| To the majority of Americans, identity theft sounds like | | | | Identity thieves can steal your information and your |
| one of those things that only happen to other people. | | | | credit in a wide variety of ways. Some of the most |
| You may write it off as something that probably won't | | | | common methods they employ include: |
| happen to you. Unfortunately, this couldn't be further | | | | - Sorting through your trash to find financial statements, |
| from the truth. According to data collected by the | | | | bills, and other documents with information about your |
| Federal Trade Commission, approximately 9 million | | | | credit. |
| Americans have their identities stolen by thieves every | | | | - Stealing your debit or credit card from your wallet or |
| year by thieves looking to make a quick buck by | | | | purse. |
| taking advantage of them and their credit scores. If it | | | | - Storing your credit and debit card information on a |
| happens to you, you may be facing ruined credit. | | | | special device when swiping your card, then pulling the |
| Identity thieves can take advantage of your credit | | | | information at a later date. |
| score in a wide number of ways, including: | | | | - Stealing your billing statements, either from your |
| - Renting apartments and then skipping on the bill | | | | mailbox or by diverting them through a |
| - Obtaining credit cards and loans in your name and | | | | change-of-address form. |
| then failing to pay back the loans | | | | - Posing as banks or other lending/financial institutions |
| - Opening various accounts in your name and then not | | | | and contacting your to obtain your information. |
| paying for them | | | | It's important to understand that thieves can take your |
| Unfortunately, these actions affect you deeply, and | | | | information in a wide number of ways. You should |
| can have a cancerous affect on your credit score. If | | | | always be on your guard. Tear up bills once you've |
| uncorrected, these actions can make it difficult for you | | | | read them, to ensure that your information isn't stolen. |
| to get a home, a car, a business loan, or any other | | | | In addition, you can request credit reports every year |
| type of large-scale financial loan. | | | | to verify that your spending habits match up with the |
| How Thieves Steal Your Information | | | | official record. |