Ways Identity Theft Can Happen
Your personal information can be stolen in many different ways, online or offline. Its good to be concerned about what you do and how you do it but you don't always want to be paranoid and looking over your shoulder. Tossing an old bank statement Bank account statements can be used to access your name and account number if not disposed of properly. Losing your cell phone Many phones save passwords and accounts and therefor if stolen can be used to change and take over accounts. Updating your anti-virus software Be careful of unknown emails about updating anti-virus software, this software might keep track of your computer and may actually give it a virus. Getting a phone call Sometimes a "Bank Representative" could be calling or emailing you to provide your bank account information and your first instinct would be to give it to them. The best think to do is to hang up and use the bank's official telephone number. |
Winning a contest you never entered
S letter can come in the mail or email asking for your personal information so they can send you a prize that you have 'won'. In fact there is no actual prize and are using your information. Using public Wi-Fi Using public Wi-Fi and purchasing things online with a credit card can sometimes be a bad combination. The information being sent can be intercepted and used to rack up charges. Helping a friend Be wary of any e-mail asking for money - many of them are scams. Even if they claim to be someone you know, they are usually not and will scam you. Summary These are the most common ways of falling victim to identity theft. But there are also always new way that hackers or fraudulents always come up with to steal your personal information. |