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Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone uses information that personally identifies you, for fraudulent purposes. The theft involves using your name, credit card or other numbers, without your permission, to commit a crime. Having your identity stolen can be unpleasant – both financially and emotionally.

This is not a minor crime. Over 10 million people have their identities stolen each year. The fraud takes many forms. The thieves may rent an apartment, obtain a credit card, or establish a telephone account in your name. Identity theft is serious. You may spend months and thousands of dollars repairing the damage to your good name and credit record.

Identify theft is used to:

• Obtain credit
• Avoid apprehension for a crime
• Obtain goods and services
• Obtain drugs
• Assume someone's identity in daily life
• Open credit card accounts
• Skim a credit card
• Commit utility and phone fraud
• Open a phone account
• Write counterfeit cheques
• Open a bank account and bounce cheques
• Obtain a bank loan
• Rent an apartment

Personal information

All of us have a large amount of personal information readily available – cards in our wallet, mail, public records, and information saved in our computers. Personal information is also often published in social networking Websites for all to see. Worse still, hackers can steal identities from the social networking Websites.

You get an email or a phone call out of the blue asking you to confirm banking details. Or you are informed that your credit card or account has been cancelled because of suspicious criminal activity. You are then asked to provide details to confirm your identity.

Bogus job opportunities are often posted on job websites. The scammer may use or sell your personal information provided in the job application.

Not all criminal activity is linked to the high-technology of the Internet. Letters in the mail can reveal a name, address and personal details. A bank statement or utility account can be used to identify a person.

An Identity Theft occurs

Most victims have no idea that an Identity Theft has occurred until it is too late. The first thing that you notice will be:

• That amounts of money go missing from your bank account.
• That you are unable to obtain credit due to a bad credit rating.

What not to do

• Never send money or give personal details to people you don't know and trust. Be suspicious of anyone that asks for your personal information.
• If you receive a call from your bank, do not provide personal details. Ask for their name and a contact number, and then check with the bank before calling back.
• Never rely on a number provided in an email or click on a link. Use the number in the statement, or on the card, or in the phone book.
• Regularly check your credit card and bank statements.
• Shred all documents containing personal information, such as credit card and bank statements.
• Never leave your mail box unlocked.
• Do not be tricked by any unsolicited email, even if it looks legitimate or appears to link to a genuine website. Delete the email before you even open it and then contact your bank.
• Never dispose of an old computer without destroying the disc drives first.
• Store personal information in a secure place.
• Never allow your driver license to be photocopied.

What to do

Always get independent advice if you are unsure whether an offer/request is genuine. A legitimate bank or financial institution will never email you asking you to follow a link or ask you for personal details.

All bank and credit card statements should be regularly checked.

If you think your identity has been misused, you should contact your bank to let them know. You can also report a scam to SCAMwatch.