Identity Theft Protection FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Identity Theft Protection

How does identity theft happen?

Identity thieves can get access to your personal information in a myriad of different ways. These include:

• Stealing mail
• Copying down or taking pictures of your information in a retail transaction
• Data breaches at companies that have your information
• Stolen wallets or purses
• Documents thrown in the trash by you or a business that has your information (dumpster diving)
• Computer viruses
• Phishing
• Intercepting data from insecure networks or sites
• Overhearing or hacking into phone conversations
• Pretexting, meaning use false pretenses to get your personal information from companies that have it (financial institutions, utilities, etc.)
• Changing your address through a change of address form in order to divert billing statements from your home to an address the thief controls

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