Identity Theft Is Everywhere — Protect Yourself With These Easy Steps
(NRPI.org) – As the world relentlessly matches toward digitalization, the reams of data uploaded to the web are increasingly being exposed. With each consumer’s personal data now residing on hundreds or thousands of servers globally, identity theft is also on the rise. Fraudsters are constantly finding new ways to steal identities for their malicious use, and protecting yourself from identity theft is the best way to fight back.
Millions of Americans Are Victims of Identity Theft
Identity theft has evolved and now reflects the lengths criminals are willing to go to target consumers and steal personally identifiable information. Identity theft is a type of crime that involves obtaining a person’s personal or financial data without their permission or knowledge and using the information for malicious use. A data report produced by the Federal Trade Commission indicates that about 25% of Americans were identity fraud victims in 2021.
According to the 2021 identity fraud research, Javelin Strategy & Research revealed that out of $56 billion in fraud losses, $43 billion of the cost accounted for identity fraud scams. Traditional identity fraud totaled about $13 billion in losses, where cyber criminals steal data information and use it for their gains.
Actionable Tips To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
You can protect yourself against identity theft by implementing the following tips:
Protect Paper Records
Don’t leave any paper trail! Protecting yourself from identity theft also means that you protect your paper documents. Not protecting your paper records is another way of allowing identity thieves to access and steal your personal data. Here’s how you can effectively safeguard your data:
- Store your sensitive data or documents such as bank statements and tax returns in a safe or locked file cabinet
- Opt-out of any preapproved credit offers sent in your mail
- Secure your mailbox and have your mails held at a post office when you’re not around
- Invest in a shredder to help you destroy anything you no longer need before disposal
Be Careful When Using Your Credit Card
Even though identity thieves mainly target shopping online, shopping in person can also be dangerous if you’re not keen or aware of your surroundings. Identity thieves can still get your credit card information through credit card skimming, shoulder surfing, or cellphone data capture. Be conscious of people standing nearby or watching you use your credit card.
Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi
We spend lots of time on the internet, and having free wireless internet at a local shop, airport, or any other public place can be very convenient. However, the downside of public Wi-Fi also presents a perfect opportunity for online fraudsters to access your information, including passwords and usernames. Keep your data safe by using a VPN or a cellular hotspot.
Secure Your Online Accounts, Such as Email Accounts, With a Two-Factor Authentication
Creating strong passwords goes a long way to securing your sensitive information from online identity thieves. Comparitech’s statistics show that the most popular passwords across the globe are easy to guess, and that exposes people’s information to identity thieves. In fact, about 20% have shared personal email account passwords.
Avoid sharing your passwords, use complex passwords, and include two-factor authentication for your online accounts to protect yourself from identity theft. Creating different passwords for different accounts and regularly changing your passwords will make your information hard to access.
Invest in a Good Security Software
Use an antivirus to protect your devices from being attacked by malware – software that hackers use to spy on and steal your information. Most phishing messages can come through attachments and links, and having an antivirus will help you safeguard your devices.
Review Your Bank Statements and Credit Card Reports Regularly
Credit card fraud is a prevailing type of identity theft. One of the most effective ways to protect yourself against identity theft is by regularly reviewing your credit reports and bank statements. You’ll be able to track any unrecognizable transactions, even in small amounts.
In a nutshell, implementing a proactive approach and being aware of possible ways you can fall victim to identity theft will help you minimize your risk against identity theft and stay ahead of scammers.
Copyright 2022, NRPI.org
