Identity theft and you and ways to protect yourself

If you are wondering as to how one can steal your identity, then you will be shocked to hear more about this grave crime that is a common occurrence today all over the world. To understand more about identity theft, you need to understand what comprises the word ‘identity’. Earlier, identity meant the way you look, your features, personality, the fingerprints, DNA and so on. But today, there are many information that is just yours that comprise your identity and that includes bank account details, credit card information, your address, email ids, other financial information, insurance details, social security number and even your name. People who steal identity can easily hack into systems and steal all these personal information about you and make illegal use of these to steal your money, buy things using your credit card, take insurance benefits on your behalf, and open loans and so on. This is what identity theft is all about.

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You should make it a habit to check from time to time if there are any activities going on without your knowledge as far as your personal information is concerned. Though many a times, a person might not know if his details have been encroached upon, there are times you can have a clue about it. For example, if you have been receiving calls about loans in your name that you have no idea, you should check with your bank immediately. Then, if you are informed about your health insurance being crossing its limit or you start receiving mails about financial transactions that you have not been a part of or you stop receiving mails that you usually receive, all these mean that there are chances that you are a victim of identity theft. Even in the case of tax returns, if you are told that there are more returns in your name, which means someone else is using your personal information.

How does technology help in today”s fast paced world?

Earlier, identity theft was only about stealing information but today it is all about breaching the entire data, which means that your entire information, from your name to your financial details can be hacked upon.

Technology in a way has aided identity thieves. They have become smarter now. A new form is to get access to transactional data. Before, these thieves made unauthorised purchases in a person’s name but now it is about keeping a check on the online purchases a person makes. The thieves study the pattern of purchase, the sites usually accessed and so on. Then, they make similar purchases. Such activities do not raise any doubts and most often, such theft go unnoticed.

Be conscious of where you are and what you are speaking

Sometimes, we give out precious information or talk about out financial transactions in public while talking on phones. Never do that. There are chances that there are criminal roaming around who can hear your conversation and use the information for fraudulent activities. Even using free Wi-Fi is pretty harmful. Be conscious, be aware and be smart to prevent identity theft. Visit IDtheftauthority.com to learn more.