101 ways your identity can be stolen

There are so many ways to get access to your private information online these days. Even corporate giants have been hacked and had private information leaked. If their teams of security experts could not hold off these breaches, then what’s to say your personal computer couldn’t get accessed by criminals to steal your identity.

After reading this list of ways your identity can be stolen, you may feel a little helpless and vulnerable every time you pull out your driver’s license or credit card. But by taking correct security measures and monitoring your credit score and financial accounts you should be able to identify any suspicious activity before it can harm you.

1. Using your social security number to get insurance. Some crooks obtain your social security number or other private information over the phone posing as someone from your insurance company, and then they use it for themselves.

2. Stealing identifying information from your license. If someone has your driver’s license information, they don’t even need your physical license to cause all kinds of trouble.

3. Identity fraud for property purchase. A theft could use your identity and social security number to apply for a rental property or to purchase a house.

4. Creating a new identity. Some criminals use others’ identities to stay off the grid or because they need a new identity.

5. Using a child’s identity. Thefts target children’s identities because it often takes a lot of time until the crime is discovered, giving the theft plenty of time to use the child’s identity for opening up lines of credit as issuers do not authenticate the age of every applicant being processed.  See the rest of the list at Acuant Corporation's website....

PLEASE NOTE: Item #63 on this list suggests you use a security service to monitor your bank accounts, credit cards, etc, a notion with which I wholeheartedly agree. The list then mentions Lifelock as a good choice, an idea with which I do not agree.

Click here to see a side-by-side comparison between IDShield and Lifelock. If you're like most people, once you are aware of the differences, I think you'll agree that IDShield offers a superior service at a much more affordable price.