Identity theft is the latest crime in recent years and it is not uncommon to find this crime happening at the blink of an eye. Internet Scams and Identity Theft can happen to anyone, anytime and at anyplace and it is the time you realize that you could be one of those anyone! It is, therefore, imperative that you learn best identity theft protection to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft
Everyone has false beliefs in one way or the other when it comes to identity theft. This article strives to dispel the 10 myths surrounding identity theft:
Myth 1: Phishing, Spear-Phishing And Vishing Scams Happens To Someone Else
The truth is you could be the next victim of Phishing, Spear phishing, Pharming and Vishing scams. These exotic-sounding scams fall under the category of internet scams.
Imagine one fine day you start receiving emails from an email address asking for sensitive details like your credit card number and suddenly you smell something’s fishy. It is a fraud alert, indeed! Stand back and take actions to report to agencies. You may also get in touch with identity theft protection companies.
Myth 2: One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Trash
The truth is one man’s trash is another man’s identity. Beware of what you discard as waste in the trash. Think several times ahead before you throw away the letters you received in your mail box.
Letters from your banks contain way too much financial information like your credit card receipts and financial statements. Avail the best identity theft protection services to protect your identity.
Myth 3: Your Used Computer Is Worthless
This truth might shock you: your used computer is worth its weight in gold! Are you someone who saves the passwords of your e-bank account in a notepad as you have trouble remembering everything? Well, look forward to an upcoming trouble if you are to give away your old and obsolete computer since it is gold-mine to all gold-digging hackers out there!
Myth 4: Pickpockets And Handbag-Snatchers Do Not Exist Anymore
Seriously? Think again! Pickpockets and purse snatchers still do exist! They do not snatch handbags for money, they do it to steal your identity. These are some of the easiest ways to steal your personal information in no time. In other words, stealing your wallet is the key to unlocking their various sources of income.
Myth 5: Nobody Hides In Disguises Nowadays
The expression “Wolves hiding in Sheep’s clothing” says it better. The well-dressed identity thieves will make you want to give your sensitive financial information through their seductive credit card offers, and little did you know that they are sneaky and skilful in getting their way into stealing your stuff.
Myth 6: There Will Be No Warrant For Your Arrest
Sadly, this could be a real false belief still held by many. The truth, however, is there is a warrant for your arrest! Therefore, read the identity theft protection reviews to get a glimpse of how identity theft protection companies work to prevent identity theft.
Myth 7: You Are Not Likely To Be A Victim At Your Sweet 16!
Younger generations are much immature in understanding the reality and hence are fallen into the trap of giving out all their personal information! No wonder, you are sweet sixteen and already a victim of identity theft!
Myth 8: Death Will Solve All Your Identity Theft Problems
Think thrice before you utter R.I.P to a dead person! Because your identity is not going to die as soon as you die, being dead will not protect you from identity theft.
Ghosting is the official term for the process of assuming a dead person’s identity. There are numerous incidents of stolen identities of dead men.
Myth 9: Hotel Business Centers Are Safe
Truth be told, it is the other way round: hotel business centers could be treacherous, so you will never know who is watching you with a stealthy eye at an unknown place.
Myth 10: Identity Thieves Can Seldom Hear You.
What if I told you identity thieves can hear you now? Of course, you are at your home and just chatting with your friends in social media websites while signing into Skype as well. Beware! It is a piece of cake for identity thieves to track your registration details, your IP address, chat records and video calls that you make at Skype.
Now that you know of the myths, it should seem so scary. The whole affair of having an online presence out in the cloud means. The data are for anyone to retrieve. With recent data breaches even from the govt. databases, it feels like our identity is still not stolen just because our number has not arrived.
We are just waiting to be the nth victim. But, can you not do anything to not be a victim? Of course, you can. There are certain safeguards that you can implement yourself.
Lastly, make sure you report every identity theft attempt to appropriate authority. Do it diligently and make the world a better place to live.
I’m about to dispose of two (mostly) dead laptops so I’m researching the best way to clear the hard drives. I don’t think you can be *too* paranoid with these things!