People live in fear of thieves.
Back in the day, all you had to do was lock your doors and close the curtains to ward them off.
Now, all of the things you hold dear can be stolen from you by faceless online attackers.
With technology ever-evolving, scam artists find new ways to steal from you to line their own pockets.
Let me hand you a security system to alert you if this theft is happening. That way your money stays out of thieving red hands.
Identity theft has become a growing problem as financial institutions transfer operations to online forums.
You’re offered the convenience of not having to go into a physical location to handle your affairs, but it also requires you to upload hordes of sensitive information online.
If you know anything about digital security, you should know never to send your Social Security number (SSN) or debit card numbers through a text or email, but to speed things up, your bank may ask for them in an online chat box.
Some companies capitalize off of web insecurity, as evidenced by the booming cybersecurity industry.
Big-name companies charge exorbitant fees for online protections you’ve never even heard of, let alone want to pay for.
But you have to if you want to keep your information safe – or so they say.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t trust cybersecurity companies, but you should know that the insiders claiming to protect your information could be the ones profiting off of it.
Take Equifax for example.
As one of the three credit institutions, they just settled a couple hundred-million-dollar lawsuit after a severe data breach compromised their customers’ data.
To top it off, not only are affected parties only receiving $125 in compensation, they’re also being offered free credit monitoring for a year.
Because when a security guard allows a break-in, you want them to guard the door for free, right?
Of course not.
Identity theft may sound like the plot for a comedy, but it’s very real in this online financial world we live in today.
Hackers lurking in the shadows can make off with not only your money, but also your peace of mind.
When your sensitive information is stolen, it’s not just your credit or debit card numbers at stake.
Scam artists can steal your name, SSN, and address to create accounts and debts in your name that you now have to answer for.
They can sabotage your credit score, hike up insurance rates, and wreck your chances of retirement in the blink of an eye, or more fittingly, in the flash of a screen.
But what are you supposed to do? Unfortunately, you have to watch your own back in these kinds of situations.
Lucky for you, I’ve been keeping tabs on how identity thieves like to operate, and I brought you a list of things to keep an eye on to protect yourself.
Here are warning signs that your identity might have been stolen:
- Bank withdrawals you didn’t make.
- You don’t receive bills or other mail.
- Your cards or checks are declined.
- Debts appear that aren’t yours.
- Unfamiliar charges appear in your accounts.
- Medical providers request payment for services you didn’t use.
- Your health claim is rejected because records show you reached benefits limit.
- A health plan won’t cover you because you have a falsified medical condition.
- More than one tax return was filed in your name, or you received unexplained income.
- You’re notified information was compromised by a data breach.
- Any other suspicious activity involving your finances or sensitive information.
If you do notice any of these warning signs, contact the Federal Trade Commission, or visit identitytheft.gov.
Their website is easy to use and will guide you through the process of reporting your identity theft.
Don’t let thieves like this throw a knife in your plans to make money or retire.
Your riches belong with you, and now you can ensure your private information does too.
