Identity thieves are getting more sophisticated every day. They can steal your mail, get your personal information through e-mail or by phone, capture information on a data storage device, take your purse, rummage through your trash, get your credit report through unauthorized access; the list just keeps getting longer. Once they have your information, they use your name, Social Security number, credit card number, or other personal information to commit fraud or theft. They might:

• Run up charges on your credit card accounts
• Open new credit accounts or cellular phone service using your name
• Open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on it
• Create counterfeit checks or credit or debit cards, or authorize electronic transfers in your name, and drain your bank account
• Buy a car by taking out an auto loan in your name
• Get identification such as a driver's license issued with their picture in your name
• Call your credit card issuer to change the billing address on your account. The imposter then runs up charges on your account. Because the bills are being sent to a different address, it may be some time before you realize there's a problem.

Problems that result, such as unpaid bills, are reported on your credit report.