5 Most Common ID Theft Scams in 2024 & How to Protect Yourself

Scammers today are using all sorts of different tactics to steal your personal information, impersonate you, rent an apartment, max out your credit cards, and do other criminal things in your name.

That's where identity theft protection could save you money, not to mention the time and hassle that comes with restoring your identity.

Learn about the 5 most common identity theft scams to be aware of and how to get started protecting your identity with LifeLock by Norton.

1.) Phishing Scams: Watch out for scammers who might contact you using deceptive phone numbers or email addresses that appear to be from legitimate organizations such as banks, government agencies, or online services. These scams aim to trick you into providing your sensitive information.

2.) Social Engineering: These are deceptive tactics aimed at coercing you into disclosing your sensitive information or taking actions that jeopardize the security of your data. For example, fraudsters may impersonate trusted individuals through phone calls or online interactions, persuading you to divulge personal information that can then be used to steal your identity.

3.) Data Breaches: If the companies you do business with store your confidential information, your identity could be compromised in a large-scale data breach. Cybercriminals today are hacking into databases and stealing your personal information, such as your addresses, email addresses, and even passwords, and selling it on the dark web or using it to conduct various fraudulent activities.

4.) Public Wi-Fi Breaches: Every time you use public Wi-Fi, your information is at risk. Public Wi-Fi usually doesn't encrypt data, so anyone with the password and some hacker know-how can monitor what you see and what you send. Hackers can also set up fake Wi-Fi networks to intercept your data, potentially leading to the theft of your identity.

5.) Medical Identity Theft is when someone uses your health insurance to get prescriptions or access healthcare services. You may not even realize you’ve been a victim of this type of scam until you receive a huge medical bill or are denied a medical service due to your healthcare coverage being maxed out.

Start protecting your identity

LifeLock by Norton helps keep your money safe, monitors for identity theft in places that banks, credit card providers, and credit bureaus may ignore, and reimburse out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of identity theft.

It only takes minutes to sign up and start your free* 30-day trial with the level of protection that’s right for you.

 

*Click here for offer details.

†LifeLock does not monitor all transactions at all businesses.

The information provided on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice.