Identity theft can occur after a car crash

Identity theft is a common crime in the United States, and people who see their consumer credit scores dip after being victimized can rely on short term lending to help cover their essential finances, as it could be a while before their personal financial situation is sorted out.

Most people are aware identity theft can come as a result of using credit cards online, but there are some other, less common causes.

For example, giving out too much information after getting into a car crash could lead to personal information being compromised. A survey conducted by the National Association of Insurance found that numerous Americans put their identities at risk by sharing too much when they are in an accident, MainStreet.com noted.

"The last thing you're probably thinking about following a car accident is protecting your privacy," said NAIC president Kevin McCarty. "Understanding what information to share will help keep you safe after an accident and decrease some of the challenges of filing a claim later."

One of the biggest ways identity theft can impact a credit score is by the thief making late or no payments on fraudulent accounts, according to MSN Money. In certain instances, this can drop a score as much as 100 points.