Skimming If you're at a restaurant or store and you hand over your credit card try to keep an eye on the card because when you can't see what the employee is doing it's an opportunity for them to skim the card. Using a card with a low limit can reduce your exposure to financial identity theft. Thieves like to target the "high-value" cards such as platinum and gold cards. Also, don't use a card that is linked up with your checking account. That's a recipe for disaster as the thief can literally empty your checking account. Remember that by law your fraud liability is different between transactions with a debit card and a check card.
Shoulder Surfing When someone is trying to get financial information such as PIN codes, passwords, account numbers or any other personal information from peering over your shoulder. This basic and simple technique, believe it or not, is still being used today. To reduce the chances of being caught "High-Tech" shoulder surfers sit in their cars with a video camera the has a telephoto lens to record the card number and PIN. Some older machines still print the entire account number on the receipts so do not toss your receipt at the convenient trash can next to the ATM.
Fake ATM Machines When the government De-Regulated the ATM machine it made it possible for anyone to purchase and maintain them. The best way to ensure that you don't use a crooks machine is to use the ATM at your bank or established banks. When approaching an ATM scan the area around you and the machine to make sure there is nobody suspiciously hanging around. Is the ATM well-lit at night? Being aware of your surroundings will greatly reduce this type of scam.
Mail Theft There are still a lot of mailboxes around here in this country and when you put a letter in the box to be sent out you raise the "Flag" that signals to an Identity thief that there might be personal information inside. Thieves have brazenly gone through neighborhoods collecting mail disguised as a substitute mail carrier and in general residents don't give it a second thought. There have also been cases where legitimate mail carriers have actually been recruited by Identity Thieves to steal information or bank statements for them to use. Having a Secure Mail box or a P.O box is the best way to rid yourself of this problem.
As I have stated before there are many methods of ID Theft as "Identity Theft is only limited by the creativity of the thief." Just be aware of your information and how it is being used.
Identity Theft - Different Ways People Steal Your Identity Identity and Theft: Solving The Identity Theft Nightmare Identity Theft Facts Identity Theft By Family And Friends
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