the Fraudian Slip Podcast: Unscripted – Why Should You Care About the Impacts of Identity Theft?

• Each week we talk about all-things identity compromise, crime and fraud that impact people and businesses. On this week’s The Fraudian Slip podcast, we look at the why. Why should you care about the impacts of identity theft?
• There continues to be a lack of understanding of how intertwined the pieces of identity crimes are in our daily lives. For example, look at how many people have had one of their accounts taken over.
• One current example of the impacts of identity theft is the rise in bitcoin scams, which can lead to Instagram account takeovers. Criminals commit the scam and then replicate it across people’s contacts.
• It is important to have a plan to address identity crimes and for experts to educate on the risks and understand that they are manageable, but that there still may be risks.
• You can learn more about the impacts of identity theft and other topics discussed in this podcast by visiting our company website idtheftcenter.org.
• If you think you are the victim of an identity crime, call the Identity Theft Resource Center toll-free by phone (888.400.5530) or live-chat on our webpage to speak with an expert advisor.

Below is a transcript of our podcast

Welcome to The Fraudian Slip, the Identity Theft Resource Center’s (ITRC) podcast, where we talk about all-things identity compromise, crime and fraud that impact people and businesses. Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, SoundCloud, Audible, and Amazon now. Thanks for joining us today as we talk about the why. Why should you care about the impacts of identity theft? Why should you care about these issues that we’re so passionate about? Why do we care? Why do we do this every day and talk to all of our lovely listeners about these important, often technical aspects?

The ITRC’s Eva Velasquez and James E. Lee talked about the following:

• How there continues to be a lack of understanding of how intertwined all of the pieces of identity theft and identity crimes are in our daily lives. (Example of the impacts of identity theft: figuring out you’ve had an account taken over and having your credentials misused.)
• The importance of having an approach to helping people understand the risks and understand that they are manageable, but there are still risks. (However, you can reduce those risks by doing some very basic things.)
• The importance of having a plan in place to address these issues if they arise. When the worst happens, it is good for people to know where to go and how to resolve it.
• The line between an individual’s identity and the line between a small business identity. (They may not even exist anymore.) When you are compromised, and compromised frequently, the impacts of identity theft from the compromises can impact your livelihood in ways you have probably not had to deal with before.
• The rise in bitcoin scams leading to Instagram account takeover. Criminals are trying to get money from you, but then they’re also replicating the scam across all of your contacts.
• The importance of doing some basic due diligence and telling people no when they ask for credentials or authentication codes. (It is also okay to hang up the phone, ignore a text and delete an email.)

If you think you have been the victim of an identity crime, want to know more about the impacts of identity theft, or want to avoid becoming a victim, you can speak with an expert advisor on the phone (888.400.5530), chat live on the web or send us an email during our normal business hours (6 a.m.-5 p.m. PST Monday-Friday). Just visit www.idtheftcenter.org to get started.

Be sure to join us next week for our sister podcast, the Weekly Breach Breakdown. We will be back next month for another episode of The Fraudian Slip.