Did you know there are Five Types of Identity Theft?

Most people have heard about identify theft and in spite of the tremendous pace at which this crime is growing, the awareness among the common public is quite low. For example, most have the impression that only the theft of credit cards or financial information can result in identity theft. Very few people indeed know that there are five major types of identity theft. A Brief Description of the Major Types of Identity Theft 1. Stealing identity of character – this is one of the most common of identity thefts. If your purse or wallet is stolen and you do not want to go to the trouble to report it, the thief can use the information found therein to impersonate you and commit some crime. The result is that your character is assassinated and it will take serious work for you to be able to clear it up. Many times you might even go to jail for serious crimes. Hence, the best thing that you should do when you find that you were robbed is that you report it to the police and send the report to all your creditors too. 2. Stealing identity to gain employment - it is always advised not to carry your social security number with you. People who have had their SSN stolen found to their dismay that other people obtained employment in their name. While the identity thief enjoys the benefits, you will be left paying the taxes of the extra income. 3. Stealing identity for medical benefits – there are many times when the identify thief uses information to obtain medical insurance and/or other medical related benefits, leaving the rightful owner high and dry, holding a handful of bills. 4. Stealing identity to drive stolen vehicles – this type of identity theft is maybe the most common because most of the wallets which are stolen will possess the driving license of the owner. It is easy for the thief to make use of it, once he/she has it in their possession. The owners will liable for any and all the crimes the identity thief commits. 5. Stealing identity for money – this types of identity theft is one the most painful ones, because you find yourself paying, sometimes the better part of your life, for expenses that you never incurred. The only way to beat any type of identity theft is by being careful and alert. Guard your identity fiercely and you will be spared of a lot of hassles.

Identity Theft Cases Overwhelm Authorities

Prior to 1998, identity theft cases went mostly into information-only files, as there were no federal laws on the books to hold responsible those who perpetrated the crime. Since many of the identi. . .

January 17, 2006: San Diego City Employee Arrested for Identity Theft
A San Diego city employee has been arrested for stealing the identity of public employees and Water Department customers.

Identity Theft News at 01-27-2010, 10:05

September 09, 2005: MA Couple arrested for Identity Theft
A couple from Saugus, MA has been been arrested on charges of Identity Theft.

January 26, 2006: Ameriprise, the former American Express Financial Advisors Division Lost the Personal Information of about 226,000 People
Ameriprise Financial Inc., the former American Express Financial Advisors division has notified about 226,000 people that a laptop with their names and other personal data was stolen.

July 16, 2005: Student Information Stolen at University of Delaware
A computer with names and social security numbers of 343 students was stolen from the University of Delaware.

Identity Theft News at 02-01-2010, 10:05