Identity Theft Can Ruin More Than Your Finances

When it comes to identity theft, many people immediately think of unauthorized purchases made with stolen credit cards or via compromised bank accounts. Unfortunately, the damage caused by identity theft normally extends far beyond financial losses. In fact, the long-term consequences of having your identity stolen can have a profound and lasting impact on the rest of your life if proper steps aren't taken to remedy the situation.

While identity theft can definitely wreak havoc with your ability to obtain credit and find employment, it can also create a number of other challenges for you. For example, an identity thief could commit serious crimes while operating under your identity. If caught, you would then have to answer to criminal charges for those offenses. This happened to a college friend of mine when her younger sister got pulled over for speeding and gave the officer her sister's driver's license. Rather than facing the consequences, her sister chose to ignore the resulting court date. Several years later, my friend was also pulled over - and before she knew what was happening, she found herself carted off to jail. (I wouldn't have wanted to spend the holidays with her family that year!) Kidding aside, imagine how horrible it would be to get arrested and charged with a crime you didn't commit, then have to go through the expense, stress and frustration of trying to clear your name and record.

Medical identity theft is another form of identity fraud that can have serious repercussions for those affected by it. In this case, criminals use your personal details (i.e. social security number) to seek medical treatment or to defraud your current insurance carrier. The ramifications of this particular crime can be life-threatening if erroneous information finds its way into your medical records. When this happens, the criminal's medical information (i.e. prescription allergies, chronic medical conditions, or blood type) can be mistaken for yours, which can then result in life-threatening errors. The really scary part is that there are usually no sure-fire early warning signs that you've been victimized. Instead, you might one day get a medical bill you can't explain or find that your application for health insurance has been denied. Another potential problem that could occur is if you experience your own medical emergency - then learn that the coverage limit of your current insurance policy has been exceeded.

Unfortunately, when it comes to cleaning up the mess left by these actions, there are no easy answers. However, if you find yourself facing either criminal charges or medical challenges due to someone else's unauthorized use of your identity, you may want to bring in a professional to navigate the complicated legal and/or medical systems on your behalf. Qualified identity theft attorneys specialize in these types of cases and can help get your credit - and your life - back on the road to recovery.

About The Author Trish Lindemood is a professional business writer who writes extensively on financial topics. Her first article on identity theft was published in a local print magazine in 2004. If you've been a victim of identity theft, finding the right identity theft lawyer can help you reclaim your life sooner.