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How Does Identity Theft Happen: 4 Common Scenarios

Written By: Michelle Maneri, First New York Contact Center Manager

Identity theft can happen quickly and unexpectedly. You can prevent this from happening to yourself by finding out the answer to “How does identity theft happen?”  

My name’s Michelle Maneri, and I’m First New York Federal Credit Union’s Contact Center Manager. In this article, I’ll go over how identity theft happens and some common scenarios. This way you can better shield yourself against potential identity thieves.

How Does Identity Theft Happen?

Identity theft can leave a lot of unanswered questions.

There are many ways identity thieves can access your information. It can be electronically through public Wi-Fi or unsecured networks, over the phone, or as simple as going through mail or trash. Here, are four scenarios to look out for to protect yourself against identity theft.

Common Scenario 1: Not Shredding Your Personal Information

If you’re not shredding paperwork that contains sensitive information, you could be putting yourself a risk for fraud. For example, identity thieves can go through your trash or mail to search for cash or checks that contain personal information. Instead, make it a priority to shred anything that contains names, signatures, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, social security numbers, account numbers, medical or legal information, or anything else you consider sensitive.

Common Scenario 2: Browsing on an Un-Secured Network

Identity thieves and cyber criminals use unsecured networks to view your browsing. They hack into public Wi-Fi networks or pose as real ones waiting for people to join. When you join the network, cybercriminals are now able to view everything you are viewing.

If you don’t have a secure VPN or private Wi-Fi network, you should avoid logging into or viewing any service that you wouldn’t want anyone to see. This includes your bank or any other private account. A good rule of thumb, stay off of public Wi-Fi and unsecured networks.

Common Scenario 3: Sharing Sensitive Information to Non-Trustworthy Sources

Never share personal or sensitive information with anyone. Only share what you need to with trustworthy sources like specific family members and verified organizations. A good tip is to create a code word with your family members to verify their identity to ensure they’re not an imposter.

If you have a loved one whose older, there may be other steps you can take to shield them. Read more in our “How to Protect Seniors from Scams: Your 5 Step Guide” article, and then, brush up on the 5 most common elder financial scams.

Common Scenario 4: Avoid Scam Websites

It’s important you avoid visiting fraudulent websites. Fake websites can imitate online shopping websites, offer fake giveaways, and include false security alerts. You can identify scam website using by looking out for these warning signs:

• Urgency, excitement, and fear tactics: Scammers want to take advantage of your emotions. That means sending you messages that make you act fast. This can include too-good-to-be-true offers like first cards or rapid wealth-building schemes, false virus infections or alert popups, and account security alerts.
• Poor design and grammar: A website that has spelling mistakes or broken English is an apparent sign that you’re on a scam website. Also, look out for low-resolution images of odd layouts.
•  Absence of pages: If you visit a website, you should look for basic pages such as the “Contact Us” and “About Us” pages. If there’s no legitimate way to verify the business. For example, you called the business but the phone call is dropped. That’s a key way to tell that the website is a scam.
  

How Can I Protect Myself against Identity Theft?

Protecting yourself against identity theft starts with having a good procedure in place for your sensitive information and documents. By managing where your personal information goes, you can control who can access it or not.

4 Ways to Avoid Compromises

1. Never share your personal information with untrustworthy individuals and organizations. If you don’t know or trust the person reaching out to you for information, go with your gut and don’t respond to them.

2. Lock up your information. Always make sure your personal information is kept in a safe and secure location that people can’t easily access.

3. Shred anything that has your sensitive information. If you’re getting rid of your old taxes or credit card statements, don’t just throw them into the trash or recycling — some people will commit mail theft or go dumpster diving to retrieve your personal identifying information. Shred them yourself or use a professional shredding service to ensure no one can access your information.

4. Enroll in an identity protection service. Identity services like IDProtect Identity Theft Program can help protect you by monitoring your credit and identity while giving you Identity Theft Resolution Services. If you’re a First New York FCU member, you can get fast and easy coverage. Contact a Member Service Specialist today at (518) 393-1326 and press 2 for more information on how you can start protecting your identity today.

If you want to learn more about identity theft and how it differs from an account compromise, read our “Identity Theft vs. Account Compromise: What’s the Difference” article to get additional tips.

Let First New York Assist You in Identity Protection

First New York FCU is your local credit union. That’s why we do everything in our power to protect our members from identity theft and account compromises.

 If you need help with identity theft or would like to register for our IDProtect Identity Theft Program, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our Member Service Specialists are available Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.