Identity Theft: Trust No One
Identity Theft Isn’t Always Committed by Strangers
When we think about the type of person who commits identity theft, we often think of a stranger living across the country. Someone who lacks morals and ethics -- the stereotypical criminal type. We imagine them hacking into company websites, rifling through trash or scamming people over the phone. But believe it or not, the people who commit identity theft may be a lot closer to home than you may think. When it comes to identity theft -- trust no one.
It’s Not Always a Stranger
Believe it or not, a large number of identity theft crimes are committed by people who the victims knew. Many identity theft victims have been surprised to find out that the criminals who stole their identities were actually family, friends or coworkers.
While I don’t want it to sound like you should suspect everyone you know of being an identity theft criminal, I do want you to understand that you should never trust anyone with your social security number and other sensitive information. There’s no reason anyone should need this information from you, so there’s no reason to share it with them.