Identity theft has become one of the most serious problems facing many of us today, and based on reported accounts, the problem is growing rapidly costing consumers billions of dollars a year.
It is a serious crime to fraudulently forge a signature or use another persons identification and personal information to obtain credit, make purchases, borrow money or commit any other illegal activity.
Identity theft may not seem important but if it happens to you, it can be a very traumatic event. As a consumer, it can be a very expensive experience, as well as time consuming and it can be devastating emotionally.
Those who commit such crimes range from petty thieves to very well organized and sophisticated criminal operations. Criminals use many different tactics to get your information and they know how to stay under the radar of law enforcement.
Obtaining your personal information may be easier than you think. By going through your garbage can, a person can get all sorts of information about you.
Most people do not shred documents such as telephone bills, credit card statements and other things that do not seem important enough to destroy. They just dump them in their trash bin and put the bin on the curb for garbage pickup.
When you see someone going through your trash, you may think they are homeless people looking for plastic bottles or aluminum cans to sell. But they may be looking for something much more lucrative. Your identity!
By getting your social security number, your address, birth date, telephone number and or your driver’s license number, a criminal can reek havoc on your life.