We live in a world where all our identity lives all over the internet. Not only are we giving private info to a plethora of services online (which are not 100% safe), but we also freely give much of our to our friends online. Most times we feel pretty safe about trusting people, but how easy is it for one of these individuals to destroy our lives?
This video is an ad that displays just how easy it is to steal a person’s identity and even gain access to his/her financial accounts. Ok, so it wasn’t THAT easy. Any person with enough will, knowledge and luck would be able to accomplish it, though.
The host briefly explains the process, which includes adding the person on Facebook, getting enough information about him, sending some phishing emails and making a fake call. The host then goes a bit overboard by turning into the individual with a stolen identity. Rubber mask, make up and all.
It all seems a bit crazy, but it is true that many times we give a bit too much private information online. (Then we turn around and complain that some companies have a bit of our info). If the age of communication is teaching us anything, it is to be a bit more cautious of our private and financial information.
This interesting ad is backed by safeinternetbanking.be, a website dedicated to giving you tips and tricks about keeping your online banking safe. May be a good site to frequent if you are concerned about your identity getting stolen. The rules of common sense always apply, though.
Be careful about fake websites, phishing emails, weirdos that add you on Facebook and the like. I also never give information to any company that calls me; I just tell the representative that I will call the company’s official customer service number and fix anything there, if needed. I may seem a bit psycho, but it’s a small price to pay to keep my identity safe.
It would be very interesting to know what experiences you may have! Identity theft is huge nowadays, so we know at least some of you have gone through some painful times with this. Have you ever had your identity stolen? Was the situation as bad as this video? What tips and tricks can you give us for keeping our info private?
