1. Identity impersonation- Not every crime that is commited is for financial gain. Someone could be wanting to steal your identity to use for various purposessuch as to hide who they are and to impersonate you, through medical means for insurance purposes, and as a sick game to seek revenge.2. Social Security purposes- Your social security number and card idenitifies you from anyone else in the United States. It is used for tax purposes, employment reasons, and for obtaining passports. Criminals will steal these numbers to be employed legally, do evade taxes, and to abort the country to avoid criminal recourse.
3. Medical identity theft- This type theft is occurring more commonly as insurance is expensive and hard to come by. Criminals are using people's identities to steal their medical coverage and receive medical treatments that they do not have to pay for. It is often an insurance agent or medical personel that are committing these crimes. They are commonly inside jobs.
4. Stealing your driver's license ID- Predators lurk everywhere to reap personal gain when they want to avoid penalties. Driver's licenses hold a great meaning when people can cash checks with the appropriate identification. A criminal can also commit driving crimes that will fall-back to your responsibility and your record.
5. Credit theft- One of the main reasons an individual or entity will steal your identity is to gain information on your credit cards and bank information. This enables them to charge your cards, steal your savings, and ruin your credit permanently.
According to the Department of Justice there are three groups that are most at risk for identity theft: young adults 18 to 24, adults who earn $75,000 per year or more and households in urban and suburban area. Interesting to note that about five percent of adults who earn $75,000 or more a year are hit with identity theft.
ReplyDeleteIn 2005, 9.3 million Americans were victims of identity theft according to the Javelin Better Business Bureau survey. 68.2 percent of the cases involved thieves who obtained personal information off-line vs. only 11.6% obtained online. ID theft through lost or stolen identification, misappropriation by family and friends, and theft of paper mail are among the most common ways thieves gain access to your information.
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