What do you think of when you hear the words “personal information”?
Chances are, the first items to cross your mind are your financial details, emails and other accounts you frequently use. If someone were to get a hold of these details, the result could be catastrophic for the Digital You.
There are safety measures, such as two-factor authentication, that you can set to help prevent your information from landing in the wrong hands. However, these measures can’t protect from criminals lifting all of your details . In fact, some of the easiest details for hackers to acquire can lead to extensive amounts of fraud.
A prominent example is your mobile phone number. Criminals can use the digits you provide to multiple entities, often with little consideration, and turn your life into chaos.
Why You Should Care
Your phone number may seem like an inconsequential piece of information but it has the potential to compromise sensitive parts of the Digital You.
Consider the two-factor authentication (TFA) measure mentioned earlier. Depending on your set up, your number could be an essential part of what makes TFA secure. For example, when you use TFA to log into an account, you must enter your login details along with the code sent ‘securely’ via text to your device. If your phone number is stolen, then this important step becomes a pitfall that hackers can expose for their benefit.
Many times your phone number is a second line of defense. Many use it to verify their identity when creating or receiving a new password. This means if a criminal has your username and phone number, they have the ability to reset your password and gain access to your account(s).
Someone can even use your phone number to convince banks that they are you. This can allow them to manipulate the customer service process to their advantage.
One simple piece of advice – consider every account, website, or provider where you have used your phone number… and ask yourself if it (your phone number) is worth protecting.
How Your Number Is Stolen
Thanks to the increase in corporate data breaches, finding personal information like mobile phone numbers is effortless for criminals.
These mobile numbers end up in marketplaces on the Dark Web, where they are sold or traded until they fall into hands capable enough to use them fraudulently. Once a criminal attains your number, they will attempt to port the number over to a separate account- one that’s been set up by the criminal. By calling your mobile carrier and answering a few simple questions, many of which they find from the information you already place online, they can successfully convince your provider that they are you.
Once a criminal has full control of your number it shouldn’t take long for you to notice as your service will be disconnected. By the time you notice, they could have successfully used your number to perform password resets on numerous accounts. From there, gaining access to the rest of your personal information is simple.
What You Can Do
Outside of following our guides for keeping your information off of the Dark Web, you should also keep these tips in mind.
1. If your mobile phone service stops working, notify your bank immediately.
2. Make sure your devices are up-to-date on software installations. For extra security, you can download anti-virus protection software.
3. As previously mentioned, criminals can easily bypass bank security questions because of information you pour online. Make sure you are careful with what type of information you leave publicly on your social media or other public websites.
4. In the event that you are bombarded with calls, do not turn off your device. This could be a tactic by fraudsters to keep you from recognizing a loss of your service when they perform a number swap.
5. Find out if your mobile provider allows you to place extra security measures on your account to help prevent your number from being stolen.
It should be noted that even if you are meticulous with keeping your information safe while online, your data can still fall victim to a breach. This leaves it susceptible to criminals in market places on the Dark Web.
In this situation, knowing means everything. You can get ahead of criminals by using our Dark Web Scan. Our scan searches marketplaces across the Dark Web to see if criminals are selling your information. We also provide you with tips to help you prevent your information from ending up on the Dark Web. It is the best solution to ensure you are protecting the Digital You.
Tap Into The Digital You at ScoresMatter.