About ID theft

ID Theft

ID theft is one of the world's fastest growing crimes. Yet the level of knowledge about this type of crime is alarmingly low amongst the general public. On this page you will get a brief introduction to the subject, as well as answers to some of the most common questions.

Questions and
answers

What is ID theft?

In short, ID theft is when someone other than you are using your personal information to commit fraud, scams, or other criminal acts. No matter what crime is committed they all have in common that the criminal is masquerading as you, often in pursuit of financial gain or sensitive information.

Personally identifiable information (PII) includes for instance: Your full name, home address, email address, login credentials, your personal identification number, ID-card, passport, or anything else that can be used for personal identification.

How do I know if my identity has been stolen?

Typical signs include:

  • You notice withdrawals and transactions on your bank account that you do not recognize.

  • You receive invoices for things that you have not purchased.

  • Bank accounts are opened in your name without your consent.

  • You are missing mails from your physical mailbox.

  • You find out that someone has signed up for a cellphone service in your name.

  • You receive credit reports that you have not ordered.

  • You get no physical mail.

  • You get a notice about change of address which you did not request.

  • The login credentials in online services you use have been changed.

  • Your contacts on email and social media say that you have contacted them asking for money or that you have shared strange links etc.

If you recognize these signs and believe that you have been a victim of identity theft, contact your bank and insurance company and file a police report immediately.

How does someone get a hold of my information?

There is a myriad of ways in which a criminal can get hold of your information. Some of the most notable are:

Your personal data was stolen in a breach

Data breaches happen all the time. Big companies like Google and Facebook have been breached, as well as smaller companies. This means that billions of personal records, login credentials etc. are already circulating in shady parts of the internet. In other words: there is a high risk that your personal information is already in the open.

You got duped into giving it away yourself

One of the most common ways for this to happen is that you fall for a so-called phishing attempt, e.g., the criminal sends you an email masquerading as your bank asking for your personal information.

It was stolen physically

This includes getting your wallet or purse stolen. In the past there were cases were criminals stole physical mail or looked through the trash in search for personal information. Nowadays this is approach is extremely uncommon. Stealing personal information online is simply more effective and involves less risk.

Why would anyone want to target me?

This is a just and understandable question, but unfortunately it is also linked to the fact that the awareness and knowledge on this topic is poor for many.

In short, it is usually nothing personal and it is quite rare that you in specific are the main subject for the initial attack but that doesn´t help due to the approach and nature of this crime. Today criminals are primarily focused on targeting companies with large databases because they will then get access to large volumes of personal data, regardless of who they belong to. The problem is though that it is this kind of data and information we all leave behind when we shop online or use these types of services. And above all, it is exactly this type of information that is “big business” in the criminal world and that later is further circulated and sold with criminal intent and thereby exploited by others. In other words, you will risk becoming a victim even though you were not the target in the first place. 

If the information has leaked, isn't it too late to do anything?

No, far from it. There is normally a time span from when the attack took place and the leak occurred until the information actually is exploited and misused. And it is in this time span where you have the chance to act and where our specific service comes in. That is why we sometimes refer to our services as a “digital fire alarm”.

More information

ID theft is growing – it is time to act

The world is becoming more and more digitalized which also means that the risks of being exposed to crime increases. If your personal data is compromised, you will risk being affected in many different ways.

Statistics on ID theft

In 2019, more than 3 quarters of the Europeans used the internet everyday on average. Data breaches where people´s personally identifiable information is stolen happen every day and people in general are increasingly concerned.

A safer life for everyone

Since 2015 we have been working relentlessly towards making digital aspects of life simpler and more secure for people, corporations and organizations.

We are specialists and pioneers in the field of proactive ID protection solutions. We use our own proprietary technology and we meet the highest security and compliance standards.