Identity Theft Awareness Week: Why Protecting Your Identity Matters More Than Ever

If there’s something that demands your attention this end of January, it’s Identity Theft Awareness Week, a time packed with events and resources to educate the public about one of the most pervasive threats millions of consumers face.

With billions of personal records exposed in data breaches each year and countless individuals falling victim to phishing scams, protecting your identity has never been more important.

While organizations like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) host webinars, workshops, and live Q&A sessions to help people understand and combat identity theft, we’re joining the event to help you better understand how it happens and outline some straightforward ways you can protect against it.  

What Is Identity Theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information—such as your Social Security Number, bank account details, or login credentials—to commit fraud or other crimes. The consequences can range from unauthorized credit card purchases to more severe cases like medical identity theft or synthetic identity theft, where fraudsters create entirely new identities using real and fake information.

For example, a stolen identity might be used to open new credit lines, file fraudulent tax returns, or even gain employment. Victims often face financial losses, damaged credit scores, and emotional stress as they work to recover.

The Importance of Raising Awareness

Identity theft affects individuals, businesses, government agencies, and society at large. Raising awareness is crucial, as few people realize how vulnerable they are or how easily personal information can be exploited.

According to recent data from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), there have been 3,158 total compromises in 2024, resulting in over 1.7 billion victim notices. The number of victim notices has increased by 312% year-over-year, with large-scale incidents like the Ticketmaster breach (560 million victim notices) illustrating the massive scope of identity theft today.

Read: Notorious hacking group claims Ticketmaster data breach; Personal details of 560 million customers potentially compromised

Ticketmaster starts notifying data breach victims; Customers in the US, Canada and Mexico are affected

Real-life stories highlight the gravity of the problem. For instance, a recent example of large-scale identity theft involved Ryan M. Tichy, a 43-year-old from Seattle who was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. In an elaborate scheme from 2018 to 2020, Tichy stole personal information, created fake identification documents, and used them to open fraudulent credit accounts and obtain loans.

Police discovered that Tichy had a mobile identity theft lab inside a trailer, which contained counterfeit driver’s licenses, Social Security Numbers, and credit cards in various stages of production. His scheme spanned multiple states, affecting individuals and businesses across Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada.

Common Identity Theft Tactics

Cybercriminals use a variety of tactics to steal personal information, including:

1. Phishing emails and texts: Fraudulent messages designed to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information or into clicking on malicious links.
2. Data breaches: Large-scale hacks that expose personal information stored by companies.
3. Dumpster diving and mail theft: Physical theft of discarded documents containing personal details.
4. Social engineering: Manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information.
5. Emerging  threats: Advanced techniques like deepfakes and AI-generated scams are increasingly difficult to detect.

How to Protect Yourself

The good news is that you can minimize your risk and protect your identity with certain steps:

• Strengthen your defenses with strong passwords: Choose complex, unique passwords for all your accounts and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever possible.
• Monitor your financial accounts: Regularly check bank statements and credit reports for unusual activity.
• Be vigilant when going online: Avoid oversharing personal details on social media, which can be used by fraudsters to impersonate you.
• Secure your devices: Install a security solution on your device and keep your systems updated to protect against malware and other threats.
• Use scam detection tools: Use tools like Bitdefender Scamio and Bitdefender Link Checker for FREE to identify and avoid fraudulent links, phishing attempts, and scam websites.
• Act on data breach notifications: If you receive a breach notification, change your passwords immediately and monitor your accounts for suspicious activity.
• Invest in Identity protection services: Tools like Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection and Bitdefender Identity Theft Protection (US only) can help you monitor your online footprint and alert you to potential threats.

What to Do If You’re a Victim

If you suspect you’ve fallen victim to identity theft, act quickly by following these steps:

1. Notify financial institutions: Contact your bank and credit card companies to report the issue and freeze accounts if necessary.
2. Notify your friends and family members of any impersonation attempts to keep them safe from compromise.
3. Place a fraud alert or credit freeze: This prevents further misuse of your credit.
4. File a police report: Documenting the crime can be useful for disputing fraudulent activity.
5. Report the incident to the FTC: In the United States, you can file a report at IdentityTheft.gov, which provides a recovery plan tailored to your situation.