Protecting personal information is crucial to avoid falling victim to identity theft.
“It caused so much more than financial loss; it impacted every aspect of my life”
We have all heard stories of bank and credit cards being stolen out of letterboxes, but identity theft goes far beyond the obvious. Identity theft can occur when a criminal gains access to your personal information to steal assets—financial or otherwise. Fake identities can take years to resolve, and this is exactly what happened to Melanie who was interviewed by Crime Stoppers Victoria earlier in the week.
“The number of hoops I have had to jump through to resolve this was unfair and I have experienced great anxiety as a result."
Melanie isn’t alone. This year Australians have lost over $1.8 million in identity theft scams, with 35–45-year old’s most frequently falling victim (Scamwatch).
Melanie was waiting for her new licence to be sent out in the mail, but it never arrived. This was just the start of a nasty identity theft scam. “I just assumed it had been lost in the mail. I never knew something far worse was about to happen.”
Melanie’s licence was stolen out of her apartment mailbox along with a new credit card that she was not aware was being sent out. Melanie was only alerted to this when she checked her bank statement and found a large purchase from Harvey Norman that she had not made. She contacted her financial institution immediately and started the process of cancelling her card and recovering the charge. But the nightmare didn’t end there. Months later Melanie began to receive Optus bills that were not hers but were in her name. The scammer had opened an account using her stolen licence and credit card.
Melanie was also unaware that she had to file a police report. After obtaining the police report and starting the process, it still took over a year to resolve the issue with Optus and have the listing on her credit file removed.
“My biggest takeaway is that you must file a police report, as well as contact your financial institution immediately, if you suspect you are a victim of identity theft.”
There are so many ways in which scammers can obtain your personal information. Hacking into a computer or network device, using malware software or phishing tactics are just a few examples of how your details can be get into the wrong hands. But there are ways you can protect yourself.
“We take identity theft extremely seriously. If you see any suspicious activity on your accounts, you should contact your financial institution so they can take immediate action”
Before a scammer steals your identity, they will target your personal information. You may receive an email, text or phone call out of the blue asking you to confirm personal details. Never click on links from an unsolicited contact, do not respond to the contact and delete the message.
“With the rate of identity theft increasing, we urge everyone to protect their personal information and report anything strange or out of the ordinary when it comes to personal accounts and unsolicited contact. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” shares Whiteling.
- You don’t recognise bills or charges on your bank statement.
- Mail that you are expecting doesn’t arrive.
- Strange or unusual emails appear in your inbox.
- You get calls following up on a product or service you have never used.
- You are unable to log into your social media or email account, or your profile has been logged into from an unusual location.
- You notice that amounts of money go missing from your bank account without any explanation.
- You receive bills, invoices or receipts addressed to you for goods or services you didn’t purchase yourself.
There are some simple things you can do to improve the security of your personal information, making it harder for scammers to obtain it.
- Use strong passwords—making them long and hard will make it difficult for scammers to hack into your account.
- Monitor your bank transactions.
- Use public computers with caution—ensure you log out of accounts and clear your browser history.
- Be careful what you share on social media.
- Lock your street mailbox.
- Shred your personal documents especially from your bank and superannuation fund.
- Use virus protection software on your computer.
- Avoid using public WIFI hotspots to access or provide personal information.
- Apply two factor authentication where possible, requiring you to prove your identity twice before being granted access.
Acting quickly is key when you think you have had your identity stolen, contacting your financial institution and the police are the first steps.
- Contact your bank- they can cancel credit or debit cards and stop the scammer from accessing your money.
- Report it to the local police department
- Change your passwords
- Contact the relevant websites of your hacked online account
- Report it to the ACCC
- Contact IDCARE a free service to help you limit that damage of Identity theft
For more helpful advice to protect yourself and your family online, be sure to follow Crime Stoppers Victoria and BankVic on social media so you don’t miss a beat of our Online Safety Series 2022.
