Paying bills, scheduling appointments, applying for jobs — we share personal information with businesses and other people nearly every day.
Since so much of our data is shared online, it’s easy to forget that it’s valuable — especially to scammers. Nearly every scam involves some form of identity or information theft.
Scammers want your personal information so they can steal money from you directly or impersonate you to carry out other scams. They seek out passwords, routing numbers, addresses, PINs, security codes on credit cards, birthdates, Social Security numbers and more.
To help you avoid identity theft, the Better Business Bureau’s International Investigations Initiative has released a new study. Over the past three years, identity theft reports to the BBB have increased.
What’s more, the way scammers steal information is changing, as new technology such as artificial intelligence helps them trick more people, faster. Fraudsters who successfully steal personal information often sell it on the dark web for use in future scams.
Information theft and data breaches are so common that it’s nearly impossible to keep all of your information completely safe. The good news is that there are red flags you can look out for and precautions you can take.
What are the signs of identity theft?
Misspelled website URLs
Suspicious links or attachments in unexpected emails
Websites with low-quality design
Texts from unknown sources
Unexpected messages on social media
How can I protect myself from identity theft?
Secure your personal information. Usernames, passwords, bank account numbers and Social Security numbers are just a few pieces of personal information you should only share with fully trusted sources.
Monitor your accounts. Information theft is difficult to avoid. Regularly checking your credit report and financial accounts can help you catch fraud early — before costly scams occur.
Use strong passwords and multifactor authentication. Experts agree that multifactor authentication is one of the best ways to safeguard your accounts. While it may add a step when you log in, it can make your most sensitive accounts nearly impenetrable to all but the most sophisticated scammers.
Protect your financial identity. If you don’t need to open any new credit accounts soon, freezing your credit can stop scammers from ever getting the chance to use stolen information. Setting up fraud alerts can help cut off scammers’ attempts before any damage is done.
Don O’Brien is the regional director for the Quincy Better Business Bureau. Contact him at [email protected] or 217-209-3972.
