Finding out that someone has stolen their identity is every person’s worst fear. The idea of having your identity stolen is scary enough, but when you are not aware that it has happened, the situation becomes even more frightening. You may be wondering how this could happen to you, or what they can do with your ID once they have it. Here are four possible reasons why your identity might be taken without you knowing about it.
1. You Have Given Your Information Away
It’s important to be aware that when it comes to our personal data, we often give more than just the basics. We put details on social media sites about everything from where we live, what school we attend, and who our friends are. A thief could get access to this kind of information by hacking into one account and then using it to access other accounts or even stealing your identity.
There are also situations where you may have been tricked into giving away your information, such as when a hacker poses as someone trustworthy in order to get you to send them details from an account that they cannot access themselves. There have been reports of people pretending to be tech support in order to get people’s login details. Securing your credit cards with services such as credit protection can help you to prevent identity theft. Monitoring your credit activity for any irregularities or unauthorized charges is also important.
Another common way that your information is stolen online is through phishing. Phishers usually pose as a trustworthy company or person with the aim of getting their victim into clicking on links and filling out forms, which then gives them access to whatever account they are trying to break into.
It may seem like you are helping someone out, but when it comes down to it, your information is all a thief needs in order to steal your identity. If they have enough personal data about you, they can open up credit cards and bank accounts under your name without ever needing any extra information.
2. Your Data May Have Been Stolen
Even if you are careful about the information that you put online, there is still a possibility that someone has managed to access your account without your knowledge.
Dumpster diving is when someone finds an old paper document while going through your garbage. For instance, an old bank statement or utility bill with your name on it and then uses this to find out more about where you live in order to steal your identity. They may even go so far as to go through your home while you are away.
Another sneaky way of getting information is by using keyloggers, which are small devices that plug into the back of a computer and record everything that is typed on it. Even if you think there isn’t anything sensitive being written on your machine, this can still be enough for an id theft to take place. Such theft can also happen through malware, which is a virus that gets installed on your system and enables the person who wrote it to gain access to all of your information.
It’s important that you check through all devices that have access to your personal data and make sure they are secure. Many people throw out old laptops, USB sticks, or even phones without thinking about the information on them.
When it comes to your identity the consequences of sharing passwords can be even more serious – and there’s no way you would ever want someone else to have full access to your accounts without you knowing about it! So if a friend or family member asks for your password, make sure they have a good reason and that you actually trust them before handing it over. You can also frequently change your passwords if you share them with close friends a lot.
Another way that your information could be taken is by having your device stolen. This means that the thief has easy access to all of your data, which may include passwords and other personal details – meaning they could easily go on a shopping spree without you ever knowing about it! It might seem like this would never happen to you but it is more common than you would think.
3. Someone Could Be Posing As You
Even if your data hasn’t been stolen, it can still fall into the wrong hands. They might decide to call your bank pretending to be you in order to gain more details about how they can access your account.
The other common way of doing this is by using public information which has been shared online, such as news articles or social media posts that give away personal data. For example, if someone tweets every morning on their commute then a thief could use this information to pretend they are them in order to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi at a café.
This may also be used as a way for criminals to access your device, by having you download an app that’s been disguised as something else – but instead secretly steals all your data and sends it back off to someone who is going to use it for criminal purposes.
This may seem like something that only happens in movies but the fact is that cybercrime has become so sophisticated, which means you need to be more careful than ever when sharing information online! People are always looking for ways of getting easy money and legal documents such as your passport or birth certificate can often fetch a high price among criminals.
4. You Might Be a Victim of Targeted Attacks
We all know that it’s important to keep our personal information safe and protect ourselves against identity theft – but what you may not realize is that there are some people out there who will try to siphon information from you via social engineering, phishing, or even ransomware. This is known as a “targeted attack” and it’s important that you know what to look out for because this kind of thing could happen whether you’re at home or in the office. Ransomware is where criminals will take over all of your devices until you pay them an amount to get them back. They may also attempt to steal information by sending phishing emails, which are messages that look like they’re from a legitimate company but actually contain malware designed to infect your computer or device.
This is why it’s important for people who work in an office to be extra careful when it comes to the information they share. Even something as simple as leaving your laptop unlocked could give someone an opportunity to access important files or sensitive data, so make sure you know who has physical access to your devices at all times! It’s difficult to know for sure why your identity may be stolen, but we can speculate. The only way to secure your identity and protect yourself is to be proactive, vigilant, and aware.
GAG Staff