Different types of identity theft may lead to different consequences. However, one thing for sure is that this offense can majorly harm someone. Anyone can become the subject of identity theft. Below are four more types of identity robbery that you need to keep an eye to, according to Search Security.
Child identity theft
Yes, you read it right. Even a child can become a subject of identity fraud. Even more tragic, the child’s family members are usually the culprit of this crime. Children’s identities exploitations are commonly used to obtain government benefits, opening bank accounts or lines of credit, or even purchasing a house. Children easily become the targets for criminals since their Social Security numbers are often associated with little to zero information. It’s uncommon for victims of this robbery to realize that they are victims until they have become adults.
Senior Identity theft
If you think senior citizens might have it easier, then you are wrong. In fact, Life Lock reports more than $36 billion are robbed from older Americans every year. The cause? Financial abuse and outright fraud. People over the age of 60 are vulnerable subjects to fraud, mainly because criminals find it easy to trick them. Moreover, a lot of elders also have a lot of savings under their name.
Identity cloning & concealment
Identity cloning criminals simply clone someone’s identity. The criminal then acts like the victim. Usually, culprits of this identity theft type are undercover from law enforcements or creditors, or simply want to live as an “anonymous”. Identity cloning is also one of the most difficult crimes to detect. Often times there is no paper trail or valid evidence that law enforcement can follow.
Synthetic identity theft
This type of robbery involves a partial or complete identity fabrication. The criminal combines different pieces of personally identifiable information (PII) taken from various sources. Synthetic identity theft is tricky to identify since in a lot of cases the track can hardly noticeable. Complete ID adds that the creditors are often the victim of this crime.
The most important thing in avoiding identity theft is by checking on your personal information regularly. Some acts may come unnoticed, so it’s better to take preemptive measurements.