How Could I Have a Criminal Record? Criminal Identity Theft Charges!

If you are a victim of Identity Theft, Criminal theft charges can be brought against you, and the burden of proof is on you.  I had never been arrested—never even had a speeding ticket, yet I was pulled over on a routine traffic roadblock near where I live.  I gave the officer my license as requested (never even doubting that I would be on my way in a moment or two) and wound up handcuffed, put in the back of a police car, and taken to jail.  I was told that I had an outstanding warrant on several charges.  I was informed that I, who had never been arrested, had bonded out after being arrested on illegal possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, and resisting arrest, and failed to appear for my court appearance.

This was only the beginning of what turned out to be a nightmare for me.  I am not sure I would have prevailed had it not been for the help of the experts at Legal-yogi.  Here are some things I learned that could help you:

·         What is Criminal Identity Theft

·         What to do if you are arrested as the result of Criminal ID Theft

·         How to protect yourself against Identity Theft

What is Criminal Identity Theft?

All types of identity theft are on the rise, but criminalidentity theft statistics prove that, though it is relatively new, criminal ID theft is rapidly on the rise.  This occurs when a criminal uses another’s personal information to get identification in their name.  There have even been cases of criminal Identity theft of children. Once the criminal has a social security number, date of birth, etc. it is easy to do.  In no time at all, a criminal can have a driver’s license, social security card, and even birth certificate in your name.  Though often this information IS used to steal from you, when it comes to criminal ID theft, the perpetrator gets fake IDs with the intent of committing a crime, so that if he goes to jail, they can bond out, skip bail, and never face charges for their deeds.  The thing is, once this happens, and they fail to appear for court, an arrest warrant is issued for YOU, and when you are “apprehended” you will be arrested. 

What to do if you are arrested as the result of Criminal ID Theft

If you are arrested for criminal identity theft, don’t think it will be a simple matter that you can just explain away.  You will need an attorney who is an expert in identity theft to help you. When I first got in touch with a Legal-Yogi Lawyer, Help For Free, in the form of a no obligation initial consultation, was my first affirmation that I had made a good choice.  I was immediately reassured that this attorney knew exactly how to help me, and I was in good hands.  Legal-yogi was my first ray of hope in this confusing, unbelievable situation. 

How to protect yourself against Identity Theft

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in our nation for a reason—it’s easy.  Thieves are lazy people looking for an easy way to accomplish their goals.  You can always become a member of a service such as the identity protection services available at Legal-Yogi, but there are also some simple steps you can take to help keep your personal information safe:

·         Don’t give out your private information over email or the phone unless you initiate the call.

·         For online transactions use only sites that are secure and encrypted (using only sites with a web address beginning with https://)

·         Do not have your checks printed with your social security number or telephone number, or write it on them. 

·         Do not use your social security number as a driver’s license number

·         Remove all personal information from your hard drive before getting computer repairs, discarding, or selling your computer

·         Shred all personal documents including preapproved credit card offers before discarding them.

·         Cancel all credit card accounts if you no longer use them.  Cutting up the card is not enough.  Call and request the accounts be closed.

·         Check your credit report often.

·         Report any identity theft to local police and law enforcement in any jurisdiction in which your identity was used.

For more information on how you can protect yourself from identity theft, or to get help if you have been arrested in correlation to Criminal Identity Theft, fill out the user friendly, no obligation forms provided at Legal-yogi.  There is no reason to wait, and every reason to act now to protect yourself from ID theft.