If you notice suspicious activity on a credit card or bank statement Contact all financial institutions where you hold accounts and place a day fraud alert on your credit reports by contacting all three credit reporting agencies individually see resources at end of article. This prevents identity thieves from opening new accounts in your name, as most lenders need to review your credit report before approving an account. Protect your Social Security number This is one of the most important steps you can take to safeguard your financial holdings — from bank to credit card accounts.
Many are not aware that a Social Security number can also be used to gain access to your tax records — and refunds. Filing your tax return early can lessen the chances of someone else accessing your refund, as duplicative returns will raise red flags with the IRS. Medical identity theft Did you know that your health insurance information can be used by someone else to see a doctor, get prescription drugs or file claims to your insurance provider?
How you can protect yourself against medical identity theft Be sure to read all medical and insurance statements carefully, and if something looks unfamiliar to you, call your health insurance customer service number to cross-reference your information with theirs.
If it appears someone used your information, alert your medical providers immediately. Be prepared to gather supporting documentation to send to all parties involved. Finally, follow up with both insurance and medical providers to make sure all errors have been amended. Online identity theft A sharp increase in social media use means greater opportunities than ever before to steal identities or perpetuate fraud online. Tips to help you protect yourself when using social media It may seem harmless to post on your profile that you'll be out of town or bought a new car.
But in the age of oversharing, seemingly innocent information can be dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands. When it comes to stalking or stealing an identity, use of photo- and video-sharing sites provides deeper insights into you and those you care about, your house and places you like to frequent. Each time you make a social media status update, think about whether it could be used to compromise your privacy or security in any way.
Be selective when accepting network invites, and remember that it's not "unfriendly" to decline adding someone you don't know — it's common sense. The victim might need to track down the police officers who made the original arrest and prove their own identity. They may also need to attend a court hearing to be cleared of the charges. Victims of criminal identity theft may often find that some sources still have incorrect criminal records in their databases even after it has been cleared by courts and the police records are corrected.
Because of that, future background checks might even show false criminal records. The Social Security numbers of children are often extremely valuable because they do not have any information associated with them yet.
They are a blank slate. Child identity theft is fairly common and the problem is growing. With identity cloning, the identity thief is usually attempting to impersonate someone else so they can simply hide their true identity.
A minor form of this are people who use the photos of someone else on social networks to pose as someone else. Unlike financial identity theft which is usually exposed when the debts pile up, identity cloning for concealment may go on forever without being detected. This is especially true if the identity thief can get false credentials to pass authentication tests.
Synthetic identity theft is a type of identity theft where identities are completely or partially fabricated. The primary victim of synthetic identity theft are the creditors who grant the lines of credit. Individual victims are usually affected if their name gets confused with a synthetic identity, or if negative information in a credit report sub-file damages their credit score.
There are numerous types of identity theft, which is why monitoring your identity is so important. The thief, in the act of the crime or upon arrest, poses as the identity theft victim. The deadliest form of identity theft. Perpetrators who commit business identity theft are often insiders — current or ex-employees — with direct access to operational documentation, who pad the books in favor of their scheming.
Encompasses all forms of identity theft. The thief is actually living and functioning as the victim on purpose. They may be hiding in plain sight due to the fact they are running from the law, evading child support or they could be mentally ill. It is important to observe basic security precautions to protect your identity. However, the safety of your information with corporations and other entities that you transact business with is very often beyond your control.
Consumers should consider an identity theft protection product that offer daily credit monitoring, proactive identity surveillance, lost wallet protection, and alerts when suspicious activity is detected on your accounts. McAfee Identity Protection includes all these features in addition to live help from fraud resolution agents if your identity is ever compromised.
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