What to Do if Someone Is Using Your Address on Their Drivers License

What Can Someone Do With Your ID?

Nosotros've all had that moment of panic when we tin can't find our driver's license. You may have forgotten your wallet in an Uber, or accidentally dropped your ID during a night out with friends.

Or you could have been the victim of a pickpocket, purse-snatching, or data breach.

Whatever the case, losing a driver's license or government-issued ID isn't just an badgerer to supervene upon. It's ofttimes the get-go step a criminal may take when attempting to commit identity fraud.

If yous lose your ID, and and so discover whatever warning signs of identity theft, you may get a victim.

Your Driver's License: One Cardinal That Unlocks Multiple Treasure Chests

Your driver'south license data, passport, and whatsoever other government-issued ID presents a goldmine of opportunity for identity thieves.

This small, only precious carte contains a combination of personally identifiable information (PII), including your:

• Full name
• Social Security number
• Date of nativity
• Address
• Commuter's license number
• Passport number
• Physical characteristics (tiptop, weight, hair/middle color)
• Signature
• Picture

This information is unique to you, describing and identifying who y'all are. That'south why criminals consider it and then valuable.

If My ID Gets Lost or Stolen, Can Something Bad Happen?

Unfortunately, many bad things can happen if criminals are able to obtain the data on your ID or steal your driver's license number.

Police force enforcement says there are half-dozen mutual things that can happen if a criminal steals your ID.

1. Sell Your ID on The Dark Web.
2. Driver's License Fraud.
3. Create Fake IDs Using Your Driver'southward License Number.
4. Create Synthetic Identities.
5. Commit Identity Theft.
6. Commit Mail Fraud.
   

1. Your ID Could Be Sold on The Dark Web

If scammers don't want to use your ID, they can ever sell information technology to make fast money.

Your driver's license is a valuable asset to people who've had their licenses suspended or revoked due to DUIs or DWIs.

One of the nearly common types of identity theft is the human activity of selling stolen personal data on the Night Web.

Criminals with outstanding warrants can as well purchase stolen driver's licenses to assume a new identity. You'd be shocked at how cheap stolen identity information costs on the Nighttime Web. Stolen commuter's licenses on the Night Web tin be sold as cheaply as $xx.

2. Commuter'south License Fraud

Driver's license fraud specifically occurs when someone uses counterfeit identity documents or another person'due south identity to obtain a legitimate driver's license or ID card.

This happens when someone is not eligible for a existent license. Driver's license fraud is most frequently committed by an undocumented alien or someone with a suspended or revoked license.

three. Create Fake IDs Using Your Driver's License Number

Slightly different from driver'south license fraud, criminals simply demand your commuter's license number (not the whole license) to create a faux ID that they tin can use instead of their own.

If they have an outstanding warrant and are detained by constabulary enforcement, a cop volition run a groundwork check on your ID (which is probably clean) instead of theirs. When the warrant doesn't prove up in the background check, the criminals will evade the arrest.

If criminals get stopped for a traffic violation and use your ID, police force enforcement will file the charges on your driving record, not theirs. So you'll exist on the hook for paying traffic tickets and clearing your name in court.

"According to the FTC, victims spend an average of 600 hours getting their life back to normal later on identity theft."

Unfortunately, most people don't discover out about these unpaid tickets or court appearances until it'due south as well belatedly. A judge will event a bench warrant for your arrest if you neglect to pay these fines or never show up in courtroom.

If anyone performs a background check (like when yous apply for a new job or flat), that bench warrant will testify upward on your record, unleashing a nightmare situation.

four. Create a Synthetic Identity

Criminals can also use your driver's license to commit synthetic identity theft. These "constructed" identities combine stolen information from data breaches, your real online footprint, and fake data.

They may utilise your real driver's license number with a fake name and date of birth. Then they can constitute a constructed identity to run a phishing scam on social media, open up new accounts, obtain government documents, and more.

It'south nigh impossible to notice and end criminals using a synthetic identity because police enforcement can't determine what's real versus fake. Criminals using synthetic identities are like ghosts in the current of air.

5. Commit Identity Theft

Can your identity really be stolen with just your commuter's license?

While it'due south difficult for someone to steal your identity from your commuter's license alone, it doesn't take much for them to first the procedure.

Once identity thieves know your proper noun, address and date of birth, they can plug this information into an online database on the Dark Web, enabling them to steal more data, such every bit your:

• Social Security number
• Credit card numbers
• ​Home phone number
• Cell phone number
• Health insurance
• Education records
• Military credentials
• Employment history
• Marriage and divorce records
• Electronic mail addresses, logins, and passwords
• Home championship information (for committing deed fraud )
  

Your PII may have already been exposed during a prior information breach. And now a criminal has the perfect opportunity to take advantage of it.

Out of an abundance of circumspection, nosotros'd recommend you run a complimentary Nighttime Web Scan via Identity Guard, to make sure your personally identifying information is non exposed.

6. Commit Mail Fraud

If thieves have already stolen your proper noun and address, they can submit a modify of address request with the post office and redirect all of your mail, including bank statements, credit cards, checks, your IRS tax return, and more.

Your personal information can likewise be used as security questions to commit bank fraud and hack into your accounts or credit card accounts. If your debit or credit cards were in the same wallet as your stolen ID, the thief can ask your credit card company to issue a new card, modify the address or your account passwords, and fifty-fifty trick lenders into issuing new credit accounts in your name.

[image source: FTC]

In one case a fraudster captures enough information to piece together your financial life, they can drain your banking company accounts, take out loans that they never intend to repay (i.e., loan fraud), destroy your credit score, and cause long-term financial destruction.

Unfortunately, you lot may never realize this is happening until you're beingness hounded by debt collection agencies, fail to go approved for a mortgage, or can't get an machine loan due to your negatively affected credit history.

What To Practice If Someone Steals Your ID to Commit Identity Theft

1. Alert Your State's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
2. Alert Your Local Law Enforcement.
3. Alarm Appropriate Government Agencies.
4. Review Your Credit Report.
5. Report Identity Theft to the FTC.
6. Get a Background Check.
   

Alert Your State's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

The start thing you need to do to recover after your identity is stolen is to get online to your state's DMV website, and follow the instructions to study your ID as lost or stolen. This will prevent identity thieves from claiming your license as their ain or having another license issued in your name.

Some states allow citizens to identify a "Verify ID" flag on their driver's license number. This tells police force that your ID has been compromised or stolen. So if the criminals get pulled over with your driver'due south license number, law enforcement volition see the flag on your record and ask for two or more pieces of identification to show that they're yous.

You lot may also want to asking an official copy of your driving record each year going forward and bank check for automobile title scams. This will alarm you to any tickets issued nether your proper noun, traffic stops you were never present for, and other outstanding violations.

Alarm Your Local Law Enforcement

You want a tape of losing your commuter's license or ID as soon as possible, so file a police force report at your local constabulary station. Anything that occurs on your record after filing this report will exist easier to contest and help clear your proper name of charges or violations.

Warning Appropriate Authorities Agencies

If your ID was in a wallet that was lost or stolen, you might need to contact several other government agencies just to be safe, such every bit your local:

• Postal Inspector. Y'all can prevent criminals from filing change of address forms and alarm authorities to potential mail fraud.
• Social Security Administration office, if your Social Security carte was also taken or misplaced.
• Passport office, if you lot lost your passport.

You lot tin can find instructions for how to proceed either online or by calling their local cost-free hotlines.

Review Your Credit Report

Be certain to contact the three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian) to flag your account for potential fraud. To minimize potential financial impairment, you can place a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit written report to prevent thieves from opening new accounts in your name.

You'll also need to monitor your credit history very carefully. Yous're entitled to one free credit study every twelvemonth via annualcreditreport.com. Be sure to bank check for new accounts, loans, or lines of credit you didn't open besides as suspicious charges on your credit cards, etc.

Unfortunately, this is a very frustrating procedure that can take countless hours of work. Instead of manually calling all 3 major credit bureaus, let Aura's fraud remediation team aid you lot, step by step.

Aura's Team of Experts Can Help With:

• Credit Lock: Safeguard your credit from unauthorized inquiries by locking your credit.

• Credit Reports: Get monthly credit updates and annual reports from the major credit bureaus.

• Financial Transaction Monitoring: Protect your finances. Gear up alerts on spending activeness to preclude the different types of financial fraud.

• Depository financial institution Account Monitoring: Get a fraud alert if any unauthorized persons try to access your banking company account.

• Lost Wallet Remediation: If your wallet is lost or stolen, nosotros'll help you cancel whatsoever debit or credit cards and work with you on a recovery plan to secure your data.

• $i Million Identity Theft Insurance: Every Aura plan comes with an insurance policy that covers eligible losses due to identity theft.

Check out Aura'southward often asked questions for more insight.

Written report Identity Theft to the FTC

Yous don't need to report a lost or stolen driver'southward license to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

However, if your lost wallet contains your Social Security card, credit/debit cards, or banking account details, you lot are likely to become a victim of identity theft. In this case, you should report identity theft to the FTC via IdentityTheft.gov .

You'll receive an affidavit to transport to your financial institutions in case criminals perform any illegal activities under your name. The FTC'south easy-to-utilize, online reporting wizard will help you with the process and outline a personalized recovery plan.

Go a Groundwork Check

Conducting a background check on yourself will warning you to whatever criminal charges, debt collections, or outstanding warrants on your record. You tin can clear these up before y'all're striking with hefty fines and penalties or accept your license suspended or revoked.

How To Protect Your Identity If Yous Lose Your ID

Afterward losing your ID, there is much to endure to get your life back to normal. Following these steps may help you safeguard your identity and minimize the damage.

Ever Exist Vigilant

Consider going paperless to reduce the volume of fiscal statements flowing through the mail. This could prevent thieves who know your address from committing postal service theft.

Sign up for account notifications, either in-app or via SMS on your mobile phone. Y'all'll be immediately alerted to charges on your accounts in real-time. If you run into fraudulent charges, many credit card companies allow yous to dispute them and freeze your business relationship/cards to prevent future transactions.

Never ship anyone a picture of your ID. Hackers and cybercriminals tin can admission cloud photograph databases to steal your ID. If your phone is stolen or hacked, your ID will be exposed. If yous take any photos of your ID stored on your computer, mobile device, in text messages, etc. - you should delete them immediately.

Try Aura's Identity Theft Protection for Ultimate Peace of Listen

In 2017, U.South. credit reporting bureau Equifax experienced a major data breach that affected 147 million Americans [*]. Cybercriminals gained admission to PII, including Social security numbers, addresses, and even driver'south licenses.

Likewise the other credit bureaus, your employer always keeps a copy of your ID on tape, as does your insurance company, regime agencies, as well every bit doctor'southward offices, hospitals, and more.

Any time your driver's license is stored in an organization'south database, it'south at chance of existence stolen or compromised in a data breach. Luckily, Aura tin can alarm you if nosotros discover your personal information becomes exposed following any information breaches.

We can't help you lot call up where you placed your wallet. Only we can help you safeguard your personal and financial information if you lose it.

‍Prepare to requite Aura a endeavor? Run into which plan works best for you .

kingappece.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.aura.com/learn/can-someone-steal-your-identity-with-your-id