Impersonation fraud occurs when someone assumes your identity to perform a fraud or other criminal act. Criminals can get the information they need to assume your identity from a variety of sources, such as the theft of your wallet, your trash, or from credit or bank information. They may approach you in person, by telephone, or on the Internet and ask you for the information. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America, claiming more than 10 million victims a year. Cyber thieves are becoming more sophisticated every minute of the day. It’s harder for consumers to find the best ways to protect themselves against these thieves, but there are some preventive measure that you can take to guard your personal information from being ever stolen. Below will give some ideas how identity thieves gain access to your personal data without you konwing about it:
Identity thieves get your personal information by:
A. Stealing wallets, purses and your mail (bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks and tax information).
B. Stealing personal information you provide to an unsecured site on the Internet, from business or personnel records at work and personal information in your home.
C. Rummaging through your trash, the trash of businesses and public trash dumps for personal data.
D. Posing by phone or E-mail as someone who legitimately needs information about you, such as employers or landlords… or
Buying personal information from “inside” sources. For example, an identity thief may pay a store employee for information about you that appears on an application for goods, services or credit.
Some Tips to Avoid Impersonation/Identity Fraud:
1. Never throw away ATM receipts, credit statements, credit cards, or bank statements in a usable form.
2. Never give your credit card number over the telephone unless you make the call.
3. Reconcile your bank account monthly and notify your bank of discrepancies immediately.
4. Keep a list of telephone numbers to call to report the loss or theft of your wallet, credit cards, etc.
5. Report unauthorized financial transactions to your bank, credit card company, and the police as soon as you detect them.
6. Review a copy of your credit report at least once each year. Notify the credit bureau in writing of any questionable entries and follow through until they are explained or removed.
7. If your identity has been assumed, ask the credit bureau to print a statement to that effect in your credit report.
8. If you know of anyone who receives mail from credit card companies or banks in the names of others, report it to local or federal law enforcement authorities.