The internet is a great place, allowing you to communicate with friends and family around the world. It also gives brands and companies the opportunity to connect on a more personalized scale. However, sophisticated scammers can replicate the communication methods used by companies to create fake emails and phone calls to steal your personal information. These are phishing scams, which can have severe implications. However, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Keep reading to learn how a California identity theft victim lawyer.
What Are Phishing Scams?
Phishing scams are most commonly carried out over email, impacting anyone at any time. Generally, these scams often mimic the communication sent from financial institutions like banks or credit card companies. However, they can also falsely claim to be a delivery service or government agency.
Most commonly, these emails will ask the recipient to reply with information or direct them to an official appearing website to log in with their account information. Not only will they copy the format of emails and websites from the company, but they will use logos and graphics. However, entering these details into a login field or sending details back can leave you vulnerable to identity theft.
What Are the Implications?
If you are the victim of a phishing scam, it can, unfortunately, lead to identity theft.
If you send back information in a text or email to a scammer, they can use this information to open accounts in your name. However, if you log into a fake link, the party can use this information to log into a legitimate website and steal your information. For example, if you log into a fake bank website, the scammer can take your username and password, put it into the legitimate bank website, and access your accounts.
What Can I Do if My Identity’s Been Compromised?
If your identity has been compromised following a phishing scam, it’s important to stay calm. Though this is easier said than done, it’s essential to understand how to proceed.
The first thing you should do when you’re the victim of identity theft is to contact the reporting agencies to place a fraud alert on your account. If a scammer tries to use your information to open a new account in your name, they will be unable to do so, as the creditor must call you to confirm the account before proceeding.
Similarly, you’ll need to file a dispute to have the fraudulent charges removed from your credit report as soon as possible. Unfortunately, these accounts and charges can negatively impact your credit score, which can impact your loan, housing, and employment opportunities.
When you’re the victim of identity theft, it’s vital to contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible. At Loker Law, we understand how devastating being the victim of a phishing scam can be. As such, we will do everything possible to help you navigate this process. Contact us today to learn how we can help you.
