Victims Don’t Know They’re Victims–Until They’re Arrested!
Becoming the victim of identity theft is bad enough. Being arrested on behalf of the criminal is worse. When a thief robs an innocent individual of his or her account information and goes on crime sprees, the victim may be caught in the crossfire.
Perhaps most insultingly of all, the victim may not even know he’s been had until the police come knocking at his door. And to top it all off, his account may have been depleted and his credit ruined.
Surprise!–You’re a Criminal
The St. Paul (MN) Press reported on Oct. 29, 2008 that Beth Ellidge gave police her sister Nicole Beerman’s identity when Beth was arrested on suspicion of auto theft. How did innocent victim Nicole find out? When one of Nicole’s co-workers showed the shocked woman an article about “her” arrest.
Nicole got lucky. According to reports, some individuals are so far as cuffed and brought into custody before they’re able to convince authorities of their innocence. To make matters worse, removing “their” criminal activities from their permanent records can take time and may involve legal fees.
Criminal Mischief
Like Beth Ellidge, some ID criminals know their victims, making the fraud all the easier to pull off. Others are professional identity thieves who obtain their victims’ personal information by a variety of means including ATM “skimming” (reading PIN numbers by use of a tiny electronic device) or “phishing” (via fraudulent e-mails).
Once an ID criminal has your name, PIN number, social security number or any other identification, your identity can be picked like a virtual lock, giving the thief access to everything from your bank account to your public school and employment records.
Protecting Yourself
Because identity theft can occur without you knowing about it until the damage is done, your best line of defense is to keep an eye on your bank account and other information.
Most ID thieves will immediately make approximately a $200-400 purchase on obtaining your information, experts say. These initial robberies are smaller specifically so they’ll be harder to detect, giving the thief a longer period of time to hold onto (and misuse) your identity.
Anti-theft experts advise that you look over your checking and savings accounts about every two weeks. Any suspicious activity at all–even a $20 withdrawal you can’t quite seem to remember–should be reported IMMEDIATELY.
Banking at the same ATM each time will also give you a heads up to possible thievery. Most bank transaction reports show the city and state where the withdrawal was made. A regular combing-over of your expenditures will reveal the new, unknown location and alert you to call your bank to report the activity.
Anti-ID Theft Programs
ID criminals also frequently initiate small to medium-size loans using your information. A credit report will show this. However, the average person only obtains and looks over his or her credit report about once a year, and some view this information even less frequently.
An anti-identity theft program can alert you when a credit report is requested in your name or when a loan is attempted. It can also let you know when unusual situations occur against your bank account or other financial holdings. Consider investing in a good anti-ID theft program to waylay criminals before they can wreak havoc with your reputation and your money.
Combining the above efforts, your chances are better than ever before of protecting yourself now and in the future, experts say.
