The U.S. is witnessing a significant increase in identity theft. It has now become prevalent. The Federal Trade Commission received 1.4 million complaints of identity theft from consumers. In addition, the purpose behind committing such an act is to impersonate you and accomplish their criminal objectives. Still, for instance, your credit card details, social security number, taxpayer, medical, account identity theft, etc.
Why is Identity Protection Important?
Every day, we are likely exposed to this heinous crime that has resulted in the terrible lives of many innocent citizens. The cybercrime rate has tremendously increased due to social media platforms where people frequently share about themselves. This element has allowed identity thieves to collect information on a person with a few clicks.
Protecting your identity creates a barrier and limits access to your sensitive information. According to authentic resources, Identity theft negatively impacts tens of millions of people in the U.S. annually. The number is quite surprising and alarming enough to convince you to protect your identity; otherwise, you may be counted among the tens of millions of U.S citizens. Furthermore, due to damaged reputation, police interaction, or other crimes, identity theft results in unemployment. You may not know what criminal activity your personal and financial information is being used for. Cybercriminals are hungry for such information. So, watch out.
The Risks of Not Protecting Your Identity
Let me give you a spoiler: this activity is much worse than you think; you cannot assess the intention of a cyber-criminal. Every day in the news, we are enlightened regarding the innovative and intelligent ways that criminals conduct to steal your personal information. In worst cases, Dark web hackers can hack it. Let’s unveil the profound and life-changing consequences if you fail to maintain identity protection.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, 2021 was the worst year for identity theft. More than 5.7 million Americans were victims of identity theft and fraud, suffering losses in the billions.
Bear in mind that identity theft is not solely related to financial losses. Still, once the criminals achieve your sensitive data, they can badly influence your reputation and career opportunities, damage your credit history, and associate you with a criminal record. And the aftermath depends on the severity of the act, which could take years to recover.
Steps to Take to Protect Your Identity
We are done with learning what identity theft is and what its consequences are. Now, the critical question you must be wondering is how to dodge this heinous crime in the presence of social media and other platforms where you are obliged to provide your personal information such as bank accounts, emails, etc. Though the date might be encrypted, however, it does not entirely eradicate the occurrence of stealing your identity.
As more of our lives move online, it’s essential to protect our identities. Here are a few things you can do to safeguard your personal information. These simple steps can help protect your identity and keep your data safe.
- Make use of a secure password. Use strong passwords for all your online accounts, and never reuse passwords.
- Check your credit card statements frequently.
- Don’t click on links or open attachments from unknown senders.
- Be cautious about your online posts, and consider making your social media accounts private.
- Use a VPN to encrypt your data and hide your IP address when connecting to public Wi-Fi.
- Never, NEVER share your personal information on non-authentic websites.
- Download virus and spyware protection software and keep your anti-virus and anti-malware software current.
- Protection of social security number.
- Assess your credit report monthly.
Your Best Defense Against Identity Theft
Identity theft is a severe problem that can have a lasting impact on your life. Luckily, there are things you can do to protect yourself from becoming a victim.
One of the best things you can do is to keep your personal information safe. Be careful about who you give your information to and only share it with people you trust. You should also monitor your credit report and report any suspicious activity immediately.
Another good defense against identity theft is to use strong passwords and never reuse them. It would help if you never wrote your passwords down or stored them on your computer. Be sure to choose passwords that are difficult to guess and change them regularly.
Identity theft is a severe threat, but you can protect yourself by being vigilant and taking the necessary precautions. Follow these tips shared by experts to help keep your personal information safe.
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