Types of Identity Theft
Identity Theft Types and Techniques
There seems to be as many different types of identity theft as there are identity thieves—and that's a LOT. In this article, we cover some of the top types of identity theft that consumers need to at least be aware of, followed by some of the specific techniques thieves use to steal personal information in the first place. As the types and techniques of identity theft are described, you will also get a better idea why iD theft happens.
Financial Identity Theft
A perfect example of a credit-dependent financial crime (also known as bank fraud), this is when an ID thief takes out a loan from a financial institution using someone else's personal information. In most cases, the theft will be reported to the national Consumer Credit Reporting Agency or the credit bureaus as a collection or bad loan under the victim's record. The crime might be uncovered when the victim is denied a loan, see unexpected accounts or complaints in their credit history or are contacted by creditors and/or collection agencies.
Identity Cloning and Concealment
Here, a criminal collects personal identifiers and then impersonates an individual in an effort to conceal themselves from authorities—to avoid arrest, deportation or even just creditors. The kicker: unlike a financial ID theft, this can go on undetected virtually forever.
Criminal Identity Theft
This is as simple as when an ID thief identifies him/herself to police as another individual. Sometime, criminal identity thieves will obtain state-issued ID using someone else's personal information—or they might just use a fake ID. Then, when arrested, they can present that ID to authorities, who will place the charges under the ID theft victim's name. As a victim, in some cases, you could be arrested just for being pulled over on a minor traffic violation!
Synthetic Identity Theft
In this increasingly common variation on identity theft, identities are partially or entirely fabricated. For example, a real Social Security Number can be combined with a new name and birth date. Synthetic identity theft mostly harms the creditors that unwittingly grant credit to the ID thieves. Consumers become affected only if their names are confused with the synthetic identities.
Medical Identity Theft
Medical identity theft is when a criminal uses a person's name—and even their insurance information—without the victim's knowledge or consent to obtain medical services or goods (or make false claims for such items). These types of thefts often result in erroneous entries being made in existing medical records—or even the creating of fake medical records under the victim's name.
Techniques for Getting Personal Information
So, how does an ID thief go about stealing your identity? Here are just some of the common ways:
- Stealing mail/rummaging through rubbish
- Pulling information from improperly disposed PCs
- Researching victims in public records or online
- Stealing payment or ID cards (by pick-pocketing or skimming)
- Remotely reading information with an RFID chip
- Eavesdropping or shoulder-surfing on public conversations
- Stealing personal information from digital databases
- The list goes on and on…
What can you do? Stay vigilant, study up on all you can regarding identity theft and always keep a close eye out for potential threats. Remember, when it comes to your good name, a little protection is worth a whole lot of cure.
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