Thieves use a variety of illegal techniques to obtain identity information. They may:
•	Take mail from a mailbox
•	Divert mail to another location by filling out a change of address form
•	Go through trash to find identification and financial documents
•	Access credit reports by posing as landlords or employers
•	Hack into personal computers
•	Pose as legitimate companies or government agencies to request personal information via email (called phishing)
•	Steal hard copy or electronic files from your workplace
•	Stand close to you at the ATM to learn your Personal Identification Number
•	Work at restaurants, gas stations, or other businesses to steal money or information from credit/ATM/debit cards (called skimming).

Once identity thieves have your personal information, they may use it to:
•	Charge on existing credit accounts
•	Open new credit accounts in your name
•	Use existing or open new checking accounts in your name and write bad checks
•	Establish phone or wireless service in your name
•	Use your debit cards or counterfeit checks to drain your checking account
•	Take out loans to buy cars and other big ticket items