Identifying Three Types of Identity Theft

Being a victim of identity theft can be terrifying and devastating, especially because you may not even realize you have been targeted until damage has already been done. If you believe you may have been the victim of identity theft, it is essential to contact a credit lawyer in Ashburn. If your credit has been damaged by identity theft, you may need to begin the credit dispute process. Keep reading to learn about three common types of identity theft for which you should be on the lookout.

Child ID Theft
It may seem surprising, but children are often targeted for identity theft because of the delay that is associated with catching the theft and because their information can be easily obtained from schools or relatives. Schools often require personal information from students, and a child’s Social Security number can make it easy for an identity thief to do everything from opening a new credit card to applying for a car loan. Adults should look out for obvious signs, such as mail from the IRS claiming that the child did not pay income taxes, and less obvious signs, such as struggling to obtain a loan when the child grows up.

Medical ID Theft
Medical identity theft is another situation in which paperwork is certainly part of the problem. Unfortunately, thieves target healthcare companies because they believe they may be an easy source of personal information. It is essential that patients review the data privacy statement provided by their health care professional, file a credit report dispute if there is an issue, and contact a credit lawyer.

Tax ID Theft
Everyone files taxes in the same time frame each year, which makes it an ideal time for criminals to target individuals for identity theft and defraud the Internal Revenue Service. One simple way to avoid identity theft is to file your taxes early. If you are worried that your identity has been stolen after you have filed your taxes, get in touch with an identity theft attorney right away.