Dangers of Identity Theft
Identity theft is extremely dangerous. If someone manages to access your social security number, they could gain access to all an individual's documents and use these documents to pose as you, and could potentially go as extreme as to engaging in other criminal activities as you.
Identity theft could also be extremely impacting monetary-wise. If someone manages to access your banking or credit card information, they could use it to rack up huge expenses, counterfeit checks, or even wipe your whole banking account.
Identity theft could also be extremely impacting monetary-wise. If someone manages to access your banking or credit card information, they could use it to rack up huge expenses, counterfeit checks, or even wipe your whole banking account.
How Online Identity Theft Happens
Your information can be accessed in many ways when online.
- A big concern of buying things online is that the online business stores your information when you order something. Although this information is typically kept secure, it's still accessible
- People who spread malware can plant spyware that can gain information without your knowledge
- Hackers can access information
- People can fall victim while in chat rooms, where they are tricked by an identity thief to give their information
- A big concern of buying things online is that the online business stores your information when you order something. Although this information is typically kept secure, it's still accessible
- People who spread malware can plant spyware that can gain information without your knowledge
- Hackers can access information
- People can fall victim while in chat rooms, where they are tricked by an identity thief to give their information
Prevention
Since identity theft is so dangerous, it is very important to protect yourself against it. You can:
- keep yourself informed
- don't give out your personal information to people via social media or phishing sites
- only order things online or download software from trusted sources
- always monitor your bank account
- anti-malware software can help, as it prevents attackers that access your information via malware.
- keep yourself informed
- don't give out your personal information to people via social media or phishing sites
- only order things online or download software from trusted sources
- always monitor your bank account
- anti-malware software can help, as it prevents attackers that access your information via malware.