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Identity Theft Attorney
Identity Theft
Criminals can easily commit identity theft and obtain our personal data without having to break into our homes. In public places, for example, criminals may engage in "shoulder surfing" watching you from a nearby location as you punch in your telephone calling card number or credit card number. Also, it is easy to listen in on your conversation if you give your credit card number over the telephone to a hotel or rental car company.
Did you know that idenity theft can even occur near your home or office? Some criminals engage in "dumpster diving", that is going through your garbage cans, dumpster or trash bin in an attempt to obtain copies of your checks, credit card or bank statements. In fact, any records that typically bear your name, address, and even your telephone number make it easy for criminals to get control over accounts in your name and assume your identity.
If you receive applications for "preapproved" credit cards in the mail, but discard them without tearing up the enclosed materials, criminals may retrieve them and try to activate the cards for their use without your knowledge. (Some credit card companies, when sending credit cards, have adopted security measures that allow a card recipient to activate the card only from his or her home telephone number but this is not yet a universal practice.) Also, if your mail is delivered to a place where others have ready access to it, criminals may simply intercept and redirect your mail to another location.
The Internet has also become an appealing place for criminals to obtain identifying data, such as passwords or even banking information. Many people respond to "spam" unsolicited E-mail that promises them some benefit but requests identifying data, without realizing that in many cases, the requester has no intention of keeping his promise. In some cases, criminals reportedly have used computer technology to obtain large amounts of personal data.
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