Identity theft is something that many of us have only heard about in the news, which is why it’s common for people to think that it is one of those things that can’t happen to them. Well, the recommendation is not to take this matter lightly, because once you discover it has happened to you, it may be too late while a lot of damage has already been done. In the USA, identity theft is now happening every two seconds and unfortunately it is not a question of if anymore, but a question of when it will happen to you too.
Identity theft is a crime in which an imposer/thief obtains personal identification information in order to impersonate someone else. Examples of personal identification information are: your name, date of birth, phone number, home address, driver’s license, social security number, passport number, online login passwords, credit or debit card numbers and so on. Identity theft is a very common crime and what people do not realize is that most of the time you do not have to do anything wrong for your information to get into the criminals’ hands. What these criminals can do once they get hold of your information can be very damaging. They can create a lot of difficulty in your life for a number of years with a huge possibility of devastating financial consequences and ruined credit. You probably can’t imagine the things that a fraudster can do once they steal your personal identification data. This data can end up on the dark web, to get insurance, a driver’s license, stay in hotel rooms and even scam people under your name.
Your Social security number is the most crucial part of your life, the one that sets you apart from the rest. This number defines YOU as an individual in the eyes of all of the institutions, both public and private. If a criminal fraudster gets hold of this number, that person can start living their life under your name, take out loans, apply for a job or new credit - debit cards, make purchases, rent a place to live, take on a mortgage, switch their utility bills, file false tax returns and claim refunds. Shockingly, you will be legally responsible for these charges! In really serious cases these criminals can also commit a crime in your name or even declare you deceased.
IDENTITY THEFT HAS MANY FACES.
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