What is Identity Theft?
According to the FTC, approximately 9 million American have their identity stolen
each year. Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information
without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes for the purpose of:
• Obtaining credit or credit card
• Stealing money form existing accounts
• Gaining employment
• Filing bankruptcy, and
• Leasing automobiles

How Does Identity Theft Occur?
Identity theft can occur in a number of ways, either through digging through your
trash, recording your credit card numbers, obtaining your personal information
through false pretenses, changing your address to receive items at a separate
location, and stealing wallets, purses or driver licenses. Legal authorities call such
crimes Dumpster Diving, Skimming and Pfishing.

Dumpster Diving
By leaving your un-shredded bank statements, credit card statements, medical bills,
pre-approved credit card solicitations, and other personal documents in your kitchen
garbage can attract thieves and lead to a financial tragedy. Any one of those
documents can be sitting in your outside garbage bins waiting for someone to come
steal your garbage and piece together your mail.

Skimming
Be careful of who you provide your credit card information. Criminally-minded
retailers exist and can easily run your card in a special copying machine during the
course of legitimately running your transactions.

Pfishing
Pfishing—This word looks funny but sounds familiar. Every day thousands of people
receive emails from senders claiming to be financial institutions requesting you to
click on a link to verify information. These links are actually fictitious sites created
by thieves who send spam or pop-up messages to gain your personal information.
NEVER log onto your financial sites from an email link. You should always type your
bank’s address separately and log on apart from email.
Changing Your Address
Changing your address—this is self- explanatory. Thieves change your address to
have future personal documents sent directly to them by completing a change of
address form.

Just Plain Stealing
The age old grab and run! Don’t let this conventional means of stealing your identity
fool you. Carrying little cash with you should not negate your concerns for losing
your wallet. Credit cards, social security cards, health care needs and any other
non-threatening document can give a thief exactly what they need to steal from you.

What They Do With Your Information
Thieves may open credit card accounts in your name, fail to pay bills and hurt your
credit. By changing your billing address, you may never know that your account is
being charged. Utilities, wireless, cable and heating accounts can be opened using
your information. Thieves can also create fake checks using your name, write
illegitimate checks or duplicate your ATM card. Some thieves may even take out
loans in your name. Fake IDs can also be made using his or her picture with your
information. Vehicles and houses are not to be discounted, they too can be rented in
your name, and jobs can be obtained using your social security number.

FTC Complaints
According to the Federal Trade Commission, there were over 200,000 complaints of
identity theft in 2003, almost 250,000 a year later and over 255,000 in 2005. Credit
card theft has the largest percentage of complaints.
Top Florida Cities for Fraud
Of all the complainants of victims 2005, 26 percent were between 18 and 29 years of
age. Miami followed by Orlando and Tampa had the highest number of complaints,
respectively.

Specific Laws Addressing Identity Theft
A criminal can receive up to 10 years imprisonment depending on amount of money
stolen. There are both civil and criminal federal laws addressing identity theft. One
of which includes the:
• Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 which carries up to 30
years and fines, depending on amounts and the person’s criminal background.
• Other civil laws include credit laws used to protect consumers; Fair Credit
Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act and many others.
Prevention Tips

There are some ways you can protect yourself from identity theft. When it comes to
personal finance matters, order and review copies of our financial report from
Equifax, Experian and TransUnion every year. Also,
• Empty your wallet of extra credit cards and identity
• Shred all financial documents you plan to discard
• Only release personal data to agencies who require it to initiate certain
actions
• Your department of motor vehicles can issue drivers licenses without your
social security number
• Ensure your pin numbers cannot be viewed by others when entering it into an
ATM
• Shred all financial receipts and never leave then at the retail location
• Do not keep passwords or your social security number in your wallet
• Remove mail promptly from your mailbox
• Deposit outgoing mail in locked post collection boxes
• Use caution when supplying your financial information over the Internet

What if you become a victim?
However, all is not lost if you do become a victim.
• Call your credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
• Close accounts and alert fraud departments of each company where and
account was opened or changed without your permission.
• File a police report with your local authorities, state attorney general and the

Federal Trade Commission.
Examples of Cases

using those data to apply for a series of car loans over the Internet.
For More Information

Contact the FTC’s Identity Theft Clearinghouse at 1-877-I-D-T-H-E-F-T.