In order to protect yourself, you must know identity theft facts. Knowing and understanding as much as possible about identity theft is the best way to prevent it from happening to you. So what are some of the basic facts about identity theft?
Don’t Become a Victim
Identity theft can happen to anyone. Stealing someone’s identity is scarily simple with today’s technology, so anyone can become a victim.
People usually have no idea that they have become a victim of identity theft. Unfortunately, this is one of the identity theft facts that most people don’t realize. They assume that if their identity is stolen, they will find out about it immediately.
However, some thefts are not noticed for months or years. Thieves know how to cover their tracks and many times identity theft is not discovered until there is almost nothing that can be done.
Identity theft is not always financial. While most identity theft occurs when money is stolen from a credit card account or loans are taken out in someone’s name, many cases of identity theft involve other things.
Thieves might commit crimes other than stealing under a stolen name. They might also file for taxes under a stolen name. Thieves are getting more and more inventive and are using stolen information for much more than just financial gain.
Emotional and Financial Effects of ID Theft
Identity theft causes emotional trauma. Even though identity theft is not physically violent, it still leaves a victim feeling very violated and insecure which can lead to a lot of stress and worry.
Recovering from identity theft is not easy. This is fact about identity theft that many people do not realize. If your TV is stolen and you have insurance, it is fairly simple to get a new one.
However, if your identity is stolen, there is a lot of cleaning up to do. Most likely the theft has occurred over a span of time, which can make it more difficult to recover.
People are also often stuck with the challenge of proving that they were victims of identity theft, which is more challenging than proving that a home was broken into.
Each situation is different, but unfortunately the recovery time is almost always long and painful.
These identity theft facts have painted a pretty bleak picture. However, with the help of identity theft protection and internet security software, you can protect yourself from identity theft and the harm that it will cause to your finances.
