The Identity Thief.

Who Is The Identity Thief . . .

. . . And Just How Does An Identity Thief Learn Your Personal Information?

Who could it possibly be out of all the strangers that you come into
contact with, or out of all the people that are around and about as you
carry out your daily life.

That clerk at the convenience store that you called into on the
other side of town, did he take just a little too long to swipe your
card?

Were you unable to see exactly what was going on because of all
the stuff stacked on the counter?

When you were using the ATM there was a smartly dressed and pretty
girl standing just a little too close behind you, but you didn’t suspect
anything, she looked too cute and innocent.

Letters, fliers, junk mail, forms, useless stuff accumulates. Out
with it, throw it out before you get buried under an ocean of useless
paper, into the trash and out to the kerb.

Is there a chance that there was sensitive information about you
on some of that useless paper that you left out un-shredded?

Could the
identity thief have got to your trash before the garbage truck?

Sometimes you have to wait in line, but this line isn’t too bad,
at least it’s moving. Your turn next, you are going to have to use your
credit card so you take it out ready.

The guy waiting behind you has his
cell phone in his hand. Is he really trying to make a call, or is he
secretly taking a photo of your card using his cell phone’s camera?

line at the bank
Did anyone who was waiting in line with you see your personal information?
 line at the bank
Did anyone who was waiting in line with you see your personal information?

You had a burglary a short time back, fortunately not too much
was missing.

It seemed like they broke in, grabbed a few of your things
and ran.

But is that all that happened? Could the criminals have also
made note of one or two items of your personal information, were they
identity thieves as well as burglars?

You are using an ATM again, no pretty young lady behind you this
time. There is something strange about the machine however, the front
looks slightly different and doesn’t seem that securely fixed on.

Ah
well, you can’t waste time worrying about that, you insert your card,
punch in your number and out comes your cash. All’s well, or so you
think,
and you move on.

Maybe Though, The Identity Thief Has Not Been Anywhere Near You In Person.

That phone call you received just when you were busy and didn’t have
spare time to take any calls at all.

The caller was polite and
apologetic for taking up your time, but they had some really important
questions for you, it was imperative that they updated their records. It
was nothing suspicious, after all it was your bank or loan company that
was calling.

Just tell them what they needed to know and you can get back to your chores. It really was your bank, wasn’t it?

An email, you get hundreds of the darn things. This one is from the
mortgage people, they too need confirmation of your personal details,
what is it with these people and updating all the time?

It’s alright though, the email really is from the mortgage
company it has their logo and everything, that means it is safe doesn’t
it?

Hey, responding puts you in a draw to win a cruise, fat chance you
got but what the heck you have to respond anyway. With your thoughts
half on how good that cruise would be you fill in the details and click
send.

That clever little gizmo you downloaded was safe wasn’t it? You
were absolutely sure about the source the link came from and sure about
where the link went to?

There was no chance that download could have
carried a Trojan with it was there?

Is The Stranger The Only Danger?

So we know that it could be some cyber criminal, either a gang or an
individual, located far away from you that compromises your identity. Or
it can be any number of strangers that you, in some way, come in to
contact with as you go about your daily business.

 mystery identity thief
Who could the identity thief be? Are they a stranger, or . . .

But what if the identity thief is not a stranger at all?

It is a sad fact that many cases of identity theft are carried
out by someone known to the victim, even a close member of their family.

It is always a shock to discover that someone has run up a debt
in your name, but when you learn that the identity thief is a long time
friend, a brother or favorite sister, your partner, a parent or your son
or daughter, the shock must be far greater.

Discovering that
information must be truly devastating.

You take great care to keep your personal information private,
you know the havoc and pain a criminal can cause if they discover your
PIN number, your social security number or other identifying snippets.

But you don’t think there is any possible danger from the people in your
life that you love and trust.

Who is better placed to learn your pieces of personal ID than those closest to you, especially if they share your home?

Just how do you react if someone you care deeply about has run up
debt in your name by misusing your information?

Do nothing and you
remain liable for the debt and your credit history remains in tatters.
Do nothing and the person that you care so much about, and you believed
cared about you, could go on to financially abuse you again and again.

Do something and someone you love could spend time in jail. That’s a choice no one wants to make.

So How Do You Protect Yourself From The Identity Thief?

You protect yourself by being aware of all the ways that your
personal ID can be compromised, and by taking all possible steps to
prevent it happening.

Be aware, alert and careful and by taking swift action should you discover you have become a victim.

Study the identity theft information on this site and on other
sites, know how to keep yourself protected. Do that, and you will
greatly reduce the likelihood of the crime happening to you. Knowledge
is power.

Identity theft is a lucrative crime and instances of it seem to
be increasing each year. But most who become victims do so because they
are unaware of the danger they are putting themselves into.

Don’t let that happen to you, be informed.

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Surveillance for Security

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The Identity Thief.

Related Information.

Internet Identity Theft

Master Your Identity Theft Prevention

What Is A Phishing Email?

Identity Theft At The ATM