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There are a lot of ways to do this and new ones are popping up every day.
Banks are supposed to securely destroy information it no longer needs but it seems that that information often makes it way into the hands of crooks.
Someone has either been very careless or has made a lot of money.
Companies sell your information on lists to other companies.
You can opt out of this by signing a waiver offered by some companies.
Post Offices can be a great source for identity theft.
People who work as fill-ins often pilfer mail from people they know are out of town and then sell this information to crooks that open accounts in those names.
If you have ever had a "hold" or "forward" on your mail while you are on vacation, check to be certain that you have ever week accounted for.
If you do not then check to see if any of your bills or other mail is missing.
If so notify these companies at once that someone may have compromised your identity.
Notify your credit card companies at once if you notice charges that you did not make.
You should include the information that your identity has been stolen and provide proof that you were not in that particular store when the charge was made.
If someone has managed to get checks and written them and signed your name you will have to go to the police department and file a forgery charge.
No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, you have to do this.
It is for your own protection.
At first the police may tell you that identity theft is a "victimless crime" but that is not true.
YOU are the victim.
Your credit may be ruined through no fault of your own.
Credit card companies are not very caring.
They are only interested in the bottom line; their money.
You will have to prove beyond any shadow of doubt that you did not institute the charge or write the check.
Another place you may encounter a problem is a grocery store.
People who have been victims of identity theft often get letters from grocery stores where the crook has written bogus checks in the person's name.
If you get letters from the stores and you know you did not write the checks, you should decline to answer any questions they ask.
(example: they will want your name, social security number, date of birth, phone number, etc.
All the things the thief has stolen.
) Since your answering these questions will only cement in their mind that you actually wrote the check your only answer can be that you have not been in their store.
If you start to get letters from a check cashing company wanting your information because they ok'ed a check that you did not write, inform them that you did not write the check and that you decline to give them the information requested.
If you provide this information to this company they will actually use it against you.
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