How does Identity Theft work?
Thieves gain access to personal information in many ways, but the most common method is to take it from the victim themselves. They steal mail such as account statements, new checks and offers of credit left in a mailbox, discarded in the trash or stored in an easy to access location in your home or office. They access credit card and personal identification from your purse or wallet. Without realizing, you may give the information directly to the criminal when you enter data at an unsecured or unknown website, or in response to a fraudulent request for account information through an unverified e-mail; this is known as “phishing”. Thieves also ask for information from you through unsolicited phone calls, tricking you into thinking it is someone you know, such as your bank; this is known as “pretexting”. Identity theft occurs in many ways, ranging from careless sharing of personal information to intentional theft personal information. The best approach to prevent identity theft is to be
