
ID theft can lead to devastating financial losses, but it can also cause even more serious damage. Thieves who commit fraud and other crimes in your name can leave you with a criminal record or even possible jail time.
Criminals can acquire your personal information in any number of ways: via lost or stolen personal papers, credit cards or ID cards, through Internet or phone scams, or by buying your information from other thieves.
Criminals may use your name when committing a crime. For example, they might solicit funds for a false charity or advertise a fake product or business using your name. Criminals may also use fake ID with your name when caught by authorities, for example, for traffic violations. Either way, you’re the one left with the legal troubles when law enforcement comes looking for the guilty party. And proving after the fact that you’re innocent can take many months and significant sums of money spent on legal fees.
Protect yourself against criminal ID theft by guarding all the avenues thieves have to reach your personal information: