Are You A Victim Of Identity Theft?
By: Margaret and Lindsey
What Is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is the fraudulent acquisition and the use of a person's private identifying information, usually for financial gain.
How Can Identity Theft Occur?
ID thieves may steal your wallet, purse, mail, records, or financial information from your house to get your social security number. They can then have access to your credit card and pretend to be you.
How Can This Be Prevented?
Identity theft can be prevented by securing your social security number, not carrying it in your wallet or write your number on your checks.
What Should You Do If You Are a Victim?
If you think or know that your identity has been stolen report it immediately. Call the Federal Trade Commission and your local police. Make sure you get a police report which will be helpful to resolve the problem with creditors, bankers, and other companies.
Synthetic ID Theft
Synthetic Identity theft is the new version of identity theft. With synthetic theft, a thief steals pieces of information from different people to create a new identity. Unfortunately, this theft is difficult to detect because the fraud isn't directly tied to just one person.