Some common privacy errors that can lead to identity theft include revealing your home address, birthday, or your pet's name on social media, and discarding financial records in the trash, where someone might find them and glean your account details.
And despite your best efforts, your personal information and credit card numbers can end up for sale on the dark web, as a result of a data breach.
In some cases, the tipoff comes when you start receiving bills for things you did not buy. Even if your credit cards are still safely in your pocket, the information on them may be used to buy things online. Phishing scams, in
which hackers use emails to trick people into giving up the keys to the kingdom, are still common.
Other signs that may point to identity theft include unfamiliar transactions on your credit card statement, mail pieces with your address but another person’s name, unexpectedly denied credit, and (big red flag) a notice confirming that your annual taxes were filed, before you actually did so. If any of those things happens, a
scammer has your social security number, and has begun to wreak havoc.
Has Your Identity Been Stolen?
In yesterday's email, I mentioned the avoidable privacy mistakes that Walter made, which allowed hackers to access his computer, and cost him thousands of dollars. Have you made the same mistakes, or others that could make you
a threat to your own personal privacy?
