Almost no one is interested in the relationship between ID theft and employment, and for that reason we decided to devote an entire article to it. Ultimately, whilst employment does not suffer as much as some other factors when it comes to ID theft, there is still a significant flow on impact which can occur.
For people who are currently seeking new employment, ID theft can be a miserable, time-consuming issue to deal with - especially if potential employers decide to run credit checks on their new candidates.
How ID Theft Affects Employment?
If / when someone is the victim of ID theft, the following chain of events could eventually string together to create an effect when it comes to new employment:
- Details are stolen and used fraudulently.
- ID thief gains cash, further information, or services fraudulently under your name.
- Your credit report is affected and a fraudulent entry is made.
- Potential employers check your credit report and see this entry.
- Potential employers decide not to give you the job, due to the entry.
As you can see, unless you have been keeping an astute eye on your credit report, ID theft can lead to a number of flow-on effects which eventually relate back to employment.
Of course, your employer will never give you the reason why they chose another candidate over yourself. If they did, and they gave the reason of an insufficient credit report, this would be considered discrimination. However, don't be naive in thinking that employers don't give any weight to credit scores or credit reports during their interviewing process.
Can Employment Affect ID Theft
Amazingly, an opposite relationship is indeed a possibility when it comes to employment versus ID theft. Many people when applying for a job will hand over all of their personal details, including social security numbers, bank account details, and even in some cases - credit card numbers.
While this practice is frowned upon, and whilst you are able to deny your employer all of these details, many people still hand them out thinking that their employer is trustworthy.
Be careful when it comes to this. Sometimes, back-end systems or computerised databases which are utilised by your employer may not be secure. Therefore, use discretion when it comes to handing over details - especially very personal ones.