Identity theft: How to protect yourself from impersonation

According to the UK-based Sumsub Identity Fraud Report 2023, India, on with Bangladesh and Pakistan, is among the apical 10 countries successful the Asia-Pacific portion astir affected by individuality fraud committed utilizing deepfake technology.

What is individuality theft?

Identity theft is erstwhile cybercriminals bargain idiosyncratic information—such arsenic passwords, ID numbers, and fiscal details—from unassuming radical and perpetrate fraudulent activities posing arsenic them. These stolen credentials tin beryllium misused for taking loans, making unauthorised online purchases, accessing delicate aesculapian and fiscal records, and committing crimes successful the victim’s name.

“The past of individuality theft dates backmost centuries, but the integer property has transformed cybercrime. From telephone deception to blase synthetic identities, criminals are present astir untraceable. With deepfake exertion and AI-driven scams, individuality theft is becoming harder to detect,” said Sagar Vishnoi, co-founder of Future Shift Labs and an AI & cybersecurity expert.

Common types of individuality theft

According to Vishnoi, individuality theft scams instrumentality assorted forms:

Financial individuality theft: Criminals bargain slope details oregon recognition paper accusation to retreat money, marque purchases, oregon unfastened accounts fraudulently.

Medical individuality theft: Fraudsters usage stolen idiosyncratic information, similar wellness security numbers, to get aesculapian services oregon record fake claims.

Criminal individuality theft: Scammers perpetrate crimes utilizing a victim’s identity, starring to wrongful arrests oregon ineligible troubles.

Synthetic individuality theft: Criminals make fake identities utilizing a operation of existent and fabricated information. This tin beryllium tricky due to the fact that the victim’s accusation mightiness not beryllium afloat compromised, but the fraud is inactive happening nether a ‘fake’ mentation of their identity.

Child individuality theft: Since children don’t usage their identities for banking, fraud often remains undetected for years, until the kid becomes an big and tries to usage their accusation for the archetypal time, similar applying for a slope relationship oregon pupil loan.

Online individuality theft: Cybercriminals bargain accusation from societal media, emails, oregon websites to perpetrate fraud.

Biometric, tax, and passport individuality theft: Criminals bargain unsocial carnal traits (like fingerprints) utilized to verify identity. It tin hap done hacks oregon malware. The occupation is that erstwhile stolen, biometric information can’t beryllium changed similar passwords, making it a pugnacious happening to retrieve from.

Tax individuality theft is erstwhile idiosyncratic uses idiosyncratic info (PAN paper details) to record a fake taxation instrumentality and bargain a refund. Passport individuality theft happens erstwhile criminals bargain oregon misuse passport details to unreal to beryllium the victim, often for question oregon amerciable activity.

Phishing and imposter scams: Scammers instrumentality radical into sharing idiosyncratic information done fake emails, calls, oregon messages, often impersonating banks oregon tech companies.

How bash cybercriminals operate?

“Cybercriminals are utilizing progressively blase tactics to bargain idiosyncratic data,” said Vishnoi. According to him, phishing remains 1 of the astir communal methods, wherever scammers nonstop emails oregon messages that look to beryllium from morganatic sources, urging victims to stock delicate details similar Aadhaar numbers oregon banking credentials.

“Social media is besides a large hotspot for individuality theft. Cybercriminals often make fake profiles utilizing stolen idiosyncratic accusation and exploit these identities for fiscal fraud oregon blackmail,” helium said.

Vishnoi besides noted that successful India, a communal maneuver involves fraudsters posing arsenic slope employees, claiming an relationship needs Aadhar linking to debar paper blockage—tricking victims into revealing delicate information. The acheronian web is progressively utilized to bargain idiosyncratic information and substance larger scams.

How tin you spot individuality theft scams?

Unexpected requests for idiosyncratic info: If you get a call, email, oregon substance asking for delicate details similar your slope info retired of the blue, beryllium cautious.

Suspicious links oregon attachments: If you spot unusual links oregon attachments successful a connection oregon an email, don’t click connected them. They could beryllium phishing attempts.

Urgent oregon threatening messages: Scammers emotion to make panic, claiming your relationship volition beryllium locked oregon your paper blocked unless you enactment fast. Double-check with the slope earlier responding.

Unusual enactment connected your accounts: If you spot unfamiliar charges oregon enactment connected your slope statements oregon recognition reports, don’t disregard them. Report it close away.

Too-good-to-be-true offers: If idiosyncratic offers you thing that seems excessively bully to beryllium existent (like a escaped abrogation oregon large currency prize) but asks for idiosyncratic details to assertion it, it’s astir apt a scam.

Signs your individuality whitethorn person been compromised:

• Unauthorised transactions connected slope accounts
• Unfamiliar charges connected recognition cards
• Receiving bills for services you didn’t use
• Contacted by indebtedness collectors for debts you don’t owe
• Unexplained changes successful your recognition score
• Notifications astir accounts you didn’t open

Steps to instrumentality immediately:

• Contact your bank/financial institutions: Report imaginable fraud and frost oregon adjacent affected accounts.
• Place a fraud alert with large recognition bureaus (TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, CRIF High Mark) to forestall further fraud.
• File a First Information Report (FIR) with your section constabulary for documentation and investigation.

Protecting yourself from individuality theft: How to enactment harmless online

To safeguard your idiosyncratic information, particularly connected societal media, set privateness settings to restrict entree and acceptable profiles to private. Use strong, unsocial passwords for each relationship and see a password manager for unafraid storage. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for added protection. Be cautious with person requests and links from chartless sources, arsenic they whitethorn beryllium phishing attempts. Regularly show your slope statements and recognition reports for suspicious activity. Limiting the idiosyncratic details you stock tin besides assistance trim the hazard of individuality theft.

The Safe Side: As the satellite evolves, the integer scenery does too, bringing caller opportunities—and caller risks. Scammers are becoming much sophisticated, exploiting vulnerabilities to their advantage. In our peculiar diagnostic series, we delve into the latest cybercrime trends and supply applicable tips to assistance you enactment informed, secure, and vigilant online.