- 27.3 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the
last five years, including 9.91 million people or 4.6% of the
population in the last year alone. - Only 15% of victims find out due to a proactive action taken by a business.
- 16% say it was a friend, relative or co-worker who stole their identity.
- Roughly half of all adults feel they do not know how to protect
themselves against identity theft. - Children are increasingly becoming victims of identity theft, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.
How do Identity thieves steal an identity?
Dumpster Diving They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.
Skimming They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.
Phishing They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
Changing Your Address They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form.
Straight Stealing They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records, or bribe employees who have access.
Pretexting They use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.
Are You a Victim?
If you are a victim of identity theft or fraud, or think that you may be; the FCRA now gives consumers the right to request free credit reports in connection with newly created fraud alerts. Contact Credit Bureau Now!
If you suspect in good faith that you are, or may be, a victim of identity theft or another fraud, you can instruct the major bureaus to add a “fraud alert” to your file. You can request a free copy of your report from each bureau once it places the fraud alert in your file. Contact Credit Bureau Now!
If you are a victim of identity theft, you can send the major bureaus an identity theft report and instruct them to add an extended fraud alert to your file. You can request two free copies of your credit report from each bureau during the next 12 months once it places the extended fraud alert in your file. Contact Credit Bureau Now!
