With as little as someone's social security card, crooks can adopt an identity to obtain credit cards, loans and even jobs.
Identity theft can take many forms.
In one case that came to DCA's attention, something as simple as getting a credit card turned one man's life into a nightmare when insiders at a major card company gave out his social security number to a fraud. The thief, who had the same full name as the victim, was able to take out a loan using the victim's social security number while serving a two year jail sentence for a prior conviction of identity fraud. After years of dealing with credit card companies, banks, and credit reporting agencies, this man is still battling to restore his credit record. Keep it at home in a safe place. Watch what you throw away.