Identity thief will do anything to get what he or she want when desire, motive, and greed is backing their minds.
Phishing
Thieves may use method known as "Phishing or Pretexting." Phishing is via Electronic Mail (Email), and often the sender will state in the body of the email that you accounts are frozen, stopped, or that you are potentially at risk.
They may include links to sites and other information that scares or excites the reader into acting on the email. Never give your information out through electronic mail. Pretexting is via Phone Line.
The thief may call your home acting as a banker, credit card lender, police officer, and so on. Thus, request the phone number of the caller and call the company back immediately. If someone answers and gives a company name, thank them, hang up, and do a background check on the company.
If the company appears to be fraudulent, notify the authorities, Better Business Bureau and anyone that fights identity theft immediately. Never give your information out over the phone lines, unless you know for sure whom you are talking to; even then you may want to be careful.
Skimming
Thieves may also skim to gain access to your personal information. "Skimming," means that the thief utilizes a "data storage device" to gain access to your PIN number or credit/debit card numbers. The thief may "swipe" the cards to buy products, or else "attach the device to an ATM machine." Once you visit the ATM Machine and use your card, BAM, the thief is in the door.
Other Methods in Which Identity theft Can be Done
- Employment: Identity thieves will steal identities by using their place of employment. In other words, some identity thieves work in the companies where you do business, or else in the company has your information, thus the thief will steal the information from the company database.
- Steal From Post Boxes: Identity thieves will steal information from postal boxes. Thus, the date your credit cards, statements, bank information, or taxes are due, make sure you keep close watch on your postal box.
- Trashcans: Thieves will also go through trashcans searching for personal information. Thus, purchasing an inexpensive shredder may be in your best interest. The thieves will also go through trashcans at companies, or other areas. Again, shredders are handle tools in preventing identity theft.
- Bribe: Identity thieves will also get information from companies by using bribes. In other words, thieves will bribe or charm a fellow employee into giving him/her links to the company database where records are stored. Thieves working in companies or abroad the Internet to gain access to personal information will learn hacking skills.
- Phone lines are scary: If you have a Cordless Phone or Cellular Phone and someone in the neighboring area has a Scanner hooked-up, the phone lines bleed out information. If you are calling your bank use a phone that is not cordless or cellular based, rather use the standards phones to talk freely.
- Thieves will also steal your identity by posing as an illegal respectful rep, including law enforcement, company employer, landowner, mortgager, and so forth.
- Thieves will also break into homes to steal identities. Although, this is rarer than common other methods of identity theft, still it happens. For example, a thief may break into a home with the intent of robbing the owner and find personal information, thus a thought strikes his/her mind and they take the information with intentions of committing additional crimes.
- Thieves will even use the postmasters to steal your identity, including placing a "change of address" form with the master, in an effort to redirect your mail back to the thief.
Thieves manipulate, connive, and think carefully when committing crimes. Most thieves do not act out on impulsive or emotions when committing crimes, or rather many do not. Criminals are ahead of the game, by premeditating their strategies.
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