Page 72 - Book4E

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• ask another person to get someone else’s customer information using false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or using false, fictitious, or fraudulent documents or forged, counterfeit, lost, or stolen documents.
What Are the Effects of Identity Theft?
Once identity thieves have your personal information, they may call your credit card issuer to change the billing address on your credit card account. The imposter then runs up charges on your account. Because your bills are being sent to a different address, it may be some time before you realize there’s a problem.
Thieves may also open new credit card accounts in your name. When they use the credit cards and don’t pay the bills, the delinquent accounts are reported on your credit report. Or they might:
• establish phone or wireless service in your name;
• open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account;
• create counterfeit checks or credit or debit cards, or authorize electronic transfers in your name, and drain your bank account;
• file for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they’ve incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction;
• buy a car by taking out an auto loan in your name;
• obtain identification such as a driver’s license issued with their picture in your name;
• get a job or file fraudulent tax returns in your name; and
• give your name to the police during an arrest; if the imposter doesn’t show up for the court date, a warrant for arrest is issued in your name.
So how can you tell if you’re a victim of identity theft? Read the “Take Action Now” section on page 64.
Stay Alert for Identity Theft