Despite your best efforts to manage the flow of your personal information or to keep it to yourself, skilled identity thieves may use a variety of methods to gain access to your data.
They get information from businesses or other institutions by:
They may steal your mail, including bank and credit card statements, credit card offers, new checks and tax information.
They may rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or public trash dumps in a practice known as "dumpster diving".
They may get your credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized access to them or by posing as a landlord, employer or someone else who may have a legal right to access your report.
They may steal your credit or debit card numbers by capturing the information in a data storage device in a practice known as "skimming". They may swipe your card for an actual purchase or attach the device to an ATM machine where you may enter or swipe your card.
They may steal your wallet or purse.
They may complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location.
They may steal personal information they find in your home.
They may steal personal information from you through email or phone by posing as legitimate companies and claiming that you have a problem with your account. This practice is known as "Phishing" online, or "pretext calling" by phone.
