subject: How I Dealt With Identity Theft [print this page] Now, let me just say I have no idea how this happened, but I was recently the victim of identity theft. Someone mysteriously got a hold of my social security number and opened a credit account in my name before making a list of purchases. Of course since it was my social security number that was used, it was my name on the account as well, and some confusing and downright horrifying bills ended up in my mail box. Well this can happen by accident sometimes with people having similar social security numbers entering the wrong data when setting up new accounts, but this was not the case. Judging by the purchases this was clearly a professional, probably someone who had done this before and knew how to avoid the law. I was left fending off the bill collectors and wondering why my credit score had been ruined. When I did a quick search on the internet I learned the ways and reasons behind social security identity theft.
Identity thieves often go through garbage looking for anything they can use to secure someone else's identity. This could be to cover up their own identity from law enforcement that might be chasing them. Things like applications, bank statements, billing information or really anything that could possibly have your social security information on it is a treasure waiting to be found. Another reason people steal social security numbers is to be able to work illegally in the United States for a time. Once it happened to me, I realized dealing with social security id theft was like chasing ghosts. I certainly felt violated, but I also felt scared about my future. Is this really so easy to pull off? The answer unfortunately is yes.
- Beware of people posing over the phone or email as someone who really needs information from you such as a landlord or employer.
- Don't use your credit information or bank information to make purchases on unsecured sites.
- Don't routinely carry your social security card or other information that might provide access to your most private information.
- Any trash you discard that you think could possibly be used for identity theft should be shredded.
In my case the law is still looking for this person. When the law catches up with these people they immediately file criminal theft charges. In the future I intend to look into the possibilities of working with an identity theft protection company. I couldn't deal with it happening again to me. Since this time I've done a fair amount of research on the subject. I found a great website called Legal-yogi. These people are experts about many things including anything you need to know about your identity theft your social security number. They are also helpful if you are like me with your own business as they can teach you more about small business identity theft. I plan to use them consistently in the future as a resource for protecting myself from a world where even my identity is no longer safe.
