Job Applications, Documents, & Identity Theft

Job applications and identity theft are like butter to bread.  They make a great couple together, and with constant busyness in our lives we forget to protect our identity when applying for that much needed new job.

My way
When I was searching for work, my typical job application was either hand written or typed.  I made plenty copies of my resume and any supporting materials like diplomas, certificates, and letters of recommendation.  To me, that was my way of doing things when it came time to apply.  I even made copies of my job application after I filled it out.  All for record keeping purposes, of course.

I left my information in the car and at the house while job hunting.  That way I had convenient access to my job hunting resources.  Then, when I was in the first stages of getting accepted I would run off several copies of my drivers license and the social security card.  If the job involved traveling, I even xeroxed my passport per request of my new employer.

Wake up call
What I started to realize is that I was setting myself up for possible identity theft. My information was scattered everywhere and each piece of paper, from the job application to the xeroxed SS card, was a sure contributor to my financial demise.  Moreover, I used my USB flash drive to store these documents.  What would happen if I was to lose any of them?

Unintentional treasure
Your job application is the best piece of paper an identity thief can get his hands on.  It has your full name, address, telephone #, drivers license number, and social security number listed.  Additionally, any background information, such as: your education, work experience, and personal references further create a portfolio of crime resources.

Keep the application close to you at all times until you are ready to hand it in to the proper department.  Don’t give it to any Joe Schmo.  Make sure to ask for a manager or a human resources department.  That is where the applications end up and that’s where you should aim their path to.

Copy that
The further documentation in a shape of a xeroxed copy are a perfect facilitator to credit fraud and other identity theft crimes.  Make only copies that you will need.  Don’t make copies that you think you may need in the future. If you don’t want to listen, here is what I think… This is a big mistake, as you will most likely forget about the copied document.  Understand one thing, a copy of a document is usually of an equal value to the original document.  Hence your social security number should not fly all over the car along with other identifying information.  Dispose of copies you will not be using by utilizing a shredder or by burning the items.

The Digital Era
As for any stored documents, like: PDF files, resumes, and scanned documents, make sure to keep them in a safe place.  Not a USB drive!  I know it is so much easier to store these items and print them off at work or at your university, but what would happen if you didn’t delete the personal info and lost your electronic storage device?  Identity thieves thrive on opportunities and electronic devices are filled with them; from resumes to scanned copies of your social security card to saved credit card statements, bank account information, personal address books, and more.  Yes, these devices are wonderful when it comes to managing your life, yet they are so very dangerous.

Take great care in preventing identity theft by making use of your smart brains.  Little prevention may go a long way in making sure you don’t get scammed and become just another statistic.  Happy job hunting.