“A stolen identity is a powerful cloak of anonymity for criminals and terrorists and a danger to national security and private citizens alike.”
Federal Bureau of Investigation
We have all heard about identity theft and the chaos it can cause in a person’s life. A criminal steals your personal information, opens a credit card in your name, and charges tens of thousands of dollars. The bills aren’t paid, of course, and you begin receiving calls from creditors. You’re told you owe $25,000 and if you don’t pay, the information will be reported to the credit reporting bureaus. How often does this scenario play out in the United States? Each year, over fourteen million Americans have their identities stolen. Nearly one in three American adults have been the victim of identity theft, with losses exceeding a half a billion dollars.
What exactly is identity theft? How does identity theft occur? What do I do if I become the victim of identity theft?
What is identity theft?
Identity theft refers to all types of crimes where a criminal wrongfully obtains and uses your personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception. It is typically done for economic gain, meaning the criminal is assuming your identity to steal money or services. The most common forms of identity theft are using or attempting to use one of your existing accounts, using or attempting to use your personal information to open a new account, or misusing your personal information for fraudulent purposes.
How Does Identity Theft Occur?
Identity theft occurs in many shapes and sizes. Criminals are constantly looking for ways to steal identities, and when possible, they use technology to their advantage.
One common method is referred to as “shoulder surfing” in public places. Here is an example I personally witnessed a few weeks ago. I was eating lunch in a restaurant and the person at the table next to me was on his cell phone. He was purchasing something over the phone, and he proceeded to give his name, credit card information and home address to the person on the other end of the call. Had I been a criminal, I easily could have written everything down and then used the information for fraudulent purposes. When in public, always assume people are watching and listening.
We all receive the annoying applications for “pre-approved” credit cards in the mail, but how we discard these applications may play right into the hands of criminals. If you simply throw this mail away, criminals may retrieve them and activate the cards for their use without our knowledge. Always shred the application or tear it up into small pieces before throwing it away. Also, given that we move every few years to a new duty assignment, it is imperative that we forward our mail to our new address. Leaving mail at the previous address will provide criminals a chance to gather our personal information.
Despite constant warnings to the contrary (see, for example, my November 2019 blog on Consumer Scams), many people still respond to spam emails that make promises and offers too good to be true. These emails request identifying data and can then use that data to steal personal data. Never respond to unsolicited, spam email. Simply delete without opening.
Finally, criminals have developed devices designed to steal credit and debit card information. Skimmers and shimmers are two devices that are used to steal information. A skimmer, for example, is a malicious card reader that attached to ATMs or the card reader device on gas pumps. Shimmers are very thin devices that are inserted into card readers. When you insert your card, the shimmer reads the data from the chip on your card. To combat skimmers and shimmers, be observant when approaching ATMs and gas pumps. Before inserting your credit or debit cards, look to see if anything looks out of place or if anything looks different. If it does, immediately report and do not use the device.
What Do I Do If I Become the Victim of Identity Theft?
If you believe you have fallen victim to identity theft, there are several actions you must immediately take:
First, contact the fraud departments of the companies where you know the fraud occurred. Ensure these companies immediately freeze the accounts so no further activity may occur.
Second, place a free fraud alert on one of the three credit reporting bureaus (Experian, Transunion and Equifax). You only need to notify one, as that bureau you notify must notify the other two.
Third, file a report with your local police department and obtain a copy of the report as soon as it is available.
Fourth, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft website at www.identitytheft.gov. This website is the federal government’s one stop resource for identity theft victims. On this site, first report exactly what happened. Once you complete this step, you will receive a personal recovery plan. The plan will walk you through each recovery step, track your progress, and pre-fill forms and letters for you. It is important to completely follow each recovery step to fully protect your family and you.
Finally, contact the closest legal assistance office to schedule an appointment. Use the Armed Forces Legal Assistance website (https://legalassistance.law.af.mil) that I provided in the October blog to locate your nearest legal assistance office.
Remember, the quicker you report and address the situation, the better likelihood that you will quickly and successfully resolve it.
Future Blogs
Be on the lookout for future blogs that will continue to discuss specific legal issues often encountered by servicemembers and military spouses. As always, this blog series will help to protect your family and you!