You’re online and see a tempting offer, or maybe a friend’s account messages you a link to something you might be interested in, so you click on it. These are only two of many methods criminals use to steal identities, and Danny Hicks, investigator with the Poplar Bluff Police Department, said people need to practice more awareness.
“We don’t see a very high volume of identity theft crimes here locally,” Hicks explained. “But that doesn’t mean it isn’t an issue.”
Hicks described identity theft crime as any situation where a person uses your personal information without your consent in order to get something for themselves.
“Usually when something like that is done locally, we can analyze cell phones and computers and trace everything, and generally deal with it pretty quick,” Hicks noted. “But if something happens online, it’s not very likely that we can always solve those.”
It is with this in mind Hicks suggested being very cautious when opening links on social media.
“Sometimes scammers can attach something to the link so that when you click on it, it acts like a Trojan horse and invades your software,” Hicks remarked.
In many cases, Hicks explained that criminals will use an individual’s personal information to get a credit card or to make a large purchase. Hicks offered the following tips:
• Protect your Social Security Number — Don’t automatically provide your SSN when asked for it, and don’t use it as a PIN.
• Check your credit — Regularly check your credit report for sensitive information like your SSN, birthday, and address.
• Create strong passwords — Use a password manager to create and remember strong passwords, and use two-factor authentication when possible.
• Lock your devices — Lock your phone to prevent others from using it without your password. When you dispose of a device, delete personal information and overwrite the hard drive.
• Shred personal documents — This protects your personal information from identity theft and privacy concerns.
• Protect your cards — Be careful when making purchases and change your PIN regularly.
• Monitor your credit — Credit monitoring can alert you to changes in your credit report that might indicate fraud. This allows you to take action quickly, like freezing your credit, to minimize the impact on your credit score.
• Freeze your credit — This prevents cyber-criminals from opening unauthorized accounts in your name.
If someone finds they’re a victim of identity theft, Hicks encourages to first contact local law enforcement to make a report and then notify companies of your stolen identity. Hicks suggested placing an alert on your credit reports and filing a report with identity theft insurance, if applicable.
“Also, if you’re out and about and you need to use public Wi-Fi, I would suggest not being on it for very long,” Hicks stated. “I would do what needs to be done and then log off.”
Hicks explained that some criminals are able to invade your device through public Wi-Fi.
“It’s like anything else,” he noted. “It’s usually a good thing to be cautious.”