Identity theft can be a terrifying experience for anyone to go through. Unfortunately, with technology use as prevalent as ever, identity theft is also on the rise, and clever criminals can access your information in several ways. Keep reading to learn some of the most common causes of identity theft to be aware of so that you can protect yourself in the future.
Phishing
Phishing is the practice of sending fraudulent emails claiming to be an organization and requesting information from an unsuspecting victim. Some common phishing tactics you might be familiar with are fake emails from reputable sites such as Google, PayPal, and Dropbox. Some phishing emailers may even claim to be members of your own company, such as your CEO reaching out for business information. Some email services can filter out these fake emails automatically, but some may still pass through. Be on the lookout for poor grammar, and never exchange sensitive information via email.
Fake Websites
Online shopping scams are another common avenue for identity theft. Hackers will set up fake websites that mimic popular ones, such as web browsers, antivirus websites, banking websites, and even DMV and government websites. These scammers create these fake websites using URLs that are slightly different from their official counterparts, hoping to score clicks from unsuspecting web visitors who don’t know better.
Data Breaches
Data breaches most often occur in the digital space nowadays. They’re usually triggered by cyberattacks started by hackers trying to gain access to websites that host user information. Make sure to use secure your passwords for your online logins to prevent hackers from easily gaining access to your accounts. Avoid using the same password for multiple logins—if a hacker gains access to one account with the password, they could easily use the same password to unlock other accounts.
Information Theft
Most instances of identity theft take place online nowadays, but scammers are always on the lookout for ways to steal your physical information as well. Criminals may resort to going through a victim’s mail or even their trash to gather confidential information. For this reason, you should always remember to destroy your physical identifiers, such as mail, documents, and ID cards, before you throw them away. An easy way to dispose of paper documents is to shred them first. Make sure you properly dispose of ID cards and credit cards as well, since you can’t run these items through most shredders.
Remembering these common causes of identity theft can help you take more care when handling your confidential information online and physically. Always practice safe internet habits, and remember to destroy personal documents and IDs when necessary. These small practices can go a long way to protect your identity from thieves.
