Ways Thieves Steal IdentitiesIn this issue, I go over how thieves go about stealing your identity. Thieves may use their place as vehicle for their criminal activities. With motive, desire, and greed are backing their minds, identity thieves will do anything to get what they want. Some thieves work at companies where you do business, or else the company has your information making it possible for the thief to steal the information from that company database. Another way is bribery. Thieves may bribe or charm a fellow employee into giving him/her links to the company database where records are stored. Thieves working in companies or the Internet may learn hacking skills to gain access to personal information. Your mailbox can be another source. As such when your credit cards, statements, bank information, or taxes are due, you should keep close watch on your postal box. Thieves will even through trashcans searching for personal information. Therefore purchasing an inexpensive shredder may be in your best interest. The thieves will also go through trashcans at companies, or other areas. Thus shredders are handle tools in preventing identity theft. They can pose as someone else. Poser steal your identity by posing as an illegal respectful rep, including law enforcement, company employer, landowner, mortgager, and so forth. Thieves may also skim to gain access to your personal information. "Skimming," means that the thief utilizes a "data storage device" to get access to your PIN number or credit/debit card numbers. The thief may "swipe" the cards to buy products, or else "attach the device to an ATM machine." Once you visit the ATM Machine and use your card. Personal information can be obtained in many ways. The electronic mail presents another source. Thieves can fool you by Phishing or Pretexting. Phishing is done thru Electronic Mail (Email), and often the sender will state in the body of the email that you accounts are frozen, stopped, or that you are potentially at risk. They may include links to sites and other information that scares or excites the reader into acting on the email. Pretexting is via Phone Lines. The thief may call your home acting as a banker, credit card lender, police officer, et cetera. Thus, request the phone number of the caller and call the company back immediately. If someone answers and gives a company name, thank them, hang up, and do a background check on the company. If the company appears to be fraudulent, notify the authorities, Better Business Bureau and anyone that fights identity theft immediately. Phone lines can be scary. If you have a Cordless Phone or Cellular Phone and someone in the neighboring area has a Scanner hooked-up, the phone lines bleed out information. If you are calling your bank use a phone that is not cordless or cellular based. Instead use the standards phones to talk freely. Thieves can use the postmasters to steal your identity, including placing a "change of address' form with the master, in an effort to redirect your mail back to the thief. Thieves will also break into homes to steal identities. Although, this is rarer than common other methods of identity theft, still it happens. To illustrate, a thief may break into a home with the intent of robbing the owner but then find personal information with the thought that they can take the information for further crimes. Most thieves do not act out on impulsive or emotions when committing crimes, or rather many do not. Criminals are ahead of the game, by premeditating their strategies. |
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