Stolen Data Awareness
Scammers love to steal your money, but do you know what they also love to nick? Your identity.
Your identity can be used to open bank accounts, get a credit card, apply for a passport, access your superannuation, apply for government benefits, register a car and even to conduct illegal activities where someone needs to disguise their real identity, such a drug trafficking and money laundering. Having your identity stolen can cause a devastating and long-lasting impact.
Data hacks are sadly becoming a regular occurrence, with the most recent large scale cyber-attack hitting Qantas. Stolen personal information included name, phone number, email and date of birth.
Even with a small amount of personal information, a scammer can steal your identity. They can put the pieces of the puzzle together using public sources such a social media or you may unwittingly hand over further identification through a phishing attack. This could be a fake email, phone call or SMS pretending to be a real business or government service asking for copies of your driver’s licence and passport to verify your identity, when their actual aim is to steal it.
If you think you have handed over your personal identification to scammers or believe your identity has been stolen contact WA ScamNet on 1300 30 40 54 or lodge a report to scamnet.wa.gov.au. The team will help you with the next steps you need to take.