Many people love and hate their checkbooks. They are absolutely unnecessary in today's world but people are naturally stubborn and will continue to use paper checks.
These little rectangular pieces of paper have the ability to ruin your life for years. That sounds a little dramatic but it's all too common.
People view checks as convenient and may be scared to get a debit card because it requires changing their old routine.
What makes simple checks so damaging is the fact they have an enormous amount of your personal information on them. Every single check has your bank account and routing numbers right there on the bottom.
In skilled hands, just these numbers alone can enable someone to get money right from your account and deposit it in their own. Sure you will find out on your next bank statement but by then, the damage is done.
Another important piece of information on a paper check is your full name and address. Many married couples put the name of their spouse on there as well.
Now they have two identities to steal. Identity thieves absolutely love it when people are foolish enough to put social security numbers on the check too. There is no reason anyone should ever do that.
If your social security number is on there with your name, address, account number and routing number, you might as well walk strangers into your house and give them all of your bank statements, credit card bills, and utility bills.
It's just ridiculous. If your checkbook is stolen, even if you cancel the checks, the information is all still on them. Be very careful to keep your checks secure and put as little information on them as possible on them.
Identity Theft Related Articles
When you think of identity theft, you probably think of people using credit cards that are in someone else's name. Though this does happen often, it really is just caused by cashiers who are too lazy to check the back of the card, demand identification, or check that signatures match exactly.
Sometimes, the cashier themselves may write down or memorize your credit card number for use at a later time. Though this is now considered one type of identity theft, there are a few more that have a more dramatic impact.
Drivers licenses are a very common way you can have your identity stolen. This doesn't cause that much damage and is very easy to fix. The most common thing someone will do with your drivers license is alter the photograph so it looks like them.
This is very difficult so if someone goes through all that trouble, odds are they have a warrant they want to avoid. The problems arise when they get a speeding ticket or any ticket that doesn't send them to jail. They will disappear and you will find yourself having a warrant from somewhere you may have never been.
The last thing you want to happen is to be on your way somewhere with friends and family and find yourself in jail for a crime you didn't commit and have no knowledge of.
It can be very difficult to prove that this person wasn't even you and you might have to find the officer that issued the ticket. That could take a while and you might spend days in jail until you can be bailed out or the issue is resolved.