Are you wondering how someone could have gained access to your email, bank accounts, or social media profiles? There are endless ways to do it, and online criminals use them! According to Russia PI’s investigation team, online criminals in Russia have been working primarily to obtain significant loads of personal information that can used later for a profit, and the revenue is large!  It is not just big companies making money from your information, but criminals are now cashing in.

Identity theft has cost U.S. consumers over $107 billion in the past six years. The figures are surprising, but they are not even close to what identity theft means on a global scale taking into account that a great part of the victims have not even realized their identity has been stolen until years later.

How do gangs obtain personal credentials?

“Hacking through conventional methods is a hard job since most internet providers, banks and companies are boosting their safety” says Nicholas Donkova, Director of Private Detectives at Russia PI. Really good Russian hackers aim for big databases with thousands of names, addresses, social security numbers and many other personal identifiers. However, the great majority of online criminals prefer easier ways to obtain the information.  Do you like to post all your details and activity on social media like Facebook?  Criminals love it when you share this information about where you live, where you work and when you’re on vacation.  Information can and will be used against you.

Most of the identity theft cases originate from social engineering. Dating sites and social media platforms are the perfect places to find victims. The fraudsters will befriend foreigners usually from countries like the United States, Canada or the U.K., and will try to obtain personal data through simple conversations. When you sign up to receive services from banks, telecom companies and government agencies (among others), you need to authenticate your identity. Most of the times, the alternative to a password is to answer a simple question like what is your maiden name, the name of your pet or the street you grew up in. How hard do you think it is for hackers to come up with this sort of information about you? Well, when you’re constantly posting pictures, dating statuses and your plans for the day in social media, it is not that hard! And it is even easier when you voluntarily give the information to a stranger you met online. Educated guesses are the main source of identity theft.

Shield yourself against identity theft

There is one part of this story you cannot control. Government agencies and other companies like hospitals store a lot of personal information about you, and there is no way you can delete your information  from these databases, or to make sure your information is protected. The only thing you can do is to try to control who you give this information to. Avoid participating in retail databases, promotions and “VIP” customer lists, as these databases are hardly well protected and a massive hack will definitely affect you.  Share less and protect your private information.  The less information you provide to companies and governments, the safer you and your family are.

Another effective way to reduce risk is to share little or nothing online, including social media and dating profiles, and whatever else is tied to it. If you are into online dating and meet someone online, avoid providing personal data. Romance scams in Russia are frequently tied to identity theft cases. When forced to provide data, consider false information.  Hiring a professional background check in early stages of an online relationship can save you from serious problems.

Have you met someone via the Internet?  Contact us today for a free quote!

C. Wright
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