We live in a time of transition to the digital world in which we do more and more things online. Whether for work or leisure, we depend more and more on the network of networks. At work we increasingly rely on remote work and cloud services. On the other hand, also from home we make more purchases on the Internet, we play online and we use social networks. This has also made cybercriminals focus on obtaining our personal data to carry out their fraud. One of them is identity theft in which our credit cards are sometimes used. In this article we are going to see what are the main signs that your identity has been stolen on the Internet.
Our habits are changing and we spend more and more time on the Internet. This change implies that our behavior is changing and we increasingly share our personal data with the companies with which we do more business or purchases. Cybercriminals, on the other hand, are stealing that data both directly from organizations and individuals. In 2021, by the third quarter, more than 1,000 infractions had already been publicly reported, which is already more than in all of 2020. Therefore, you have to be vigilant in case your identity has been stolen on the Internet.
What can they do with your stolen data?
Cybercriminal attacks cost trillions of euros a year. Based on the data they obtain, it is unlikely that these data breach attackers are the same ones attempting identity fraud. Generally, this stolen data is sold on specialized dark web forums. This data is then tested by identity fraudsters to use for themselves or sold again.
When your identity has been stolen online, that information is used to:
- Hijack retail accounts preloaded with your cards and use this access to complete fraudulent transactions.
- Make fraudulent payments directly if your credit card details were stolen.
- Impersonate bank staff to reset accounts and get the scammer to take over.
- Get credits in your name.
- Committing health insurance fraud or using it for a tax refund.
You may be interested in knowing how to avoid identity theft on the Internet.
How do I know if my identity has been stolen online?
In this aspect we have many indicators that can warn us that we may be victims of identity theft. An example of an alarm that may indicate that your identity has been stolen on the Internet is receive a notification letter.
We must also see if in our bank statement or credit card we have one unusual activity. An indication that something is wrong is having small charges on the card that we have not made. Cybercriminals usually check that this works and then proceed to make larger purchases. In case this happens you have to contact your bank immediately. Another clue may be if we have problems when making the income statement. In that case, they pretend to be the victim to collect the corresponding refunds.
In addition, we also have to check if your accounts have stopped working. If our credentials have been stolen, the first thing they will do is change the password to take possession.
If they manage to trick your mobile operator, they will have them transfer your number to a device under their control. This is known as SIM Swapping. This is very dangerous because they could intercept any SMS access code from your bank and can be used to validate operations. Another sign that things are not going well is when you get bills for services you didn’t order and debt collectors are calling you.
How to protect your identity
In the hypothetical case that your identity has been stolen on the Internet, you have to start by informing your bank, your card provider and denouncing any suspected fraud to the authorities as soon as possible. However, whether we have been a victim of identity theft or not, we can improve our security by doing a number of things:
- Use strong, long, unique passwords for all accounts. Also, you have to save them in a password manager. Passwords should never be reused.
- Activate multi-factor authentication on all your accounts.
- We must have an updated antivirus and, if possible, antimalware software.
- Our operating system must have the latest updates installed.
- Learn about identity theft and how to protect our online security.
- Avoid unofficial app stores.
- Don’t use public Wi-Fi without VPN.
- Visit only HTTPS web pages with the lock icon.
Thanks to these tips you will be able to protect your identity so that it is not stolen.