Identity theft is a term that we all know and understand well, and many of us, if not all, have been the victims of it in one way or another. It is not surprising that identity theft is the fastest growing crime putting every one of us at high risk, and the fact that it was the second most reported consumer complaint at the Federal Trade Commission in 2015 proves its severity (“FTC releases annual summary of consumer complaints,” 2016).
As suggested, it is vital to know and analyze the signs of identity theft to determine if one’s identity is stolen and what course of action is needed in such a situation. I agree with the preventive measures described as these can reduce the propensity of the breach and keep one’s personal information protected. A study has revealed that 87 percent of consumers while accessing emails and bank accounts, left their information unprotected (Cook, 2018).
Protecting social security cards and their details is an essential step together with ignoring and reporting unauthorized requests that ask for personal information such as birthdate, credit card number, etc., to security agencies. Similarly, frequent change of passwords, increasing password complexity, use of anti-virus tools, firewalls, and data encryption techniques surely mitigate the risks of a data breach. Other measures include limiting the information that we share on social media, keeping a soft copy of important documents only when necessary, and signing up for mobile alerts that inform you of every banking transaction instantaneously (“8 smart ways to protect against identity theft,” 2018).
The fact that individuals are prone to identity theft requires them to be ultra-vigilant and adopt as many measures as they can. Negligence on their part makes it easy for criminals to steal vital information.
References
Cook, S. (2018). Identity theft stats & facts: 2017 – 2018. Web.
FTC releases annual summary of consumer complaints. (2016). Web.
Mental floss. (2018). 8 smart ways to protect against identity theft. Web.