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Ezine Ready

Learn How To Steal An Identity To Prevent It

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing forms of organised crime and can lead to heartbreak, financial consequences and legal problems. One of the most common forms is that of assuming the identity of an individual, ordering credit cards in their name and running up the bills which puts the victim in credit default. This can take months and great expense to rectify and this article teaches the tricks of the trade to [prevent this happening.

Someone cannot assume your identity unless they have access to personal details about you. One of the most common sources is from your refuse that is recycled or disposed of without shredding. You would be astonished with the intricate details you can discover from what people cast away. Old credit card bills, bank statements, insurance policies and tax information amongst many other documents can be gold for identity fraudsters.

By shredding any documents that you are recycling or discarding you can avoid or at least minimise this risk. If you see someone rummaging or loitering with intent to rummage through you are your neighbours refuse then report it to the police immediately. Do not mistake the person for a homeless person and invite him in for a wash and bowl of soup, much of the time identity fraudsters are organised criminals and potentially dangerous.

After the acquisition of certain details such as credit card numbers, passport numbers, tax registration numbers, mother's maiden name or date/place of birth then they are in a position to gain access to certain restricted services such as internet or phone banking. They will complete a change of address form which will divert mail to a temporary of ghost address which means that they are now in control of your identity.

The first thing that usually happens is that a credit report is requested, so one way of potentially catching the process early if you have any suspicions is to contact the credit agencies and enquire when the last credit repost was issued. This might come after you have seen someone loitering around your premises, your files have been accessed at work, you have recently had a purse or wallet stole or you have recently had a break in.

If you have not been shredding your documents then fraudsters can obtain the credit report and see how much they can get out of you. With this personal information they can find out where you work or shop and obtain more records by hacking into computer systems or stealing files. After this ground work has been laid the thief has the foundation to build on and if they are good then there are very few warning signs.

Good thieves will not focus on existing cards and accounts, they will attempt to get new accounts, loans, finance, ect registered on the new address as they need the long con to build up the identity at the address. This does mean however that will need to redirect one of your current billing systems to the new address, meaning that it will not come to you. If you have missed a bill that you usually receive you should follow this up immediately and check the address they have.

After this stage things can get pretty nasty if you have a half decent credit rating . They can open accounts, credit cards, store cards, car finance, loans and basically anything within their power. Then one day, good thieves will shut up shop and walk away before any real evidence can be gathered. It can all be avoided simply by using a shredder.

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Dominic Donaldson is an expert on shredding and identity theft prevention.

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