Personal information they may seek to access includes your name, address, date of birth or bank account details. They may then use your credit card, access your bank account, use your personal details, send emails from your email account, or use your identity to commit crimes and evade the law.
Bank and credit card statements usually contain your name, address, and details about your account that can be used by identity thieves to commit fraudulent acts, while any other mail you receive may also contain similar information.
Identity theft begins when someone takes your personally identifiable information such as your name, Social Security Number, date of birth, your mother's maiden name, and your address to use it, without your knowledge or permission, for their personal financial gain.
With your personal information, scammers can: access and drain your bank account. open new bank accounts in your name and take out loans or lines of credit. take out phone plans and other contracts.
If scammers know your name and address, they can target you with phishing campaigns, spoofed advertisements, and fake offers. Any information you give them can be used to fully steal your identity.
In short, the answer is “no.” Which is a good thing, as your name and address are in fact part of the public record. Anyone can get a hold of them. However, because they are public information, they are still tools that identity thieves can use.
Notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that you have been phished. The FTC is the nation's consumer protection agency. The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection works for the consumer to prevent fraud, deception and unfair business practices in the marketplace.
Once hackers have your number, they can use it to gain access to your most sensitive and valuable data, such as your: Email accounts and contact lists. Financial assets and bank accounts. Current and previous home addresses.
Once they have your personal information (such as your ID, Social security number, etc.), they can steal your identity and access your bank account. If you're on the job hunt, it's a good idea to set up fraud and credit monitoring to make sure no one is using your credentials for the wrong reasons.
What they want are account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and other confidential information that they can use to loot your checking account or run up bills on your credit cards. Identity thieves can take out loans or obtain credit cards and even driver's licenses in your name.
Scammers will ask you for money.
Once they gain your trust, they'll ask for your help to pay medical expenses (for them or a family member), buy their ticket to visit you, pay for their visa, or help them pay fees to get them out of trouble. They may even offer to help you get started in cryptocurrency investing.
There are a few benefits of changing your cell phone number after you have been victimized. One benefit is outright stopping criminals from using your number to commit crimes. Another is keeping your information safe if it was sold on the dark web as part of a data breach.
To keep your information safe, we suggest only providing your BSB and account number to people you know and trust (such as family, friends or your employer etc.)
Fraudsters can use all kinds of methods to find your personal or banking details. If they get hold of them, they can try to use your bank account to steal your money. Or they could try to scam you at a later date.
Direct Debit fraud occurs when a debit is taken from your account without the proper authority from you set out in a valid Direct Debit request. Sometimes this has happened when BSB and account numbers published online or in a public document have been used via Direct Debit to debit accounts.
Contact your bank immediately to let them know what's happened and ask if you can get a refund. Most banks should reimburse you if you've transferred money to someone because of a scam.
If scammers have access to your phone number, they could potentially use it to hack into your online accounts — including your email, social media, and even your bank account.
Can someone steal your information through a text? No—unless you hit a link included in the text. To avoid getting hacked, do not hit any link that comes with a text or email—unless you are absolutely sure of the sender's identity.
So if a scammer knows your full name and address, they can use your details for identity theft. They can easily buy your SSN online and your information to apply for credit cards or bank accounts.
Signs of identity theft
Unusual bills or charges that you don't recognise appear on your bank statement. Mail that you're expecting doesn't arrive. You get calls or texts about products and services you've never used.
Anyone can use your number to find out a wide range of personal information about you from your full name and educational or career history to your current home address, a list of your close friends, relatives and known associates, where you used to live and even pictures of you and your family.