Identity Theft – the first we think about is stolen credit cards and financial loss. According to the FTC, only 28% of identify theft cases are financial in nature. Identity Theft causes lasting and serious consequences.
There are five forms of Identity Theft:
1. Driver’s License
John Doe is a habitual drunk driver with several DUI convictions and his license has been suspended. He buys a fake driver’s license that has your information and his picture. He is involved in a serious accident and must go to court. John skips the court date and a warrant is out for his arrest. Two months later, you are in a rush to get to an important meeting and you are driving 12 miles over the speed limit. The police pull you over, run you driver’s license and suddenly you are yanked from your car, cuffed and thrown into the back of the police car. What happened? You are being arrested for John Doe’s warrant. You go to jail.
In a less dramatic example, John Doe is still using your driver’s license info with his picture. He goes into several stores and writes checks for groceries, a television set, new furniture, toys for the kids, and many more items. The checks all bounce and there are several thousands of dollars owed to these merchants. Police show up at your door with a warrant to arrest you for passing bad checks (the bank where John Doe set up the checking account in your name filed charges). You go to jail.
Even less dramatic but costly, John Doe has several moving violations using your identity. Your insurance agent pulls your DMV records to determine your insurance rates. You are charged more for insurance than you should be based on John’s driving record under your name.
2. Medical
Jane Doe doesn’t have a job and she doesn’t have insurance. She is due to deliver a baby that she knows she can’t care for. She goes to the hospital and presents your medical insurance information. Jane delivers a beautiful baby girl and then takes off, leaving the baby at the hospital. The hospital calls Children’s Services to take the baby into their custody until they can find Jane. Since they have her medical insurance information, they also have her address. The police and Children’s Services show up at your door and take your children into custody pending an investigation into the safety of your home. How long are your children in foster care before you can prove you didn’t have a baby that you abandoned.
John Doe uses your medical insurance information to get treatment at the hospital after a car accident. The hospital notes his file that he has Type B blood. Later that month, you are in a serious car accident and the hospital pulls the existing file they have on you. The problem arises because you have Type A blood.
Your health insurance rates could be higher due to the information contained in a consumer file used for underwriting purposes by an insurance company. For example, if John Doe has diabetes or heart problems, your health insurance rate could be higher based on this pre-existing condition that “you” have been treated for.
3. Criminal
John Doe purchased your identity and moved to another state – in fact, he’s lived in several states as you. Each state has a criminal record for John Doe, known as you. You apply for a job and the new employer runs a background check. Not only do you not get the job, but the police are notified to serve warrants for your arrest.
You are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction but are arrested on warrants for serious criminal activity done in your name.
4. Financial
Going back to Jane Doe in the hospital delivering a baby with your medical insurance information, any bills not paid by the insurance company will be sent to you.
Any credit cards, bank accounts, loans, bounced checks, etc. will be your responsibility. When a bank, mortgage company, credit card company, insurance company pulls your credit report, any negative payment history caused by John or Jane Doe will be on your history.
5. Social Security
John Doe decides he needs to get a job but he knows he can’t pass a background check due to his criminal activity. He buys your 19-year-old son’s identity and gets a job at the local supermarket. Your son applies for that job and is denied because he already works there!
John Doe has been working in another state with your identity. His wages are all added to your Social Security account. During an audit the government realizes that you have shorted your taxes by the income that John has reported under your name. The IRS is now at your door wanting back taxes along with penalties and interest.
Could any of these happen to you? What does a thief need to steal your identity?
A few ways thieves can get your information:
- Stolen wallets or purses
- Dumpsters, trash cans, recycling bins
- Computer hacking (yours or merchants you deal with)
- Bank and credit card statements
- Tax returns
- Items left in your mailbox
- Personal information you share on the internet
- File a change of address card for your home address (collecting your mail)
HOPEFULLY WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION! How can we help you protect your identity? We are now selling a product called Identity Theft Shield. In fact, not only do we sell it, but we all have our own plans purchased – it is a product we believe in.
How does Identity Theft Shield (ITS) help guard you against identity theft?
- When you sign up for the service, they will check your report and let you review it so you can see if there is anything amiss (and it provides you with your credit score – which is important to know).
- They monitor your credit report daily and will report activity such as a change of address, new credit account opened, a derogatory notice (late payment), public record (bankruptcy or lien filed), or inquiry (a request for your credit information has been requested (or send a monthly email/letter if there is no adverse activity).
- In the event of a breach of your identity, a Professional Licensed Investigator will customize your solution and work on your behalf – in all 5 areas of identity theft, not just financial
What if you are a victim of identity theft, what will ITS do for you?
- Help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses and time spent away from work – the Licensed Investigators will do most of the work for you
- Licensed Investigators will work on your behalf to help correct identify theft issues (including credit card companies, financial institutions, all 3 national credit repositories, Federal Trade Commission, Social Security Administration, Department of Motor Vehicles, US Postal Service, and Law Enforcement agencies, to name the major areas). This includes all 50 states – not just your home state.
- Fraud alert notifications are sent on your behalf to the same institutions listed above.
- Proactive searches of applicable local and national databases will be performed to look for information you may not be aware of (criminal activity, certain federal watch lists, DMV, unknown address associated with your name, banking activity reported as mishandled).
As an average citizen, if our identity is stolen we don’t know where to look or how to clean it up. ITS has Licensed Investigators that do this every day.
Please visit our website at www.FEIservices.com to sign up for your affordable ITS plan today.
You can also sign up for Prepaid Legal Services at the same website and the ITS plan is discounted.
