We do our best to protect ourselves from the flu and heart disease, but there’s an illness out there that can virtually kill you — it probably just never crossed your mind. Its symptoms include incorrect medical diagnosis and bills, hurting your child’s chances of getting financial aid in college, and thousands of dollars worth of credit card debt, to name a few. This deadly disease we’re talking about is identity theft. Contrary to popular belief, identity theft can affect more than just your financial status. If someone steals your information, you could be left with other terrible consequences.
It can hurt your job prospects.
When hiring a new candidate, many employers look at your credit history as part of a background check, and a report marked by an ID theft-related error could ruin your application. While they
can’t reject you because of your credit score without telling you, employers could come up with any excuse to replace the truth.
It can cause an increase in your car insurance premiums.
Almost all auto insurers use your credit score to determine your rates. If your credit score is suffering because of an identity theft issue, you’re guaranteed to pay higher premiums than you would otherwise.
It can get you a surprise tax bill.
A “popular” form of ID theft involves using the victim’s social security number on job applications, usually to fulfill residency requirements. Thieves can get by like this for years, paying their bills and taxes. However, if they fail to pay, the IRS will go to you for the rest of the bill since it’s your SSN. At that point, you’ll have to prove you didn’t actually earn that money.
It can get you arrested:
Criminal identity theft doesn’t even involve your finances. If someone is arrested and uses your name and stolen license during booking, then congratulations, you might have a criminal record. Many innocent people have been arrested during traffic stops and thrown in jail, accused of crimes that they didn’t commit.
When it comes to protecting yourself from identity theft, you need to limit how much of your information is physically able to fall into someone else’s hands. Complete Shredding Solutions safely, securely, and affordably destroys your documents beyond reconstructive recognition to keep you safe from identity theft. For paper shred services on Long Island, in New Jersey, and nationwide, call us at 516-442-1624.
