To define Identity theft it is the crime of stealing someone’s personal, identifying information for the purpose of using that information fraudulently.Identity theft is when a criminal then impersonates you & uses your name, PPS number, credit card number(s), driver’s licence number, bank account number(s) or any other piece of personal information for their fraudulent purposes. By gaining your identity, they can then access your personal details & use the information to obtain credit, buy goods online or to make fraudulent gains at your expense. They may even sell your details to a third party to make money.How do you know it is happening to you?Regrettably you are likely to fall victim to this before you even realise it is happening to you.Here are some signs:• Refusal of credit & loan applications, your credit rating & reputation can be severely damaged as a result of Identity Theft• Collection agencies contacting you about overdue debts that you have not acquired yourself• Also you may receive information about apartments, jobs & house purchases you never incurred or had• You may also find that you have a criminal record even though you never committed a crime.
How can your information be obtained?There are 5 main ways that your information can be obtained.1. Dumpster Diving: This is the practise of sifting through trash to find items containing personal information belonging to commercial or residential areas. It is also known as urban foraging. The person will sift through your rubbish & take utility bills or financial statements and use them to impersonate you for fraudulent identity theft purposes.2. Interfering with your post: If you have reason to believe that your post is being interfered with, you should contact An Post at once & ask them to investigate this. If you reside in apartments or something of the same you should make sure that you collect your post as promptly as possible, & always make sure that your post box is securely locked.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6338994
