Whether you love your social media apps, as they allow you to stay connected with friends and family around the world, or you prefer to limit how much you share, one thing stands true: your online presence may increase your risk of identity theft. Unfortunately, as technology changes, so do thieves, meaning they will constantly find new ways to hack, scam, and steal. As such, understanding how social media can impact you is critical. The following blog explores what you should know about these matters, including the importance of working with a California identity theft victim lawyer to assist you through these complex times.
How Can Social Media Increase Risk of Identity Theft?
Though you may not think about social media as a hunting ground for thieves, there are a number of ways in which your identity can be compromised. Unfortunately, though you may not think about it, you may have a considerable amount of personal information included on your accounts, like your birthday, your full name, your alma mater, and even your kids’ names and birthdays. A thief can use these details to gain access to your accounts or even go so far as pretending to be you on the phone.
Additionally, you’ll find that thieves can pretend to be friends, colleagues, or even members of a larger community you are part of as a means of gaining access to your accounts and stealing important information about you. Similarly, they may send links or lure you into accepting emails that contain malware used to steal your identity.
What Should I Do if I Believe My Identity Has Been Compromised?
In the event that your identity has been compromised, it’s critical to take the necessary steps to best protect yourself and your information. First and foremost, you should immediately contact all impacted institutions, like your bank, credit card issuers, and lenders, to report the fraud. Next, you should file a report with the Federal Trade Commission before contacting the credit reporting bureaus to report the theft and request a fraud alert on your account. This alert will inform creditors that your identity has been compromised and thus requires them to take additional steps to confirm your identity before opening an account in your name.
Once you have taken the steps to secure your financial accounts and protect your credit, you should begin changing the passwords on all accounts, including your social media profiles. This can help resecure your accounts. Additionally, you should enable two-factor authentication, as this can help ensure that even if someone were to obtain your login information, they would be unable to access your account without bypassing this additional security measure.
As you can see, social media and identity theft unfortunately go hand-in-hand. That is why it’s critical to connect with an experienced attorney with Loker Law, APC to explore your legal options. Our team understands how complicated it can be to recover from identity theft, which is why we are committed to helping you dispute fraudulent charges and reclaim your identity. Contact us today to learn how we can fight for you.
