Identity theft has been on the wane for the last couple of years. But the fact of the matter is it still tops the list as the number one consumer complaint.
There's plenty of information floating around with regards to this crime which includes a number of myths which if you are not careful can have you moving in the wrong direction.
1. Protecting The Social Security Identification Number Is All You Need
This is on the local and national news quite a lot. A lot of professionals may tell you this is all you need to protect yourself against identity theft. The problem is that is not true. The fact of the matter is identity thieves can steal your personal information in a number of different ways without the need to swipe your social security number. Among them is stealing your mail, shoulder surfing, setting up a skimming device at an ATM machine or just going through your trash also known as dumpster diving.
2. It Is Up To You To Pay Any And All Fraudulent Charges Racked Up
Do not let any company to force you into paying anything if you were the victim of identity theft. It is not your responsibility to pay any fraudulent charges thieves have put on your account. However businesses and debt collection agencies don't care about that. They want the money and they want it now. That's fine as long as you keep in mind that you are not the one who has to pay it.
3. It Will Not Happen To Me
Famous last words. No doubt at one time or another many people who were victimized said the exact same thing. Identity theft spares no one. While statistics show the number of victims going down the fact of the matter is over eight million people last year still had their identities stolen. Considering that the number usually hover around ten million as well as the alarming number of ways thieves can pilfer your information and there is little doubt identity theft can happen to you.
4. The Majority of People That Steal Your Identity Get Arrested
Since law enforcements and financial institutions have been more aggressive in dealing with identity theft you figure the arrest rate would be pretty good. Not likely. According to studies done by the Gartner Group roughly 1 out of 700 people ever gets caught. Yes you may hear how authorities have cracked a major ring. This is true but day to day identity theft generally goes undetected let alone prosecuted.
5. Most Identity Thieves Are People You Have Never Met
False. And this is what makes identity theft a major problem. In many instances the victim knows exactly who the person is that stole their identity. A neighbor, friend, coworker, but mostly a family member. Which should give you a pretty good hint as to why many identity thieves never get thrown in jail. As bad as the crime is many victims cannot even begin to bring themselves to have one of their relatives thrown in jail regardless of what they did.
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