The Various Types of Identity Theft
The financial consequences of identity theft are well known. Credit card fraud, bad credit, bounced checks and unpaid debts run rampant due to people having their identity stolen. However, finance is not the only thing that can be harmed. Following is a list of the various types of identity theft.
What are the other types of identity theft?
Character identity theft is the first of the types of identity theft. When someone’s character is stolen, he or she is at risk of being charged with crimes never committed. This can lead to arrests and time spent in prison. Character identity theft usually occurs when a person’s driver’s license is stolen and the number used. In the eyes of the law, driver’s license number is the second most important piece of identifying information apart from Social Security number. Character identity theft can also lead to inability to find work, due to negative results on background checks.
Theft of a Social Security number is one of the most serious types of identity theft. Anyone who has access to a person’s Social Security number can gain access to virtually every other piece of identifying information about them. Almost all cases of identity theft were caused due to the victim’s Social Security number being compromised. Tax information, employment records and bank statements all depend on it for identification.
Medical benefits are at risk as well. Social Security number is also used as Medicare ID. Without Medicare or other health insurance, people usually will be unable to pay for medicines or services given by a hospital or clinic. False information can be placed in health records, thus causing difficulty in getting health insurance. The less healthy a person is, the more difficult it is to find low rates on insurance.
Traffic violations are yet another consequence - driver’s license theft is one of the more insidious types of identity theft. Using a driver’s license, a criminal can get auto insurance under the victim’s number and refuse to make payments, harming credit in the process. Also, any traffic violation incurred under a particular license number shows up on record, increasing auto insurance prices.
The most well-known of the types of identity theft is credit theft. This occurs when someone gains access to bank account information, ATM PINs, or credit cards. Using these bits of financial information, the thief applies for loans, conducts online transactions or empties the victim’s bank account. Victims often fail to realize they have suffered identity theft until bill collectors begin to call, demanding payment for products never bought or services never requested.
Knowing these types of identity theft is vital to safety; if simply to understand that it is not only finance at risk. Character, health and transportation can all be affected as much as finance.
