Protect yourself from identity theft: tips from the financial expert

Protect yourself from identity theft: tips from the financial expert

According to a report by www.nr-kurier.de The misuse of personal data can lead to invoices for goods supposedly ordered, unauthorized debt collection demands or unexplained debits from the bank account. The State Criminal Police Office (LKA) and the consumer advice center provide tips for those affected.

The fraudsters obtain personal information such as name, date of birth, address, credit card or account numbers in order to conclude contracts at the expense of others. They obtain this data either through phishing emails or data leaks from major consumer data providers. To avoid such cases, the LKA and the consumer advice center recommend handling passwords, PINs, bank details and credit card details carefully.

A typical case is that of a consumer who has never ordered anything online and does not have an email address. Nevertheless, she receives a payment request from a debt collection agency for online orders that she was unaware of. The fraudsters only needed the name and address to order goods and intercept them from the postal carrier. Since the orders were paid on account and the consumer had no knowledge of the invoices, the online shop commissioned a debt collection company to collect the purchase prices.

For “European Cyber ​​Security Month”, the LKA and the Rhineland-Palatinate Consumer Center provide tips for dealing with identity theft:
– The house bank should be informed immediately and the affected accounts should be blocked via the emergency number 116 116 to be on the safe side.
– If identity theft is suspected, the case of fraud should be reported to the police, either to the internet guard of the respective federal state or in Rhineland-Palatinate at www.polizei.rlp.de/onlinewache.
– The passwords of the affected accounts should be replaced with secure passwords.
– Identity theft should be reported to Schufa and other credit agencies.
– Unauthorized debits should be reversed by the bank or credit card company.
– If debt collection companies appear with payment requests, the claim can be contradicted with a sample letter from the consumer advice center.

These tips are intended to help limit the damage caused by identity theft and help those affected cope with the financial and legal consequences. It is important to protect your own personal data as best as possible and to act immediately if you suspect identity theft.

Source: www.nr-kurier.de