If you own a business or work as an employee, there is a good chance that you need to handle customers’ personal information at some point as part of your job duties. People may intentionally or unintentionally exploit other people’s personal information in many ways.
If a customer discovers that someone has been fraudulently using their identity, they may assume it was you, as they recall that you had those details at some point. As a result, you may be accused of committing fraud in one way or another.
Bank or credit card fraud
One way people gain the personal details of another’s identity is by cloning the card as they hand it over for payment in a store or gas station. Alternatively, people can lose their details without anyone ever seeing their physical card. That’s because many people store their card details on their computers, which someone may be able to hack.
People could use the information to empty a bank balance or credit limit little by little. With enough details, they could even apply for a new card to spend on, or apply to raise the limit on an existing one, then buy things on it or make cash withdrawals. They could also apply for a loan under the unsuspecting person’s name.
Tax identity theft
People with another’s personal information may file an early and incorrect tax return in that person’s name, fudging it so that the IRS will issue a refund which the forger will then collect.
Those are just two of the many ways people can exploit someone else’s personal information. If you are accused of identity-related fraud just because you happened to have taken someone’s card or details as part of your work, it’s crucial to get legal assistance to show that the offense must have been committed by someone else and that you are innocent.