In the News:
Identity thieves are taking advantage of the current climate by obtaining people’s personally identifiable information (PII) and filing fraudulent unemployment claims using stolen identities. Nefarious methods used to access PII include purchasing stolen PII online, gathering responses to phishing emails and bogus phone calls, and physical theft of data. Victims are often unaware, and only learn of the deception when they attempt to file a claim for unemployment or are notified by their current employer that their information was used in an unemployment application.
Our Take:
Criminals will continue to attempt to take advantage of individuals as long as they continue to find some percentage of success in their attempts to defraud. As criminals are highly motivated to steal PII, it is important to understand how to protect your information and identity. In many cases, identity thieves use social engineering techniques that attempt to convince people to provide their personal information. Some examples of this manipulation include pretending to be someone in authority, using intimidation (like threats of penalty or punishment), consensus (stating that everyone else already provided the information), time urgency, or trust. These methods can be quite effective, especially when the targeted individual is not paying close attention to the details surrounding the request for information.
Recommendations:
- Never reply to an unexpected email, telephone call, popup message, or text that threatens or cajoles you into giving personal information.
- Create strong, unique passwords/passphrases.
- Malicious software can create entry points into your system that allow hackers to extract your data. Northwestern provides antivirus software at no cost to students, faculty, and staff. Many antivirus apps are available through the app store on tablets and smartphones. Read more Tips for Securing Your Devices.
- Monitor your bank account on a regular basis, and your credit report at least yearly to look for fraudulent activity. If you suspect you are a victim of identity fraud, you can notify the IRS by filling out IRS Form 12039 which can be found on https://www.irs.gov/or https://identitytheft.gov/
- Visit the Northwestern IT website for more Tips for Securing Your Identity.