Types of Identity Theft: How To Protect Your Information

For many people, identity theft is a known threat, but it also seems like a far-off possibility that will never happen to them. The thought of someone breaking into your home or diving into a dumpster to steal your information seems unreasonable, but it happens more often than you might think. From individuals to businesses, identity theft is a serious problem that could upend your life.

At PROSHRED® Tampa, our main goal is to protect our customers’ information from theft. While we take pride in our ongoing shredding service, one of the best ways to avoid identity theft is by becoming informed on the different types of identity theft and the ways you can protect your information. To protect yourself or your business, PROSHRED® is here to teach you about some of the most common types of identity theft including financial, child identity, medical, and criminal identity theft.

Financial Identity Theft

One of the most well-known types of theft, financial theft occurs when someone steals your credit card or bank account information. These cases usually involve expensive purchases or large withdrawals of money. Victims of financial theft often don’t notice these purchases until it’s too late, then they’re forced to deal with large debts, credit score loss, or other serious problems. Along with shredding your old credit cards or bank records, we advise our customers to talk with their bank in order to set up security measures that can catch strange purchases before charging your account.

Child Identity Theft

Unfortunately, children are also targets of identity theft. Even worse, these cases are becoming more common and are often carried out by a family member or friend. In these situations, a child’s social security number is stolen, along with other personal details, so the thief can take advantage of certain government services or benefits. In order to protect your child, we recommend keeping their private information in a secure location, so their information never ends up in the wrong hands.

Medical Identity Theft

One of the most common forms of identity theft, medical theft occurs when thieves steal your personal medical information in order to access medical goods and services under your name. This can lead to financial issues with your healthcare provider, but unlike other forms of identity theft, it can also lead to serious health risks. Your medical records could be filled with errors, such as incorrect medications or procedures, that would affect the treatment you receive. To avoid these issues, talk to your insurance company or doctors to ensure your information is correct and unaltered.

Criminal Identity Theft

Criminal theft occurs when someone steals your personal information, then commits a crime in your name. Since these crimes were committed under your name, it can be incredibly difficult to prove your innocence in potential legal cases. Because of this, cases could lead to severe legal punishments including large fines or imprisonment. The best way to avoid these situations is by keeping your private information in a safe location, so nobody can commit a crime with that information.

How To Avoid Identity Theft With PROSHRED® Tampa

While identity theft is a serious issue, there are some simple preventative measures that you can take to protect your information. For paper documents, keep your information in a secure, locked location that is inaccessible to thieves. For digital information, make sure to use strong passwords on all of your devices and utilize security programs that will provide extra protection to your files. If you’re worried about financial or medical identity theft, you can also talk to your bank or insurance company to implement additional security measures for your information.

Another convenient way to protect your personal information and avoid identity theft is hiring a professional shredding company, like PROSHRED®, to dispose of your old information. At PROSHRED®, we’re committed to protecting your physical and digital information. With our mobile shredding trucks, we provide document shredding and hard drive destruction services that are convenient and secure. Stop identity theft before it happens and hire PROSHRED® to protect your personal information.