What Personal Information Can Be Used to Commit Identity Theft?

Information Thieves Can Use to Steal Your Identity

Fraudsters use the following information to commit identity theft.

Name and Address

Your name and address provide a starting point for identity theft. With them a criminal can more easily access other important personally identifiable information (PII).

For example, they could send you phishing scams via snail mail or search your mailbox for valuable documents that contain additional personal information. They could search your name and address on people search or data broker websites to uncover your email address and phone number. And they can piece together the data they find to carry out various types of identity theft and fraud, like taking over your financial accounts or applying for credit in your name.

Social Security Number

Your Social Security number is likely the most sensitive piece of personal information that belongs to you, since so much can be obtained with it. A thief could use your Social Security number to file a tax return with the IRS and get a tax refund; apply for new credit, like loans or a credit card; secure employment or health care; or receive Social Security benefits.

A thief could get access to your Social Security number by stealing your wallet or mail, buying it on the dark web or detecting it when you've entered it on an unsecured website. They could also pretend they're a government or financial institution employee and con you into sharing it.

Learn more: How to Keep Your Tax Refund Safe From Fraudsters

Banking Information

Scammers may seek to gain access to your checking and savings account numbers, routing numbers, online banking passwords and PINs. With your bank account number and other information, such as your password, PIN or Social Security number, a thief could take over your account and make withdrawals or open new accounts in your name.

A bad actor could access your banking data via a large-scale data breach, a phishing scam, malware installed on your devices or theft of your mail.

Cellphone Number

Your phone number is a portal to a lot of other valuable personal information. A thief could put you at risk of a phishing scam by texting or calling your cellphone. Or they may send you a link that, if opened, will download malware to your device and expose you to identity theft. They could also search the web for more data, including your address and public records, using your number.

Passwords

Strong passwords are essential, since scammers can do significant damage if they guess yours based on your personal data. It's also possible for a criminal to get your password through another company's data breach, and if you reuse that same password elsewhere, they'll have more entry points for potential identity theft.

If you don't have multifactor authentication enabled on your phone or online accounts, a thief can use your password and your email address or username to sign in to your online banking or credit card portal, scan your email inbox for additional data and more.

Credit Card Information

Credit card fraud can happen if your card is stolen, a criminal gets your account number via a card reader that's been tampered with or if a thief knows your account number and security code via a security breach or public Wi-Fi hacking. Most commonly, a thief will make purchases you didn't authorize, racking up debt and potentially affecting your credit without your knowledge.

Learn more: Surprising Ways Identity Theft Can Hurt You

How to Protect Your Personal Information

There are many ways a fraudster can steal your information, but there are just as many ways for you to protect it. Here are your best bets:

• Clear your mailbox. Take communications from your financial institutions or the government out of your mailbox quickly to prevent a thief from grabbing them. Be wary of potential fraudulent mail promising sweepstakes winnings or containing fake tax notices. Whenever possible, sign up for electronic notices rather than paper ones to keep sensitive information out of your mailbox.
• Consider a post office box. You can set up a post office box where you can receive particularly sensitive documents. That prevents fraudsters from accessing your mail, and it also means you can avoid giving out your personal address for all correspondence.
• Stay vigilant. Stay watchful when you're entering your PIN at an ATM and check the machine for signs it's been altered or configured with. If a fraudster installed a skimming or shimming device at the ATM, it could capture your banking information.
• Protect your browsing. Use a virtual private network (VPN) when you're accessing the internet in a public space, either on your laptop or on your phone. That can help keep thieves from hacking into your wireless network and stealing your passwords.
• Leave important information at home. Don't regularly carry your Social Security card in your wallet, and avoid giving out your Social Security number if you can. If you're asked to enter it online, don't do so on an unsecured or public network, and use a VPN.
• Check your credit reports. Regularly review your credit reports for suspicious activity. You have the right to place a free security freeze on your credit at all three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) to prevent thieves from setting up accounts in your name.
• Know the risky places. Understand where your personal information may be maliciously stored and shared online. Experian offers a free one-time dark web scan and personal privacy scan, plus free credit monitoring to help you spot potential identity theft quickly.

Learn more: How to Stay Safe While Shopping on Your Cellphone

Warning Signs of Identity Theft

These can be signs that your information has been stolen and that you should take steps right away to get help:

• Unexpected bank charges: If you see purchases in your bank or credit card accounts that you didn't make, that's a sign a thief has your financial account information. Unauthorized transactions are often small at first so the thief can confirm they're able to access the account before making a larger purchase.
• Missing mail or bills: Take note when a bill or statement that you usually receive by mail isn't there one month: That could be a sign a criminal has taken over your account and is now receiving mail at a different address.
• Unexplained credit score decrease: Sometimes your credit score drops for legitimate reasons, such as missing a payment or submitting a recent loan application. But say you see a massive score drop that you can't pinpoint the reason for. That's an indicator that a thief may have opened an account in your name and stopped making payments toward it.
• Credit accounts you didn't open: When you review your credit report, you may find credit card or loan accounts that you don't recognize or collection accounts for bills you were never required to pay.

What to Do if Your Identity Is Stolen

When you see any of the warning signs of identity theft, take these steps:

1. Contact your creditors. As soon as you spot a charge you don't recognize, you may be able to lock your credit card or debit card from your financial institution's mobile app to prevent additional charges. Then reach out directly to your bank, lender or credit card company to alert them to the suspicious activity. The company may close your account and provide you with a new debit card or credit card.
2. Report the identity theft. Next, report that you've experienced identity theft on IdentityTheft.gov, which is run by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You'll get a recovery plan to follow personalized to your situation. The FTC also provides guidance in dealing with a data breach if your data was compromised but a thief hasn't yet used your information.
3. Create a fraud alert. To prevent further theft, you have the right to place a fraud alert on your credit report at all three credit bureaus. This will instruct potential creditors to take additional precautions to confirm your identity before they open an account for you.
4. Freeze your credit. A more powerful step is to freeze your credit, which will limit lenders' access to your credit report in order to evaluate you for credit. You have the right to request a credit freeze from all three credit bureaus for free. You'll need to proactively lift the credit freeze if you want to apply for a loan or credit card yourself, however.

The Bottom Line

Knowing what information can be stolen and used to commit fraud is the first step in staying safe from identity theft. And still, no matter how many precautions you take, fraud can happen. Identity theft is an experience that can be stressful and frightening, but there's lots of victim assistance available—and many opportunities to bring your credit and finances back into your control.

If you've been the victim of identity theft, or you just want to keep an eye out for potential signs your identity has been stolen, consider signing up for free credit monitoring from Experian. You'll receive real-time alerts to changes in your credit so you can act quickly if something's amiss.