending to be someone from a collaborative business



• Abuse of employer's authorization to access credit reports



• Bribing someone who has access to records



• Theft of your credit or debit card number by capturing your card data in a “skimming” device attached to an ATM machine



• Theft of a wallet or purse containing identification, bank and credit cards



• Theft of mail (sometimes by postal employees), including bank and credit card statements, check books or IRS information
 


• Thieves may apply for a postal "change of address" to divert your mail to another location



• Burglary



• Hacking



• Obtain your information by way of “pretexting” - usually posing as a legitimate official from the government to obtain information under false pretences.

• Try to open a new credit card account using your name, date of birth, and Social Security number. When bills are unpaid, the account is reported on your credit report. For many people, this is often the first indication they have fallen victim to identity theft



• Use your credit or debit card account numbers to buy expensive items like computers or a car that can be easily resold



• Thieves have been known to give the victim’s name to police during arrest. When released, they don’t show for court, and an arrest warrant is issued in your name – even though you are the victim.



• Thieves may attempt to change the mailing address on your credit card account. The thief then mounts huge charges on the account. But because card bills are sent to the switched address, it may take considerable time before you realize the problem.



• Thieves will counterfeit checks or debit cards, and then use your checking account until funds are depleted



• Often thieves will open a bank account in your name and write checks on the account



• Worse still, thieves may file for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts incurred, or to avoid eviction

• Always keep purses and wallets on your person, or better still, keep them locked away



• Don't carry your Social Security card. Keep this in a safe place preferably with your Passport and other important documents



• Don't share personal information with strangers. Identity thieves extract information under false pretences (called “pretexting”) to trick you into
  
  
  revealing personal information.



• Examine regularly statements from your bank and credit accounts; look for any unusual charges or suspicious activity.



• Always report anything suspicious to your bank and/or creditors at once. Tear up (better still) shred receipts, checks and bank statements.



• Destroy expired credit and charge cards, and all other documents containing personal information



• To protect your PIN, cover the keypad with your hand or wallet whenever you use the ATM. (This is especially effective even in cases where card data is successfully captured through “skimming”. Card data is virtually unusable without a PIN.)



• Do not respond to emails asking you verify, confirm or update account details or personal information, a practice commonly referred to as “phishing”



• Consider closing some credit card or store card accounts so there are less to monitor

About the Author

Credit Repair Guides Free to Fix Bad Credit Scores. This website is designed to help you find the best information about credit and credit related issues in the United States. Download our free Credit How-tos now! Copyright © 2005 Andy Ballentine and 1st-Netcard.com. All Rights Reserved. Please note: This Resource Box MUST be included with article.