The number of people who ignore the warnings and talk about themselves on social media and elsewhere are looking to have their identities stolen. A woman recently discovered that her image was being used by a scammer to extort money from victims who thought they were contacting her. Although this did not affect her personally, she allowed a crime to be committed against several people because of her.
Most people won’t use a pseudonym when writing and posting their stuff online, as they want their followers to find it. While that’s happening, there are ways to protect yourself and others by using old pictures instead of updated photos, posting a false date of birth, and providing little personal information.
Anything you post online will be available through search engines. That means extreme caution must be exercised. While the Internet is just one of those sources of your identity, you need to get to know the others.
Trash cans and recycling bins are also places where scammers can get your identity if you’re not careful. Do not throw away bills and letters, etc., with your personal data on them without shredding them. Envelopes can also contain these things.
When using a bank, make sure no one is behind you close enough to copy details such as PIN numbers, addresses, age, etc. Some taxi drivers in Australia have sold credit card numbers to colleagues abroad who have then bought products from them. Most stores now do not refund in cash, but instead return the money to the card.
Institutions are trying to protect customers from fraud, but they can’t cover everything. The bottom line is that it is your identity and you are responsible for it.