One of your most significant possessions is your identity. If your identity is stolen, you may experience financial loss and have trouble obtaining loans, credit cards, or a mortgage.
Your name, address, and birthday are sufficient to construct a different “you.” Scammers can use several techniques to obtain your personal information, which an identity thief will then use to create bank accounts, obtain credit cards, and apply for government benefits in your name. to protect yourself from theft and scams, get in touch with the global payback on priority.
Identity theft and how your name and address might contribute
1. utilizing a database to discover more details
Your name and address could be entered into a database that is available for public search by a thief to see what further details are available.
One website offers reports that include a person’s phone numbers, marriage, and divorce records, education records, career history, and more for as low as a dollar.
These PII components might be utilized to open fresh bank accounts. It’s critical to safeguard oneself from this kind of identity fraud. Regularly check your credit report for any new accounts you are unfamiliar with, and go line by line through your billing bills to search for any odd transactions.
2. Using the security answers “name” and “address.”
Who am I speaking with when I contact a customer support number about my account? It is frequently the first query they’ll make. In order to confirm your identification, they could additionally ask you to confirm your address or answer another question.
Checking to see if it’s really you on the other end is part courtesy, part security.
If a criminal knows the answers, he might be able to get past security measures and learn more about your financial accounts. If a thief has accessed your accounts or started new ones, you may be able to stop them by checking your credit report for any unusual behavior.
3. Mail re-direction
Identity theft is a crime that can be committed offline.
According to Velasquez, a criminal who has your identity and address can have the U.S. Postal Service modify your address and divert mail to another address of their choosing. The thief may intercept bank statements, credit card offers, or invoices with access to your financial mail and fresh order checks and credit cards.
Some good news: To prevent this kind of fraud, the postal service has put in place a few security measures. By choosing paperless billing for all of your bank accounts and avoiding unsolicited credit card offers, you may also assist in preventing this kind of theft. There might not be much to find if someone tries to divert your mail.
4. Posting fraudulent offers
Phishing is another offline stealing attempt that can be carried out by regular snail mail. When someone impersonating a real organization sends you mail asking for money or financial information, it is when it is a phony entity. These letters could contain bogus bills, announcements of service changes, or lottery win notifications.
The global payback is an asset recovery company with a team of experts ready to help you recover your funds lost to identify scams and much more.
What warning indicators should I watch for?
There are a few indicators to watch out for that could indicate you are or could be a victim of identity theft:
- Your passport or driver’s license is among the vital documents that have been lost or stolen.
- You don’t receive mail from your bank or utility company.
- The items on your bank or credit card statement are unfamiliar to you.
- When you seek state benefits, you are informed that you are currently receiving them.
- You get invoices or receipts for products or services you didn’t request.
- Despite having a strong credit rating, you are not granted access to financial services, credit cards, or loans.
- You get letters from debt collectors or solicitors for unpaid bills in your name.
How can I protect myself from identity theft?
- Act swiftly to ensure you are not held responsible for any financial damages if you believe you are a victim of identity theft or fraud.
- Report any lost or stolen documents to the company that issued them, including passports, licenses, credit cards, and chequebooks.
- Any suspicious transactions on your statement should be reported to your bank, building society, and the credit card provider.
- To check for any questionable credit applications, request a copy of your credit report.
- Inform the police about the theft of personal documents and any dubious credit applications, and request a crime reference number.
- Contact the global payback to recover any funds lost to identity theft fraud.