2023 saw over 1 million cases of identity theft reported worldwide, proving to us all that this is a real crisis and that it can happen to just about anyone. How can you ensure that 2024 is a better year of protection against this highly dangerous and inconvenient phenomenon?

This post will analyze how easily identity theft can occur and what measures you can take to make sure it doesn’t happen to you. Share it with your loved ones and stay safe from identity theft in 2024 and beyond. 

How Has Identity Theft Advanced Up and Until 2023?

Identity thieves and scammers have become experts in technology and have advanced their methods on an almost weekly basis. Phishing scams and information theft are skills that continually evolve, so protecting yourself against these methods is key.

But since these methods keep changing, are there concrete ways to prevent them from being used against you and your hard-earned money? If you’re consistent with the points mentioned below, you can protect yourself, but let’s first look at what to do when your identity has been stolen.

What Can You Do If Your Identity Has Already Been Stolen?

Steps you can take if your identity has been stolen include the following:

• The most important step is to report the crime to the Federal Trade Commission, your bank, credit facilitators, and your local credit bureau. This will ensure that no more damage can be done to your name or your credit integrity. 
• Next, you will need to cancel all cards under your name. These cards’ information may still be in the hands of the thieves, and you want to curb any losses as quickly as possible. 
• File a police report. While the police are not always particularly equipped to handle such cases, having a case number will be necessary to retrieve any losses if possible to do so. The police will also forward your case to a department that can investigate. 
• From then on out, it’s a matter of waiting, repairing, and renewing your accounts, credit cards, passwords, and other essential information. 

Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft and Stay Safe in 2024

To protect yourself from identity theft in 2024, be consistent in certain practices. Knowing what these scammers are looking for will put you ahead in terms of staying safe. These include good management of your login passwords, being vigilant about emails, monitoring your credit reports yearly, and more. 

Passwords and Logins

One of the most effective ways to safeguard against identity theft and phishing scams is by being very vigilant about your passwords. A strong password will always contain higher and lowercase characters, numbers, and symbols. 

Analyze Your Emails Carefully

Emails from companies that you have never dealt with are an immediate sign that you’re a target of a phishing scam. These emails should be ignored and deleted without any interaction whatsoever. If you’re unsure of whether you’re receiving legitimate communication, always opt to rather phone the company and verify. 

However, don’t phone any number seen on the email itself. Google the number and call that one instead. Also, never click on any links that appear on an email you receive from a source you don’t trust. These links can be entry ways scammers use into your device, allowing them to monitor your activity and steal your information.  

Check Your Credit Reports Once a Year

A great way to prevent prolonged identity theft is to retrieve a free copy of your credit report once a year. This costs you nothing but a few minutes and will affirm your good standing with all national credit bureaus.  

Public WiFi Protection

Be wary of hooking up to any public WiFi network. Scammers often sit in public places and pounce on users who are connected to the same network as they are. Installing a reliable VPN to your device is also a good way to stay completely protected from such scamming methods. 

Be Careful About What You Throw Away

Throwing away documents is another way scammers get hold of your information. Opt for shredding these documents instead to make sure no one can read the personal information they contain. 

Final Thoughts

As an extra bit of help for you, consider this example of a good password: “W1nd0wCl3@n3r” As you can see, the words “Window Cleaner” (which is easy to remember) have been altered to contain numbers and symbols as replacements for regular characters. Nobody’s going to guess that! 

Stay safe out there.