Beware of online identity theft while searching and applying for a job. Even the government has recently issued warnings regarding criminals taking advantage of vulnerable job seekers during these high rate unemployment periods. There have been recent reports of criminals posing as potential employers and requesting more personal information from candidates such as social security number and date of birth leading to job seeker identity theft. Many people fall victim to this scam because they think the request is legitimate, and the information is needed for a background check or other hiring requirement.
If you suspect that this has happened to you, it’s important to closely monitor your credit reports for any suspicious activities. This can be achieved with online tools that are relatively inexpensive. You can also sign up with a credit repair agency that will help you manage and monitor this situation closely, hopefully preventing any further damage and ensuring that your credit gets back on track. There is no need to panic, as with both of these mistaken identity situations there are steps that can be taken to fix the problem.
One of the most effective ways to stop the loss of personal information is to shred all documents with your name or other identifying information on it. Documents you must shred include bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, receipts, utility bills, phone bills, etc. A good rule of thumb is this: if it has your name on it, don’t throw it in the trash – shred it.
Many finance professionals suggest review of credit history every month. This is not required unless you feel that some information is missing. Another decent option is to check every 6 months. This lets you keep the fraud information at bay and at the same time correct the wrong information provided by creditors.
Identity theft is a chameleon, taking many forms. Sometimes a stolen identity does not lead to other crimes. Many database break-ins expose the information of hundreds of thousands of people, most of whom are never actually victimized. Sometimes a criminal will clone the victim’s identity to hide from authorities. This is common among pedophiles and ex-convicts. Sometimes a stolen identity is used to obtain medical treatment (this can lead to confusion about medical records).
There are no good old days like people who have never lived thru that era like to romanticize. Thieves and scam artists have always existed. Yet for countless seniors there was a degree of decorum that is almost foreign to many of us in modern society. In other words the trust factor was lot higher and the cynicism not so widespread. It is hard to break habits like that. And when the scammers start laying on the sugar talk and feign strong personal interest, more than a few elderly people find that an irresistible combination.
Paige M. Wheeler was a victim of identity theft and runs this website to help others learn how to product themselves and their family. Articles here are posted by Paige and other contributors.