iii.org

Almost an Identity Theft Victim In October 2015 I went to the grocery store to buy some vegetables but when I checked out at the register, my debit card did not go through. I thought it was just the EDC machine (also known as the card swipe machine) acting up so instead I paid with cash. The next day I received a phone call from my bank informing me that someone had attempted to make over 150 transactions on my debit card account. Luckily my bank immediately flagged the suspicious transitions and froze my debit card, which is why it didn't work at the grocery store the previous day. I remember learning about identity theft in high school, but I didn't take it seriously because I never thought it would happen to me. **What is identity theft** [Identity theft](https://www.consumer.gov/articles/1015-avoiding-identity-theft#!what-to-know) is a serious crime that occurs when someone steals and uses your personal information, such as your ID or Social Security number, without your permission. The stolen information can be used to make purchases, open accounts, file taxes and much more. These criminals can obtain other’s personal information through direct theft (stealing your records, ID, or mail) or through internet scams that require you to provide your information. If someone steals your identity, you will be held responsible for what the thief does while using your identity and will have pay for whatever the thief purchases under your name. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America with a rate of [9.9 million](http://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/identity-theft-and-cybercrime) cases per year. It is a huge problem should be taken very seriously because it can happen to anyone. **How identity theft can affect you** When a thief uses your identity to make purchases and fails to pay the bills, it can lower your credit score. This is extremely consequential because businesses look at your credit score to determine whether or not they want to make a deal with y

Almost an Identity Theft Victim In October 2015 I went to the grocery store to buy some vegetables but when I checked out at the register, my debit card did not go through. I thought it was just the EDC machine (also known as the card swipe machine) acting up so instead I paid with cash. The next day I received a phone call from my bank informing me that someone had attempted to make over 150 transactions on my debit card account. Luckily my bank immediately flagged the suspicious transitions and froze my debit card, which is why it didn't work at the grocery store the previous day. I remember learning about identity theft in high school, but I didn't take it seriously because I never thought it would happen to me. **What is identity theft** [Identity theft](https://www.consumer.gov/articles/1015-avoiding-identity-theft#!what-to-know) is a serious crime that occurs when someone steals and uses your personal information, such as your ID or Social Security number, without your permission. The stolen information can be used to make purchases, open accounts, file taxes and much more. These criminals can obtain other’s personal information through direct theft (stealing your records, ID, or mail) or through internet scams that require you to provide your information. If someone steals your identity, you will be held responsible for what the thief does while using your identity and will have pay for whatever the thief purchases under your name. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America with a rate of [9.9 million](http://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/identity-theft-and-cybercrime) cases per year. It is a huge problem should be taken very seriously because it can happen to anyone. **How identity theft can affect you** When a thief uses your identity to make purchases and fails to pay the bills, it can lower your credit score. This is extremely consequential because businesses look at your credit score to determine whether or not they want to make a deal with y