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Identity Theft and How it Starts.

 How people steal your identity.  

Your Name, Social Security Number, and Address are all that an identity thief needs to steal your identity.  If they have one of your passwords, phone number, or email that is just a bonus for them.

One in One Hundred  

If you know 100 people it is likely one of them will get their identity stolen this year.  It can take you years to get the problems you will have fixed if your Identity is stolen.

There are a lot of black websites that will store your name, address, and Social Security number.  They might have your phone number and email address also. 


Identity Thieves will continuously contact you any way they can to try to get you to sign into their fake website.  Often they will pretend to be your bank like Wells Fargo or Chase or Amazon to get your password.  

Once they have access to any account they will try to steal from you.  Sometimes they will open up new accounts or other times they will try to use one of your accounts for which they have the password.


Another scam they pull is they will change your address with one of your credit cards or one of the credit bureaus.  Then they will apply for a couple of new credit cards.  They will have the new cards sent to a new address.   Once they get the new cards they will max out the card and move on.  

My Bank's Data was Compromised

Recently my bank had their data stolen.  The identity thieves got my email, phone and I assume all of my data the bank had.  They got the password also as my bank had me reset my password right away.


Since then I have gotten several phishing emails and phone calls.  I have received fake phishing emails from Amazon, UPS, Bank America and many others.  The fake emails keep coming, trying to get me to sign in to their fake websites. 


I check my credit weekly with CreditKarma to make sure no new credit has been applied for.

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