Types Of Identity TheftForewarned is forearmed as the saying goes. Although most people are aware of the financial results of identity theft there are many other types of identity theft which can impact on a person's life, well being and stress levels. This article will list some of the common types of identity theft and how they can be combated. What are the other types of identity theft? Character identity theft is the first and probably most insidious type of identity theft. If a person has their character stolen then it is at risk of being defamed or destroyed depending on how unscrupulous the criminal is. When someone’s character is stolen, they may become implicated in crimes that they did not commit or have any knowledge of. They may be arrested and found guilty of the crime. They may be able to prove their innocence but it could be at the cost of their reputation, financial loss or breakdown of relationships. Character identity theft may occur when a person’s driver’s license is stolen and the number used. To the law and enforcement agencies, a driver’s license number is the second most important piece of identifying information after the Social Security number. Unlike the social security number, a drivers license is usually carried with the person and more likely to be stolen or lost. Character identity theft can also lead to inability to find work, due to negative results on background checks. Traffic violations are yet another consequence. The criminal can use the drivers license with impunity. This can lead to the innocent party facing fines and even court appearances. If the violations are recorded against the innocent person this may increase there insurance premiums or make it harder to get credit. Theft of a Social Security number is one of the most serious types of identity theft. It is also one of the most common because identity thieves understand the importance of having this type of information. Anyone who has access to a person’s Social Security number can gain access to virtually every other piece of personal information with a bit of effort. Tax information, employment records and bank statements all depend on it for identification. A compromised social security number can also lead to problems with medical benefits as this number is also used as a Medicare identification number. Without Medicare or other health insurance, people usually will be unable to pay for medicines or services given by a hospital or clinic. False information can be placed in health records, thus causing difficulty in getting health insurance. The less healthy a person is, the more difficult it is to find low rates on insurance. However the most well known types of identity theft is credit theft. This can occur when a thief gets information on credit cards or banks account and uses this information to make fraudulent purchases. The thief can get the information through the low tech. Method of letter box or trash theft or high tech. via the Internet. Credit identity theft is easy to prevent if you take some simple precautions. Only use secure pages when giving credit card information over the Internet. Never give away passwords and try to change the password ever few months. Always shred or tear up important information that you are putting in the trash. Make sure your mail box is secure. Protect your information and be aware of the power that this information can give to some people if it falls into the wrong hands. |