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Identity
8 TYPES OF IDENTITY THEFT AND HOW TO PROTECT AGAINST THEM
by Fred Decker June 9, 2021
by Fred Decker June 9, 2021
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Identity theft didn’t begin with the digital era — con artists have impersonated
others for centuries — but the computer age, especially the rise of the
internet, has created a number of new ways for criminals to steal your identity
and profit from it.
There are more types of identity theft than you might think, using methods from
sophisticated hacking to old-fashioned physical thievery. This quick reference
guide breaks down the most common forms of identity theft, how to recognize them
and what you can do about them.
1. THE BIG DATA BREACH
These are the kind of hacks that garner the most headlines because they can
affect thousands or even millions of users at once. Notorious hacks at Yahoo,
Target, Equifax, and even the federal government’s own Office of Personnel
Management exposed millions of Americans’ personal information.
WHO'S CALLING ME?
Search any phone number to learn more about the owner!
What To Do About It:
* Watch for news stories about data breaches, especially those involving
companies you deal with. Setting up a Google alert for phrases such as “data
breach” and “major hack” can help.
* Change any passwords, PINs, or usernames you’d used with that company. If
you have reused the same credentials on other sites, change them there as
well.
* Reach out to the company that was breached and find out what services (if
any) they’re providing to victims. The OPM, for example, offered a pretty
good range of them.
* Limit the number of sites used where you sign up for an account/membership to
gain access or use disposable email addresses for that purpose.
2. ADDRESS FRAUD AND MAIL THEFT
Good old-fashioned physical “snail mail” is a rich source of raw material for
criminals. If your home has an exterior mailbox, thieves can simply take the
actual envelopes. Those with a lower tolerance for risk can also put in a bogus
change of address with the USPS and have your mail delivered right to them.
Once they’ve gotten your bank or credit card statements, preapproved credit
offers, or perhaps even credit cards you’ve legitimately ordered, they can loot
your good name for all it’s worth.
What To Do About It:
* If you own your home, consider having a mail slot in the door rather than
using an outside mailbox. If that’s not a practical option, get yourself a
post office box and have your mail delivered there.
* Be vigilant. If a bill or statement doesn’t arrive when you expect it, reach
out to the company and see if there’s a problem. If they show you at a new
address, or if it was mailed but didn’t reach you, that’s a big red flag.
Change your passwords and PINs immediately, and have a new card issued.
* Get electronic bills or statements. They can’t be physically stolen, and —
as a bonus — you’ll be reducing paper waste.
* Check your mail every day and place a hold on mail delivery if you’ll be away
for a while.
3. TAX-RELATED IDENTITY THEFT
One of the particularly sneaky ways criminals can misuse your identity is within
the taxation system. Most people use their credit and debit cards daily but
only interact with the IRS once a year. That means scammers with your social
security number can use it to file a bogus return (and claim your refund!) or to
claim your dependents for a deduction on their return. You often won’t know
until you file your return and are refused.
What To Do About It:
File an Identity Theft Affidavit, Form 14039, with the IRS. Work through the
IRS victim assistance process to establish your identity and verify that you
are, in fact who you say you are. You may need to go to a Taxpayer Assistance
Center in person.
4. MEDICAL/INSURANCE IDENTITY THEFT
A similar form of identity theft takes advantage of your medical coverage to
cover the cost of treatment, medications, medical devices and other benefits.
This can happen if thieves manage to secure your SSN, steal mail containing your
benefits information, or breach your provider’s computer system. Again, you
won’t know until you submit a claim and learn that your benefits are
mysteriously maxed out.
What To Do About It:
Immediately query any refused claims with your insurance company. Have receipts
or bank records ready when you call, so you can immediately identify which
claims are (and are not) legitimate.
If you’re on Medicare, submit a fraud complaint to the HHS’ Office of the
Inspector General.
5. CHILD/DEPENDENT IDENTITY THEFT
This is another subtle form of identity theft that can “fly under the radar” for
extended periods. Criminals steal (or buy) your minor child’s SSN and then use
it to create a synthetic identity. In this scenario, the fraudster uses a real
person’s SSN to create a fake persona that can be used to launder money, apply
for benefits or open up new credit accounts. Aside from those of children, SSNs
belonging to elderly relatives or those living in care for other reasons can
also be misused in this way.
What To Do About It:
Until your children reach the age of needing credit in their names, the single
biggest step you can take is to place a credit freeze in their name with the
three credit reporting agencies. The same holds for adult dependents under your
care, as long as: a) You hold a power of attorney, and b) their existing credit
is adequate to their needs. Most new credit requires a credit report, and a
freeze blocks those. It can later be lifted as or when necessary.
6. IDENTITY THEFT FROM PHISHING
As scams go, this is one of the all-time classics. It’s a simple concept:
Someone sends you an email (or text or social media message) with a link in it.
Once you click the link, you’re taken to a malicious site where many things can
happen, none of them good for you. Malicious software might be loaded to your
computer or phone, for example, or you might see what looks like a legit login
screen asking for your username and password (or a “verification” page asking
for your personal information or banking information).
What To Do About It:
* First and foremost, don’t click on a link in an email! Even if it appears to
come from a company you legitimately deal with, go to the company’s site
instead and look for the corresponding page. Alternatively, just call them
to confirm that they’ve sent this particular email (this works with friends,
too).
* Learn to view the sender’s actual email address. Depending on your email
software, it may already be visible, or you may have to hover over the
sender’s name or choose a menu option that says “show original” or “view
headers” or something like that. If the email comes from a Gmail account, an
account that appears to be a random collection of letters, or from a
different country, don’t open it.
* If the email address doesn’t look right, use Spokeo’s Reverse Email Search to
look up who owns it. Alternatively, use the Reverse Phone Lookup if the
message came by text or chat app.
7. IDENTITY THEFT THROUGH WALLET/PHONE ACCESS
This one can really hurt because it means someone close to you has taken
advantage of that proximity. It may be a complete stranger, not someone who’s
part of your circle, but it’s still a pretty major violation. It basically
means that someone either steals or accesses your wallet, your ID, or your
personal devices and steals the personally identifying information they find
there.
Even worse, many sites verify your identity through a code sent to your phone.
With hands-on your phone, even briefly, someone can use it to gain entry to your
accounts, receive a verification code and then use it to change the passwords
and lock you out of your own accounts.
What To Do About It:
* Keep your wallet and devices secure. Don’t leave a wallet, purse, phone,
tablet, or laptop unattended with people around, or, at the very least,
password protect your devices.
* Use biometric tools — fingerprint unlock or face unlock — if your device
offers them. It’s not foolproof, but it’s safer than a password (or not
locking the device at all).
* Instead of using a text message for verifications, buy a hardware key. It’s
a small USB device you can keep on your keychain and — once it’s set up —
sites can use that as a second form of authentication when you log in.
8. BLUETOOTH AND NETWORK VULNERABILITIES
Sometimes physical access to your devices isn’t even necessary. Most devices
now can connect through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and criminals haven’t been slow to
exploit vulnerabilities in those wireless connections. The same Bluetooth
connection you use for your wireless headphones can be used to pillage your
phone, for example, and there are many well-established vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi
as well.
What To Do About It:
* Turn off your Bluetooth when you’re in crowded public places. It’s
inconvenient but a lot less so than identity theft.
* Don’t use public Wi-Fi networks for anything sensitive, like your banking
website. Wait until you’re home or use your cellular data instead.
* Learn to secure your home network against external threats (it’s easier than
you think).
* If you’re at least moderately tech-savvy, consider using a VPN to protect
your online activities.
SOME FINAL IDENTITY THEFT TIPS
No matter how identity theft occurs, there are some universal steps you can (and
should!) take to limit its potential impact on your life and improve the
likelihood of the criminals being caught. In no particular order, here are
several of the most important:
* Regularly check your bank and credit card statements for suspicious activity,
and also check your credit reports (you’re entitled to a free one every year
from each of the three reporting agencies, so if you stagger them, you can
have a fresh report every four months).
* Take advantage of Spokeo Protect’s dark web monitoring feature to receive
alerts if your personal information is mentioned, bought or sold on the dark
web.
* Educate yourself. Government sites, including the FTC and USA.gov offer
excellent information about identity theft in general. A variety of internet
security sites (including this humble blog) contain a wealth of advice about
current scams and identity theft prevention. Forewarned is forearmed, right?
* If you discover that you have been the victim of identity theft, report it
online at IdentityTheft.gov or by telephone at 1-877-438-4338. You can
create an account on the website to create a recovery plan, which walks you
through the process of notifying your creditors of the theft and
reestablishing your good name.
* Report the incident to local law enforcement, if appropriate, or to the FBI’s
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) if the identity theft happened online.
DON’T FALL VICTIM
Identity theft is a legitimate threat, but it tends to seek easy targets like
any other form of criminal activity. If you’re familiar with the most common
forms of identity theft and take steps to both minimize your risk and maximize
the chances of detecting it, congratulations! You’re no longer the “low-hanging
fruit” criminals seek out.
You may still be victimized — it’s almost impossible to protect yourself
completely — but you’ll have reduced the odds sharply. That’s a solid win by
any standard.
REFERENCES:
* U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – Altaba, Formerly Known as Yahoo!,
Charged With Failing to Disclose Massive Cybersecurity Breach; Agrees To Pay
$35 Million
* Reuters – Target in $18.5 Million Multi-State Settlement Over Data Breach
* U.S. Federal Trade Commission – The Equifax Data Breach: What To Do | FTC
* CSO Online – The OPM Hack Explained: Bad Security Practices Meet China’s
Captain America
* Google Support – Create an Alert – Google Search Help
* U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Cybersecurity Resource Center Sign Up
for Services
* Digital Trends – How To Make Disposable Email Addresses
* U.S. Internal Revenue Service –
* How IRS ID Theft Victim Assistance Works
* U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General –
Submit a Hotline Complaint | Office of Inspector General | US Department of
Health and Human Services
* U.S. Government Accountability Office WatchBlog – Watching Out for Synthetic
Identity Fraud
* U.S. Federal Trade Commission – Credit Freeze FAQs
* Hostinger Tutorials – What Are Email Headers? A Comprehensive Guide
* The Verge – The Best Hardware Security Keys for Two Factor
AuthenticationGlobalSign – The Top 5 Bluetooth Security Vulnerabilities
* AT&T Cybersecurity – Wireless Network and Wi-Fi Security Issues to Look Out
For
* U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation – Internet Crime Complaint Center
* USA Gov – Identity Theft
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