Ghosting is the term used to describe when an identity thief uses the identity of a recently deceased person to open credit cards, apply for loans, or make other financial transactions in their name.

Declaring bankruptcy relieves those with a significant debt burden, but a bankruptcy discharge is a tool used to accomplish it. It is essentially a court order that releases the debtor of any responsibility and liability to pay the allotted debt back to the collection agency.

They can be one of the reasons you find out your identity has been stolen, but they can also be an annoying phone call once a day that reminds you of the fact that fraud has occurred.

With the rise of technology and how our lives have simply moved into the digital world, it has become increasingly easy for thieves to gain access to our information.

Each main credit bureau (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) allows you one free credit report annually. You can utilize these to ensure your report hasn’t changed beyond your knowledge.

Our background reports comprise our driving, criminal, and credit records, all making up a part of our identity. If it is stolen, it makes sense that our background reports reflect that.

To report identity theft on their behalf, you must be their power of attorney, or you must have a court order. In either case, one of those must be sent in with the FTC and police report.

Reporting and taking action against identity theft is time-dependent. The quicker you spot the damage, the quicker you can put a stop to it and start an investigation.