The most popular and most common way of using someone’s personal information is bank or credit card fraud and this type of fraud can be very detrimental to the victim. A thief may get a new credit card using your name and social security number, many times using an alternate address so you never see any bills. Once the criminal has this credit card they can run up charges until the card is maxed out and never making a payment will put the negative information on your credit history file. The thief can do a similar thing by opening up a bank account in your name. They will write bad checks and secure loans with no intention of paying anything back so this will also end up as a negative mark on your credit history file. Both of these methods may be difficult to catch in the beginning because if the thief is using an alternate address, you will stop receive billing statements from current accounts and never receive a statement on a new account. There are even some more technologically advanced criminals that can, after gaining access to your pin number, clone your ATM card and drain your bank account dry.

Another common activity of identity theft criminals is to commit utilities fraud with your personal information. A thief may open up new phone, electric, gas, or other utility service account using your information. This scheme can extend into accounts for cell phones, cable TV, sewer and water, and some criminals have been known to even rent apartments, all in your name, and like bank fraud, the smart criminals will have all bills and statements sent to a different address so you will not be aware of any suspicious activity until after the damage is already done. This crime be sometimes have less negative impact on the victim because if the criminal is obtaining monthly services using your name, they may very well wish to keep these services active and will actually pay the bills. But if they don’t pay or stop paying later on, then it again goes against your credit history and can affect your ability to obtain and maintain these necessary services.

To protect your identity you can join the LifeLock anti identity theft program today by clicking here.