Identity Theft

Part of being prepared for identity theft is understanding some of the major signs of identity theft. The majority of identity theft victims do not even know their identity has been compromised until they are contacted by a collection agency for fraudulent debts or falsely arrested by the police.

Everyday, you engage in transactions that require the sharing of your personal information. For example, you share your personal information when you make purchases, pay bills, pay taxes, and log onto your favorite websites.

In most cases, a criminal needs to obtain personally identifiable information or documents. They may steal this information from your home, workplace, while you are in public, or through the use of some online scheme.

Identity Theft in the Home:

Identity theft cases can be very complex. It is perhaps one of the few crimes where the victim is considered guilty until proven innocent. The burden of proof falls upon the victim to prove that they are indeed victims of identity theft. Therefore, it is very important for you to document all of your actions and conversations from the very beginning of the recovery process.

Identity theft is a crime. Just like any other crime, you are entitled to certain rights as a victim. Many local governments, however, have yet to make adequate provisions, at the state level, for victims of identity theft and you may encounter some difficulty or “red tape” as you attempt to carry out certain actions necessary to restoring your identity.

Due to the increase in identity theft occurrences, identity theft has become the object of much discussion. The term identity theft has been used to describe a variety of crimes including credit card fraud and general theft. However, identity theft specifically refers to the theft and use of personal identifying information of an actual person.

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