What Is Identity Theft?

While you might have seen dire warnings concerning the need

to protect yourself from "identity theft," you may not be sure

of exactly what identity theft is, or of the way it can harm

you. For you to protect your private information from identity

theft, it is important to understand just what it means when

someone steals your identity.

ID Theft is a Serious Crime Identity theft takes place when someone uses personal identifying information that does not

belong to them. A victim of ID theft, as an example, may have his name and social security

number used by someone else. An identity thief may also steal someone else’s birth information

or insurance information.

What Is the Reason for ID Theft? The crime of identity theft occurs due to the fact thief wants to obtain some sort of benefit from

stealing the victim's identity. For example, the identity thief could use the victim’s insurance

information as a way to obtain medical services without paying for them. A target of identity

theft can have his social security number used by someone who is trying to get a job, or used by

somebody that is trying to obtain a credit card for fraudulent purposes. The thief thus benefits

from using someone else’s information in many ways while the victim is left to try to cope with

the mess that the criminal made.

What Effect Does Identity Theft Have on Victims? Identity theft could have a devastating impact on victims. If you are a victim of identity theft, the

actual consequences of the wrongful criminal act will vary depending upon what the identity

thief did and how long they were able to misuse your personal data. For example, the one who

stole your information could have obtained a lot of medical services. You could end up receiving

medical bills for co-pays and other expenses. You could also end up having inaccurate

information in your medical records. In some cases, this could have a seriously adverse impact

on your health if doctors or other health care providers take actions based on the incorrect

information in your records. If the ID thief misused the personal data to secure credit, then your

consequences may involve a damaged credit score. This could also have an impact on your

ability to borrow money later on.

Avoiding these severe consequences is important, and a lot of people will thus use tools such as

IDENTITY GUARD® to help them fight against identity theft. Find out how IDENTITY

GUARD® can alert you when certain indictors of identity theft appear on your credit report at

http://www.identityguard.com.