A report today by the Charlotte Observer highlights the identity theft risk embedded in court documents. In North Carolina, court records continue to contain Social Security numbers that cannot be removed and are available to the public. The data protections are even less stringent in South Carolina. The discovery of this risk comes recently after new national and North Carolina laws took effect that were intended to keep sensitive consumer information private.
Although identity theft awareness is increasing, there are still hundreds of potential places an identity thief can look for your information. Is your information stored securely? Think about the following types of records that may contain Social Security numbers:
- Medical records
- Tax documents (especially W-2 and 1099 forms this time of year)
- Childcare records
- Job applications
- Credit card applications
- Military records
- Government assistance documents
- Utility account records
- School or university records
- Accounting records
- Human resource records
Identity thieves can steal or gain access to each of these types of records in order to steal your information. Read more about keeping your identity safe online here.
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