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How is identity theft accomplished?

The answer to this question is simply that the way identity theft is accomplished is that an identity fraudster gets hold of some of your personal details and uses them to obtain an (usually financial) advantage.

Sometimes the personal details are stolen from online sources; the stolen items will be things such as passwords to bank accounts, Paypal login etc. On other occasions the identity thieves manage to get hold of personal documents which they use as evidence of identity.

Identity theft is the fastest spreading crime in history; committing the crime of identity theft is relatively easy and risk free, detection is difficult and victims often have a hard job convincing the authorities that they have not committed any crime, but have been the victims of identity fraud.

Think about how easy it has been for you to obtain credit legitimately. A bank account number and a utility bill is often all that is required. To prevent identity fraud being accomplished, you need to be aware of how the fraudsters obtain your personal information. The following three methods of getting information to accomplish identity theft are very common, and frighteningly simple.

Intercepting mail

If you move house, make sure you notify every company that might write to you of your change of address. The only way to be completely safe is to have your mail redirected by the Post Office for at least six months after you move (and preferably for a full year). Even junk mail can be used in identity fraud, so you need to have all mail redirected, not just the important stuff.

Phishing emails

Phishing emails are a very effective way for identity thieves to obtain login details and passwords. Many people are taken in by phishing emails because they often look totally genuine. The way phishing works is that an email purporting to be from your bank, or some such company, asks you to click on the link in the email and log into your account to check or update your personal information. If you click the link it takes you to a phony website where everything you type will be logged and downloaded by the fraudsters.

Theft of documents

Never leave private documents where they can fall into somebody else’s hands. No personal documents should ever be left in a vehicle. To be safe, all personal papers should be kept under lock and key, or at the very least kept out of sight. When you wish to dispose of a document, it should always be shredded or burnt; simply tearing it up will not prevent it being used by thieves to accomplish theft of your identity.