subject: Theft of Identity Leaves You Feeling Exposed [print this page] It's here. Finally, the day has arrived when you can purchase your new car. So, you go to the local dealer, and pick out the one that you have had your eye on for the last 2 months. During your test drive, you realize that it is even more perfect than what you thought. This car is amazing and you cannot wait to get it home for your wife to see.You sit down with the finance manager, he pulls your credit bureau, and your dream turns into an instant nightmare.
What happened? You have worked so hard to keep your credit score high, paying every bill on time, only to see that your score is low, way too low to buy that car. Now very embarrassed, you hang your head and walk out of the dealer. Worst of all you are car-less.
At home you review the copy of the credit bureau search that they gave you. Late charges, are all over the place on your credit card. That doesn't seem right as you know that you have paid it on time. Upon closer review you realize that this is for a Mastercard and you own a Visa. You have just discovered that you have become the latest theft of identity victim. How do you feel? One word- violated.
Apparently, you had no issues with discarding old tax forms in the garbage, only to have them fall into the wrong hands. There is enough information on a tax form for someone to apply for a credit card in your name. Ok, so you say you are smart enough not to do that? How about this scenario?
You are the queen of social media, you are always online chatting with friends and updating your status. Everyone knows what you are doing, and where you are at all times. The wrong person gets your status update and now knows that you will not be home for the next three hours. But wait, my home address is not posted online. Your home address is public knowledge and can be easily obtained. Worse, than that, the type of criminals associated with crimes involving theft of identity, may not take anything but paper when they get into your home.
Theft of identity affects 9 million Americans each and every year. One of the most difficult issues to deal with, is because of the nature of this crime, many victims are not even aware that their identity has been compromised until weeks or months later. Like in the first scenario covered in this article, the victim is often unaware that anything has occurred until they go to use that credit.
This also makes it very difficult for the authorities to track down the culprits. By the time they are able to look into your case, the thieves may have already used up that fake credit card and have moved on to some other victim. You may be able to get that information off your credit bureau, but not without filing a police report, and then getting the charges reversed off the credit card or canceled. Finally, that information can now be removed from your credit score. If you do this the traditional way, it is a lot of work and frustration, and it leaves you feeling violated and exposed. This I know, from personal experience.
