If you've been a victim of Identity theft, contact police on 131 444 for further advice and assistance. You should also contact your financial institution. The NSW Government established ID Support NSW to help people understand and prevent identity crime.
Contact your police department, report the crime and obtain a police report. Decide whether you want to place a security freeze on your credit report.
Identity Theft Criminal Defense Lawyers
Identity Theft offences (identity fraud or identity crime) are serious offences in NSW. Identity Fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes and causes some of the most significant financial losses to the Australian Government and individuals.
In 2021-22: 8.1% of persons (1.7 million) experienced card fraud. 2.7% of persons (552,000) experienced a scam. 0.8% of persons (159,600) experienced identity theft.
You should review your bank account statements regularly; if you see unknown purchases, that could be a sign that your identity has been stolen. Check credit reports. Similarly, monitor your credit reports from all three credit-reporting bureaus for any unknown accounts or inaccurate information.
Signs of identity theft
Unusual bills or charges that you don't recognise appear on your bank statement. Mail that you're expecting doesn't arrive. You get calls or texts about products and services you've never used.
Physical Theft: examples of this would be dumpster diving, mail theft, skimming, change of address, reshipping, government records, identity consolidation. Technology-Based: examples of this are phishing, pharming, DNS Cache Poisoning, wardriving, spyware, malware and viruses.
If you're facing identity theft, know that it is possible to overcome the issue — but it may take some time. Just ask one of our identity specialists, like Vera Tolmachoff, Restoration Manager at Allstate Identity Protection. "It can take days, months, or even years to untangle identity theft," says Tolmachoff.
How to report ID theft. To report identity theft, contact: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at IdentityTheft.gov or call 1-877-438-4338. The three major credit reporting agencies.
The best way to find out if someone has opened an account in your name is to pull your own credit reports to check. Note that you'll need to pull your credit reports from all three bureaus — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — to check for fraud since each report may have different information and reporting.
The easiest way to become a victim of a bank scam is to share your banking info — e.g., account numbers, PIN codes, social security number — with someone you don't know well and trust. If someone asks for sensitive banking details, proceed with caution.
How fraudsters can steal your personal information. Most of us know the importance of making our passwords and PINs secure and keeping them out of fraudsters' hands. But even simple details such as your full name, date of birth and address can be used to commit identity fraud.
The four types of identity theft include medical, criminal, financial and child identity theft.
What they want are account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and other confidential information that they can use to loot your checking account or run up bills on your credit cards. Identity thieves can take out loans or obtain credit cards and even driver's licenses in your name.
Can thieves steal identities with only a name and address? In short, the answer is “no.” Which is a good thing, as your name and address are in fact part of the public record. Anyone can get a hold of them. However, because they are public information, they are still tools that identity thieves can use.
And in Australia, driver's licences can be used to apply for tens of thousands of dollars in bank loans and telephone accounts, access government benefits, or even apply for more identity documents like passports — all in your name. Do you know more about this story? Contact Rebecca Trigger.
How to find out if bank accounts are fraudulently opened in your name. If scammers open bank accounts in your name, you may be able to find out about it by taking a look at your checking account reports. These consumer reports include information about people's banking and check-writing history.
It's not the same as a scammer obtaining your credit card digits. No one will be able to withdraw money from your personal bank account if all they have is your account number.
Changes in your credit score can indicate identity theft. For example, if someone takes out utility bills in your name and doesn't pay them, your credit score may dip. Checking your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion can help pinpoint the problem.
Check your credit reports to find evidence of fraud. You can get free credit reports from annualcreditreport.com or directly from the credit bureaus. Examine the credit reports closely for inaccurate, incomplete, or suspicious information. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports.
People ages 30 to 39 are most likely to get their identities stolen. 51% of victims of identity theft had an annual income of $75,000 or more. Caucasians made up 71% of all identity theft victims. 14% of the victims report they have lost more than $10,000 due to identity theft.