Identity Theft in Idaho
The repercussions of identity theft can range from embarrassment to serious legal and financial injury. Assess your risk, safeguard your identity, and hire an attorney in Idaho if your identity gets stolen.
According to Federal Trade Commission data, Idaho residents reported over 2,700 cases of identity theft in 2021. This breaks down to 152 reports per 100,000 people, giving Idaho one of the lower rates in the U.S. The majority of Idaho identity theft cases involve a fraudulent application for government benefits. The Idaho Department of Labor recently instituted a new identity verification process to help prevent this crime. Other common types of identity theft include credit card fraud and bank fraud.
What Is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is one of the most common crimes in the modern world. Criminals are constantly finding new ways to steal your information. These crimes involve the fraudulent use of components of your identity, such as SSNs, driver’s licenses, or credit cards.
Even before you become aware of any theft, thieves may have already used your identity to open new financial accounts without your knowledge. Other criminal actions include faking tax returns, fraudulent purchases, and receiving or stealing medical care under your insurance. While dealing with customer service departments for a solution, a qualified Idaho attorney can fast-track the process. In some circumstances, taking the step of seeking legal help is necessary to get the attention of companies and recover your losses.
How Does Identity Theft Happen in Idaho?
Identity theft can happen in many ways. Hackers are constantly advancing their data-stealing techniques. However, there are some long-standing causes of identity theft that every consumer should be aware of:
- Data Breaches – Companies often store personal financial information for subscriptions, auto-pay, or express checkout. Hackers can break into these companies’ servers and extract the personal information of thousands of people at a time.
- ATM or Card Skimmers – Hackers can place devices called skimmers that read your card’s information when you use it. The most common places for skimmers to are in ATM devices or at gas pumps. Some have even found their way into convenience stores and pharmacies.
- Digital Malware and Viruses – Hackers can access your information through phishing, fake websites, and file-sharing networks. You should always be vigilant when receiving emails from questionable accounts or when browsing online. Often, hackers will disguise their phishing attempts as recognizable brands or platforms.
- Physical Theft – Thieves can access your personal information by stealing your mail, purse, or wallet.
- Change Of Address – Another creative way hackers can steal your information is by changing your address with different services you use. Once the mail reroutes to the new address, they can access the information that would normally be sent to your real address.
- Public WiFi – While public WiFi networks are convenient, they rarely encrypt the connection. Most competent hackers can break into public networks and remotely access devices connected to them. Only use public WiFi networks if necessary, and always with a VPN.
What Are Some Identity Theft Laws?
Under Idaho law, it is illegal to obtain or report personal information with the intent to steal goods, credit, money, or services. Furthermore, if the crime involves more than $300, it is a felony. An identity theft conviction can result in up to 5 years in jail and $50,000 in fines. In addition, Idaho Commercial Transactions laws provide civil remedies for victims of identity theft. These can include both injunctive and monetary relief.
How Can I Detect Identity Theft?
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if your identity has become compromised. However, if you are vigilant with your passwords and online presence, you can become aware of several signs that point to identity theft. Be on the lookout for the following:
- Any questionable activity you don’t recognize regarding your existing accounts
- Deposits, purchases, credit alerts, etc.
- No longer receiving mail at your primary address
- Calls or letters from debt collectors about debts you never personally incurred
- Unfamiliar charges on your accounts or new accounts you never opened
- Bills for services you never received, such as medical care
- Letter from the IRS regarding duplicate tax returns in your name
- News from a company you have done business with about a data breach
- A sudden and unexplained drop or increase in your credit score
How Do I Recover From Identity Fraud in Idaho?
Start by contacting your financial institutions immediately to suspend any compromised cards. Many companies now offer the ability to block further transactions directly through their app, allowing you to secure your accounts quickly.
Next, address any discrepancies by reaching out to the institutions involved. If you notice suspicious transactions, contact the businesses or services where they occurred to report the activity. Additionally, close any accounts or cancel subscriptions that may have been compromised to prevent further unauthorized access.
Idaho Legal Aid provides a comprehensive list of resources for prevention and reporting of identity theft. Some of these are government agencies, such as the Idaho Attorney General’s Office or the Idaho Department of Finance. In addition, they provide contact information for the 3 major credit reporting bureaus. If you are a victim of identity theft, you should file a report with your local police department. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission provides an online reporting system.
You should also consider a credit monitoring account if you don’t already have one. These services provide oversight on your credit accounts and alert you when there is suspicious activity. You can either temporarily freeze the account or close it out entirely. An experienced Idaho attorney can also help you right some of the wrongs you encounter along the way.
Identity Theft Protections
Always take proactive steps to protect yourself from identity theft. To many, some of these steps may seem like common sense. However, it’s surprising how often people disclose personal information without a second thought. We recommend you take the following precautions to avoid someone stealing your identity:
- Do not respond to any unsolicited requests asking for personal information.
- Do not click any suspicious links in unsolicited emails.
- Enable all security and two-step verification protocols on your electronic devices.
- Use complex passwords and change them frequently.
- Install any firewall and malware detection software on your electronic devices.
- Properly shred or tear up any documents with personal or financial information before discarding them in the trash.
Work with an Experienced Local Lawyer in Idaho
Are you facing financial or legal complications related to an identity theft issue in Idaho? If that’s the case, we can help connect you with the right attorney to help you resolve these problems, before they spiral out of control. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Idaho state lines.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations.
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