If we live by our mottos in life, guided by our values and principles, thieves too do the same.
Here is a list of techniques used by identity thieves.
They pretend to be a government official or have a legitimate business who is in need of personal information from credit reporting agencies.
Then they will access all the information they need to steal your identity and your money.
They follow a routine of hacking into the main frames of computers to gather personal data of prospective victims.
Sometimes they bribe a fellow employee to steal records in the company's HR department.
They are always doing "shoulder surfing "everyday, especially when they see a person punching a telephone calling card.
They are experts in listening to phone conversations where a victim can possibly state his credit card number.
They are also good at "dumpster diving".
This scouring your trash can for information.
They can find lots of information there like a cancelled check, bill payments, etc.
Sometimes they jog in the mornings looking for a chance to steal mails from mailboxes.
When they have prospective victims, they befriend them and visit them often so they can gather vital information.
If they find out where an officemate, a friend, or anybody keeps his Social Security card, then that's their lucky break.
You might not believe this but they always have a camera on their cellular phones looking for a chance to video someone using or withdrawing from an ATM.
They read the newspaper and refer to the Who's Who book section or article to gather and eventually make use of the personal information they found.
They make friends with someone who is connected to the 3 major reporting companies.
They eventually use the friendship to gather information about a prospective victim.
If the timing is perfect, they file a change of address to be able to divert your mails and gather information and financial data from other people.
They are masters the art of sending a Phishing Mail.
It has gained popularity because it promises fast results.
When going online, they pretend to be a customer representative and pretend to help a confused victim by asking for his personal information which you can in turn, use as a tool in identity theft.
They have learned how to "skim".
This is a process in which you learn to copy the details found at the back of credit cards of victims through the use of a magnetic strip.
And then, make a counterfeit card using the information on the magnetic strip.
This can either be sold or be used for personal gain.
Now that we are aware what these thieves' strategies are, we will have a better chance in spotting one.