Tallahassee, Fla. (WTXL) -- If you fall victim to identity theft, bouncing back can be difficult.
Take it from Dee Jackson who had her identity was stolen years ago. The crook gained access to her social security number, opened an account in her name and left her to deal with the mess.
"This person had basically maxed out a $500.00 credit card. But it had gotten a substantial amount of late fees but I ended up paying it in order to get my credit back to where it needed to be," said Jackson.
Even on a smaller scale, identity theft can be an inconvenience. Many times account holders are locked out of their accounts while the bank or credit union investigates
Tallahassee Police warns that the root of the issue is access. Officials say that too many people make it easy for crooks to strike gold.
"It's very easy to open up an account with your information. If you don't have the information it's almost impossible. But if you have the information your date of birth, account number, social security number...things like that. Those identification numbers make it easy for someone to take your name open another account, then you don't have any idea it's open", said Officer David Northway.
Identity thieves can gain access to your accounts almost everywhere. From phishers online, to pin thieves, skimmers at the pump, and your mail box, opportunity is golden.
"People take in that mail, a lot of the times they think it's junk mail. They take it. They see that its just another bill and they open it up and put it into the recycling bin or garbage and forget about it. But what people don't realize is that there are people that will go around and take things out of your garbage or recycling bin and try to use those documents to their advantage", Northway.
It's not just paper that people should be concerned about. Financial experts say you should also be mindful of your digital footprint and spending habits.
"Especially online, make sure you're checking that website and that it's a reputable company. Make sure that you're keeping information safe and secure and that you're not putting it in places that you don't necessarily need to", Tallahassee Leon-Federal Credit Union.
