Identity thieves have gotten more sophisticated in their methods, and they can access your personal information in countless ways. Some include:

• Stealing wallets or purses in order to get personal identification cards, credit and bank cards;
• Digging through mail and trash in search of bank and credit card statements, preapproved credit card offers, tax information and other documents that may contain personal details or account information;
• Filling out change-of-address forms to forward mail, which generally contains personal and financial information;
• Buying personal information from a third party source, such as a company employee who has access to applications for credit;
• Obtaining personnel records from your place of employment;
• “Skimming” information from an ATM or card reader — this is done through an electronic device, which is attached to the reader, that can steal the information stored on a credit or debit card’s magnetic strip;
• Swiping personal information that has been shared on unsecured websites or public Wi-Fi;
• Stealing electronic records and information through a data breach;
• “Phishing” for electronic information with phony emails, text messages and websites that are solely designed to steal sensitive information;
• Posing as a home buyer during open houses in order to gain access to sensitive information casually stored in unlocked drawers.

What Are Phishing and Smishing?

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Once an identity thief has enough information about you, they may be able to get medical care and procedures in your name, or try to use your health insurance benefits. If they don’t pay, you’ll get the bill and be on the hook for the costs, and the debt. The fallout from medical ID theft can show up on your credit reports and damage your credit scores.

Medical ID theft can also create duplicate medical records in your name that can be difficult to distinguish from your legitimate records. Worse, during an emergency, this false information could prevent you from receiving the treatment you need, or cause your doctor to prescribe the wrong treatment.

What is Medical Identity Theft?

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In addition to the recommendations included here, you can get greater peace of mind by signing up for identity theft protection products. Choose from our 3-bureau credit monitoring¹ and identity theft protection plans.

Identity Theft: What it is, What to Do

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Some signs of identity theft include receiving unfamiliar bills or changes on your credit card and bank statement for items or services you didn't buy. Other signs include calls from debt collectors about accounts you didn’t open, unexplained withdrawals from your bank account, notifications that more than one tax return was filed in your name, or a credit or loan application unexpectedly denied.

When reviewing your credit report, ask yourself the following questions to determine if you could be a victim of identity theft:

• Are there unfamiliar credit accounts listed on your credit report?
• Do you have an unfamiliar account that has late payments or is in collections?
• Are there inquiries listed on your credit report from companies you don’t recognize?

You can create a myEquifax account to get free Equifax credit reports each year. You can also enroll in Equifax Core Credit™ for a free monthly Equifax credit report and a free monthly VantageScore credit score, based on Equifax data.
You are also entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus by visiting annualcreditreport.com.

In addition to the recommendations included here, you can get greater peace of mind by signing up for identity theft protection products. Choose from our 3-bureau credit monitoring¹ and identity theft protection plans.