4 Other Ways Identity Thieves Acquire Your Personal Information

Previously, I have discussed 4 Ways Identity Thieves Acquire Your Personal Information. There are more ways on getting your identity stolen. Below, I have listed 4 more examples on how other people access your personal information.

Wi-Fi hacking

• Generally, public Wi-Fi connections are unencrypted, meaning everyone is just free to connect without any layer of defense. The more people connects to Wi-Fi connection, the more vulnerable it gets. Hence, cybercriminals could have better chances when snooping for information on public Wi-Fis.
• Be careful when using a public connection. If there’s no need to go online, then, don’t risk your safety. Only make purchases or access your bank account when you are connected to a secured connection. If your device uses an outdated software, it may be vulnerable to malware attacks.
• When you are constantly travelling and you need be online, you might want to consider using a VPN for added protection. Just remember VPN will NOT make you entirely anonymous. Moreover, a free VPN will do more harm than good.
• It is still recommend to take the necessary precautions when you are in public. Sometimes, identity thieves even set up a  fake Wi-Fi connections with names similar to legit services. Avoid haphazardly connecting to any network you see. Always check the spelling of the Wi-Fi connection before entering.

Voice phishing

• Phishing does not always happen through emails; there is such a thing as voice phishing too. Vishing is a phone scam similar to email phishing. Usually, fraudsters pretend that they are from your bank or from the IRS.
• If you receive this type of phone call, hang up immediately and do not give your personal details. Legit bank communications are generally sent to your mail. When in doubt, do not engage with these potential fraudsters and put down the phone.

Data breaches

• Nowadays, data breaches are becoming a common occurrence. Just look at this report posted on CNBC and you will realize that even industry giants have been breached.
• In 2019, Facebook also experienced a data breach. There were over 540 Facebook accounts that were exposed on an Amazon cloud server. Speaking of Amazon, the company also experienced a security breach.
• All these examples are just the tip of the iceberg. To be honest, there are still more incidents of data breach. The customers are always on the losing end because their personal information are now exposed.

Tax ID theft

• Did you know that identity thieves could also claim your tax refund? All they need is your Social Security number in order to collect your benefits, and you won’t even notice it until you file your tax return. Then, you will be in complete surprise to receive a letter from the IRS, confirming that a tax return has been filed.

There are countless ways for identity thieves to acquire your personal information. At the end of the day, it is best to take the necessary precautions before transacting online. Omnipotech is here to provide cybersecurity solutions to various types of businesses.

You can contact the Omnipotech Support Center now and we will guide you on how you can protect yourself and your business from identity thieves and other cybercriminals. Whether you need help in IT consulting or have any questions on cybersecurity, do not hesitate to call Omnipotech at 281-768-4800!