Everyone must aware of frauds and cybercrime in Identity Theft

Never give out personal or banking information over calls- they can be used to access your accounts. Mumbai and Pune police departments have been on top of their social media game. Whether it be sensitising people about cyber security or making them aware about precautionary measures against the novel coronavirus, both the teams have been a pro at it. Not only can identity theft cause financial loss and stress, it can take months or even years to stop fraudulent activities and clear your name. Identity theft can negatively affect your credit report, cause employment issues, and impact your ability to get loans and open credit cards.

Identity theft can happen to anyone. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that 9 million Americans have their identity stolen every year. According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), a victim of identity theft on average loses about $1,000, though some experience damages in the millions. Hence, it is advised for everyone, A fraud alert can be placed on your credit report with any of the major credit bureaus – TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. Placing a fraud alert with one credit bureau automatically enables the alert for the other bureaus, too.

Globally, the number of internet users increased very rapidly and there were more than 1.8 billion websites online in 2019 and that approximately 14,281 new websites were being created every day. This brings an potential threat to all.

Unfortunately, data is stolen on the Internet every day. Personal data including social security numbers, credit card numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdays, driver’s licenses, and more are all collected and sold on the dark web. Not many of us have the time or skill to track down our stolen information, so enabling dark web monitoring can help you stay aware of when websites you frequent have had data breaches that put you at risk of identity theft. Turn on dark web monitoring so that you know when to update passwords and keep a sharper eye out for fraudulent activity.

Keep your devices clean and up to date: Be sure to regularly apply updates to your software and hardware, as they often contain important security fixes. Regularly clear your browser cache to remove cookies. Set a reminder in your calendar once or twice a year to remove apps and extensions you’re no longer using, check your privacy permissions across your accounts, update passwords, and run a security scan of your devices. By keeping your devices clean and patching security issues, you’re eliminating vulnerabilities that thieves can exploit to steal your personal information.

Stay suspicious of people asking for information: Look carefully at links, attachments, and requests for information. Be cautious about unsolicited communication, both from friends and strangers. If you’re unsure, ask them for more information – and let them know if their account seems to be hacked. Do not give anyone personal information over the phone, especially if someone calls you claiming to be tech support, the bank, or the IRS. It is advised to use a password-protected Wi-Fi network, and never do anything sensitive when on open, unsecured Wi-Fi.

S Mohini Ratna, Editor, VARINDIA