The Various Types of Identity Theft
The Various Types of Identity Theft
Identity theft can cost you thousands of dollars and countless hours to fix, and it doesn’t just happen online.
When people think of identity theft, more often than not they assume it’s from a data breach or a compromised social security number. The truth of the matter is, identity theft isn’t exclusive to one reason. There are several common ways thieves can get at your information. The more you are aware, the more you are able to prevent it from happening to you.
Financial Identity Theft
Financial identity theft can happen one of two ways: either the victim’s bank accounts and credit cards are accessed and used illegally, or the victim’s identity is used to take on loans or get new credit cards.
Driver’s License Identity Theft
Criminals can find many ways to use a stolen driver’s license. It can be sold off, or if a criminal is caught for a traffic violation, drunk driving charge, or drug-related charge, they will give the stolen ID name.
Medical Identity Theft
If medical information is compromised, thieves can easily commit fraud by using the victim’s identity to make false claims. The thief will use information to obtain medical care, buy drugs, or submit fake billings. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that this could lead to incorrect entries in the victim’s medical history.
Passport Identity Theft
Passport numbers can yield full names, date of birth, place of birth, and of course nationality. If your physical passport is stolen, the consequences are severe. With an altered picture, a thief could use your passport to open accounts internationally, resulting in complex problems that are difficult to fix.
Social Security Identity Theft
This is perhaps the most obvious, because with a SSN comes with a host of problems if compromised. A SSN is used by nearly every government and financial institution as the primary form of identity. Never carry your card, and always keep it in a safe, secure location.
Take the Proper Precautions
Legal Shred can help you protect your identity through our routine document destruction services. As the identity protection company, it is our mission to keep our customers secure and safe. We can destroy any document, whether it’s old passports, licenses, financial documents, medical records, and any other document that contains sensitive information, ensuring that it can never be read or used again.
Contact Legal Shred today to get started!
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