Way Down South in Texas

News Channel 5 in McAllen Texas reported that a man dozens of checks written to one restaurant.

Checks contain personal information and bank account information. The Good Samaritan returned the checks back to the owners.

One owner of the mishandled checks stated, "This is happening too often, consumers get the raw end of the deal because people aren't taking care of them."

Checks contain enough information to help a thief commit the six types of identity theft. The six types are drivers license, social security, criminal and character, medical, financial, and synthetic.

Drivers License:
An identity thief steals your drivers license information. Some thefts have lead to vehicle related violations and also increases in auto insurance premiums.

Social Security:
The thief uses your social security card to obtain employment. Social security numbers are easier to find than most people imagine as reported in Information Week.

Medical:
Thieves obtain information such as a health insurance identification or Social Security number and use it to get health card or medical treatment.

Criminal/Character:
An identity thief provides a victim’s personal identifying information to an officer during an arrest or when a crime is committed.

Financial:
Financial identity theft is only about 28% of identity thefts. If you are a victim of the other types, you will have wished that they would have taken your money.

Synthetic:
A new way of stealing identities. This type of identity fraud, thieves create new identities by combining real or fake identifying information to establish new accounts or identities.