Unlike the film starring Melissa McCarthy, identity theft is not funny. Identity theft is when someone uses confidential and personal information in order to avoid being charged with crimes, bills, or to make money. There are many different types of identity theft. Each one comes with its own complications and risks.
Types of Identity Theft:
Financial
Bank accounts and credit cards are hacked
Identification is used to take out new loans or activate new credit cards
Driver's License and Criminal
Thief can use your license information to create a fake ID for themselves. This ID can then be shown when caught for a commiting a crime such as:
A traffic violation
Driving under the influence
Drug related charges
Shop lifting
Your criminal or driving record is damaged with a crime that you did not commit
Social Security
Thief can use your social security number to:
Apply for credit cards
Steal benefits from you
Get a passport
Take out loans
Medical
Thief can use your identity to:
Make false insurance claims
Falsify medical history
Insurance
Theives who use your identity for insurance can result in:
Higher premiums
Difficulty obtaining medical coverage
Settling payments
Child
The stealing of a child's information often goes unnoticed for years because it isn't used very often. Some illegal aliens will use a child's Social Security Number to apply for jobs.
Synthetic
This type of theft happens when an identity thief compiles aspects of different people in order to generate a completely new identity.
Identity Theft: What is it?
Learn How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft!