Identity theft is a serious crime that has increased significantly in recent years. If you have already become the victim of this abuse, quick action is of crucial importance to limit the damage and protect yourself against future attacks.
More and more victims of identity theft
In recent years, the number of offenses in which criminals use the identity of other people for online shopping has drastically increased, as the Federal Criminal Police Office reports in the Federal Lagild Cybercrime 2020. Affected people often only learn about these fraudulent activities when they suddenly receive reminders from debt collection agencies or creditors. The effects can be financially devastating and bring considerable inconvenience. Nevertheless, affected people should keep calm and observe the following information.
Inform creditors and filed a complaint
If reminders or invoices arrive for orders that have not been made, it is important to contact the creditors concerned immediately, according to the Lower Saxony Consumer Center. These should be informed that you have become the victim of identity theft and that the orders in question have not been abandoned independently. The creditors may also offer support in clarifying the incident.
A identity theft should always be reported to the police by those affected, according to the Lower Saxony Consumer Center. With an advertisement from the local police or via the online portal of the police, the incident can be documented and legal steps are initiated against the perpetrators.
In addition, credit reports such as the Schufa should be informed, according to the Lower Saxony Consumer Center. By checking the entries in the personal profile for authenticity, it can be checked whether the identities of those affected were misused for fraudulent purposes in further cases.
Security precautions
In order to minimize the risk of becoming the victim of identity theft, there are various measures that are recommended, among other things, by the Federal Office of Safety in Information Technology. Above all, the use of strong passwords, the use of a password manager, the activation of the two-factor authentication and special caution in emails, attach and links are advised.
In addition, sharing personal information should be reduced to a minimum. However, various user names on various platforms can also make it difficult to create an overall profile. Protecting social media profiles and critical review of friendship requests are also important steps to secure digital identity.
As the Federal Office of Information Technology reports, public WLAN networks should be handled with caution. In addition, regular software updates and current security software are also decisive.
Editor finance.net