• Criminals can steal your identity if they get certain documents in a burglary.man image by kuhar from Fotolia.com
  
  Identity theft is a growing problem affecting a huge cross section of Americans. Javelin Strategies, a professional research firm, explains that it rose 11 percent between 2008 and 2009, hurting 11 million people. It takes many different forms, from fraudulent credit cards and forged checks to people masquerading as someone else to use their medical insurance. Savvy consumers should be familiar with as many types of identity fraud as possible so they can guard against scams.
  
  

Credit

• Identity thieves who get a person's name, address, Social Security information and other personal data can use it to open new credit cards and get loans and other credit accounts. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) explains that identity thieves buy a car, rent an apartment or obtain a cell phone with the stolen information.They have the paperwork sent to a different address, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), or steal it from the victim's mailbox. This type of identity fraud is often not discovered until bill collectors start calling or the victim finds unrecognized accounts on his credit reports.
  
  

Legal

• Some identity thieves get documents in their victims' names. They obtain a drivers license that can be used if they get in legal trouble. They present the license if they are involved in a traffic stop or get arrested. Their record stays clean while the person whose identity has been stolen suddenly has a criminal record.
  
  

Medical

• People sometimes steal an identity to get medical care in the fraud victim's name, the Creditcards credit search site warns. They use another person's insurance coverage, and that person is held liable for any amounts not covered by the plan. Medical identity fraud may be committed by an unscrupulous family member or a stranger who steals someone's wallet and finds an insurance card.
  
  

Employment

• Illegal immigrants and others who have reason to hide their identity often steal Social Security numbers to use for employment. The BBB warns that this affects the victim's tax records. She may not even know her identity is being used unless she is contacted by a government agency like the Social Security department or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
  
  

Checks

• Criminals sometimes obtain a person's checks through a burglary, purse snatching or other theft. The BBB explains that criminals write fraudulent checks with a forged signature and drain the attached bank account. They also make as many purchases as possible, and the checks bounce when they hit the emptied account and incur fees for the victim.