Stolen Identities – how to avoid it happening to you
Going online is a scary thing. There are horror stories out there of crooks online stealing your identity. But what can you do to mitigate the risk? Read on for our private investigator’s tips on how to prevent someone from stealing your identity online.
Have a strong password
Most password can easily be hacked within minutes. To make sure yours passes the test, make sure it has a mix of characters, numbers and special characters, and it long (over 10 characters). Our private investigators have investigated many cases where online fraud could’ve easily been prevented with just a few symbols added.
Have a different password for everything
Once a hacker or online fraud person has your password, they will usually try that password on all your different account. They may hack a less secure and unimportant network, like your email or a game account, but then if you use the same password for you internet banking, suddenly they have the keys to really do some damage.
Don’t share any private details
No matter how well you think you may know someone, don’t ever give out your personal details online. That doesn’t just mean password. It means account numbers, your address, your user names, or anything that could help someone pretend to be you.
Don’t fill in any surveys or trust any links that aren’t from an official site
If you get an email that claims to be from your bank, still don’t trust it. Call them or go to their secure website rather than clicking on a link. Assume all pop-ups are scams. That also goes for people contacting you with a deal that’s ‘too good to be true’.
If you think someone has got your details, act fast!
Hiring a private investigator could save you thousands of dollars and years of pain trying to undo the damage of someone acting fraudulently in your name. Prevention is definitely better than the cure in this case, as sometimes victims of fraud don’t ever fully recover their money, credit rating or online identity. If you think someone has tried to hack or recently hacked into your accounts, getting a private detective Sydney/Melbourne to run an investigation can help identify where you are at risk, and maybe even find the person trying to hack you. For example, if you’ve been getting offers of money in exchange for very little, we could track this person down and see if they’re legitimate or an online scam. A private detective Sydney/Melbourne has a number of web tracking tools and years of know-how to help identify and locate the culprit.
If you’re worried that someone may have tried to hack into your account, give us a call to see if we might be able to help you. Or if you’re having any trouble online; our private investigators can help locate the crooks and help you prevent them from using the internet to hide from justice. Give us a call on 1300 721 715 or email info@eliteinvestigations.com.au for a quick chat about what we can do to help you.