Have you been a victim of identity theft? Do you know someone who is? Read on to find out about the various types of identity theft.
There’s a new victim of identity theft every two seconds. 33% of US adults have experienced it, and 1 in 5 experience it more than once. To protect yourself, you must know the types of identity theft you may experience.
Read our identity theft guide to find out what it is and all the ways thieves may attempt to use your information against you.
What Is Identity Theft?
Identity theft refers to any attempt to obtain someone else’s personal and/or financial information to make transactions or purchases.
It’s not always clear what constitutes identity theft and what doesn’t. For example, are credit profile or cpn numbers legal to use? Find out more to protect yourself.
Types of Identity Theft
Knowing the different types of identity theft helps you spot the signs before they become a problem.
Identification Misuse
Several forms of identity theft are related to the misuse of personal identification. Social security theft is one example. A thief can use your social security number to steal your government benefits, open loans or credit cards in your name, and more.
Another form is driver’s license theft. It’s not as high-tech as other methods but can have consequences that are just as severe. Thieves can use a stolen driver’s license as their own, sell it to anyone who looks like the owner or use it to avoid arrests or court appearances. This affects the owner’s criminal record, car insurance rates, and more.
Financial and Tax Identity
Financial identity theft is one of the most common types. The thief uses another person’s information to obtain financial benefits like cheap loans or material goods.
Tax identity theft is the use of another person’s information to file taxes.
Medical and Insurance
Medical identity theft is the use of someone else’s identity to obtain medical care and/or insurance. Insurance theft involves using another person’s information to get cheap insurance. It’s so common that many forms of insurance offer theft protection as part of their policies.
Criminal
Criminal identity theft is the use of a false identity to avoid arrest.
The thief gives falsified identification to the arresting officer. The owner ends up with a criminal record instead of a thief. This makes it one of the most dangerous kinds of identity theft.
Child Identity Theft
Child identity theft is the illegal use of a child’s name, social security number, or other personal information. Thieves use it to avoid arrests, get a loan, or perform other illegal activities.
Cybercrime
In 2019 alone, there were 1,473 electronic data breaches. Thieves can find a social security number, credit card, and more online.
Synthetic
Synthetic identity theft involves combining information from various sources to create a new identity. The thief then uses it to open fraudulent accounts with banks, credit card companies, and more.
Other Types
There are other examples of identity theft to be aware of. Thieves steal checks, ATM cards, and other personal documents and use them to create a false identity. They can also issue fraudulent address changes or criminal judgments.
How to Protect Yourself
New types of identity theft will appear as technology develops. The best way to protect yourself is to know them all.
Do your research before giving out your information. Call the authorities the moment you suspect you may have fallen victim to any of the many forms of identity theft.
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