According to the handout, Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft , criminals can steal your identity by gaining access to your personal information. They do this by stealing information while they are on jobs, they hack into your personal information, they steal your mail (this may include bank statements, credit card offers, and checks). The criminals also engage in a practice called dumpster diving in which they rummage through trash dumps to get discarded personal information about the victim. They may steal your wallet or purse and engage in email scams to get information.
A person's identity is stolen when someone gains unauthorized access into their personal accounts. The victim has accounts opened up in their names by the criminal. The thief may get a driver's license issued with their picture and the victim's name. The thief counterfeits checks and make plenty of unauthorized purchases in the victim's name. The thief may get phone service or other utility services in the victim's name.
If you are a victim of identity theft, you should place a fraud alert on credit reports and review credit reports. Government issued identifications should be cancel and replacements should be obtained. Accounts should be closed and a police report should be filed. In addition, a complaint should be filed with the Federal Trade Commission.
A person can prove that he/she is a victim of identity theft by presenting records with fraudulent signatures. Companies should also be contacted to get records of transactions. This can be a lengthy process; therefore, the victim needs to be very organized and knowledgeable about the case in order to prove that his/her identity was indeed stolen.
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