How can you protect yourself from identity theft? If youve never asked that question then you certainly should because its a very serious problem that can cause a lot of havoc in your life. If you become a victim of identity theft you run the following risks:
Problems finding a job
Assumption of the criminal record of the person who steals your identity if they use your name to commit criminal activities
In the case of pension plans including social security you run the risk of losing those benefits if the theft occurs after you retire
Problems obtaining credit as the result of either bad credit or your debt to income ratio if the thieve obtains credit in your name
These problems are not limited to adults, either, because thieves are now targeting children because it takes a longer period of time for discovery. My next door neighbors son was a victim, and they didnt even know until he applied for his first credit card upon entering college. Take it from me: dont let them get away with it. Start making it a habit to routinely check both your credit report and that of your children.
To find out more information about this growing problem visit our website at Legal-Yogi .
Thieves Face Criminal Charges
While there are definitely criminal charges for identity theft, you have to keep in mind the authorities have to catch the thief first. Quite often the criminals lay very low after they commit the crime in order to avoid detection. This is another reason why they are now targeting childrenit may be years before anyone even finds out about it and by that time detection will be next to impossible. It is probably easier to catch the person who simply uses your name to get out of criminal charges such as a traffic citation or other criminal act because these charges usually require the person to appear in person, and in the effect they decide to run finger prints it will come up almost immediately or at least raise suspicion.
To find out more information about this growing problem visit our website at Legal-Yogi.
Credit Cards are the Biggest Problem
Problem the biggest problem with identity theft is that of identity theft and credit cards. Dont make the mistake of thinking it only involves stolen credit cards because this type of thievery goes much deeper than that. In fact, the biggest problem probably involves the removal of credit cards and/or credit card applications from unsecured mail boxes. In fact, this method was a problem before computers were so common in homes.