Who's masquerading as you? Tips from KeyBank on tackling identity theft

On Halloween, little ghouls, goblins, princesses and super heroes wander the neighborhoods looking for candy. But they aren’t the only ones wearing masks. Every day, identity thieves masquerade as their victims, ruining credit scores and wreaking havoc.

In today’s interconnected world, the Internet creates tremendous benefits for people. Yet, for all its advantages, it also enables social engineers – a.k.a. “the bad guys” - to exploit this activity through cybercrime.

Cybercrime (e.g., online identity theft, financial fraud, stalking, bullying, hacking, e-mail spoofing, information piracy and forgery, intellectual property crime, and more) can negatively affect its victims’ lives through major inconvenience and annoyance, lead to financial ruin, and potentially threaten their reputation and personal safety.

What to do if this happens to you
The best advice for victims of cybercrime is to respond quickly. If you think – or know – you’re a victim, immediately contact the following:

• Your bank
• Local law enforcement
• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Victims of identity theft should also:

• Change passwords for all online accounts
• Close any unauthorized or compromised credit or charge accounts
• Contact the credit bureaus (i.e., Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to request a fraud alert be placed on their credit report to prevent further fraudulent activity.

For more information:

• Download the Victims of Cybercrime Tip Sheet (PDF) provided by Stay Safe Online.
• Visit the What is Identity Theft page on key.com
• Report Identity Theft at Key

Leo Palana manages the Mercer Island KeyBank. He can be reached at 206.748.3790 or leonardo_palana@keybank.com