Identity Theft And The Role That Cell Phones Play

By Author: Sharon Thomas
Total Articles: 11

Nobody fancies having land line phone these days. All like to use cell phones which they can carry everywhere and do a lot of things with it. It is not only used for communication, it brings the world at the tip of your fingers. Yes, the cell phone carries a lot of advantages but I prefer using land line phone. They are more reliable than cell phones. I do carry a cell phone but I am very careful that I do not use them for any other purpose other than making phone calls. I have subscribed to Charter Telephone services and I use them to share any personal data like credit card numbers or social security numbers with companies that require them. Can anybody guess why? Keep guessing and move on with your reading.
Identity theft is a most common problem next to burglary. Most of us would have been through either of this. Do you know what happens if there is Identity theft? Well the consequences are going to be terrible. You would be a person who pays your bills on time and you will maintain a good credit score. But if someone is using your Identity your score goes down, which puts you in a bad state. The thief who steals your identity uses it for purchasing loans and other purposes. When the payments are not made on a regular basis the debt collection company contacts you and demands for the payment. They also use your credit cards and social security number. In spite of losing your identity you will also be forced to lose huge amounts of money.
How do they steal your identity? There are several methods that the thieves use like purse snatching, dumpster diving and mail stealing. A new method has been added to this list (Crooked mind always comes up with creative ideas). Do you know that you’re little and cute cell phone that you fancy so much can be used to steal your identity? Well people have started using cell phone for all purposes. Online shopping, paying utility bills, stock trading and banking are all done through your cell phones. Since it is your personal cell phone by all means you save your password which is stored in the memory of your phone making it easier for the thieves to steal (Now you know why I use land line phones!!!).
Are you asking me how it is possible? The first thing they do is steal your cell phones, if possible which can supply them with loads and loads of your personal data. Since the storage capacity is high in cell phones as mentioned you tend to store almost all your valuable data in it. Are you a person who keeps your things safe? What about the Bluetooth connection? Thieves can access your Bluetooth and connect it with your device to gather the information they require. Having access to your phone they can always download software to listen to your phone conversations and gather your personal data.
Don’t be shocked by reading this. You can avoid identity theft through your cell phones by following simple methods. Always lock your phones with password and never keep your Bluetooth switched on at all times. Use it only while transferring data. Never save your social security number, pin codes of credit or debit cards and passwords on your cell phone. And do not auto save your passwords for your mails. Why don’t you use land line phones when it comes to sharing personal data (just like me).

Sharon Thomas is a freelance writer and an active blogger. She writes about Identity theft through cell phones which is a common problem. She has Charter Telephone back home and shares all her personal data if required only through her home phone connection.