The realization that identity theft was a real problem was brought to my attention when the son of a close friend went to purchase a car. When he applied for the car loan he was told that he had a credit problem and his loan request was denied. This was a complete surprise to him. As far as he knew his credit record was outstanding. He discovered he was a victim of identity theft!

Social Security Number Identity Theft

One of the fastest growing crimes in America is identity theft. Many people have been victims of this criminal act and as reported, the common cause is the use of stolen social security number.

When a dishonest person has your social security number, the thief can use it to obtain other personal information about you. Most of the time, these identity thieves use your number as well as your good credit to apply for more credit in your name. What happens next is that they will use the credit cards and do not pay the bills. You will only find out that someone is using your social security number until you are turned down for credit, or when you start to get calls from unknown creditors demanding payment for items you never bought. Given this fact, protecting your social security number is no doubt a matter worthy of consideration.