How to Respond to Identity Theft?

Short from issues that spill out into the physical world and can endanger your life and health directly, having your identity stolen is the worst thing that can happen to you. And, even if you are doing everything right and protecting your data, you should at least have a protocol of how to respond to identity theft when it happens.

The advantage when using professional software like Le VPN apps is that you can quickly move your data to a secure location. That will come very handy when rebuilding your legal identity and making the theft have as little of an impact as possible.

Because this is so traumatic and can have far-reaching consequences if not dealt with quickly, you need to have a pre-made plan and contingencies with what you need to do once you realize that you’ve become an identity theft victim.

Prevention Is Better than The Cure

Same as with your health, it is always better and more comfortable to take precautions and prevent anything terrible from even happening than solving the problem once it is made apparent.

If you know how identity theft happens, you will have a good idea of how you can protect your information. Also, you should compartmentalize as much of your public identity as you can. That way, even if one of the data blocks is compromised, you will still have most of your identity intact.

Even once you know that you are under attack and can see some of the damage made by fraudsters and thieves, you should work on preventing further damage at the same time as seeking recompense and justice.

No Point Crying Over Spilt Milk

The moment you realize that your credit card is getting some mysterious withdrawals, or that you are listed for institutions and companies where you never visited, there is no time to lose. Avoiding this might be what a VPN is used for, but you can also use it to help solve your situation.

First, you need to check if you are, indeed, a victim of identity theft. Simply call a credit bureau and bank and ask them about your information and if there are any suspicious activities.

If the answer is positive, you need to jump into action that instant. Anger and despair can come once you are safe.

Step 1 – Save What Can Be Saved

Go to your bank, withdraw all of the money you have in cash, and cancel all of your credit cards. Also, any money you have on sites like PayPal or Moneybookers should be withdrawn and pocketed.

Move all of your personal information to a USB and disconnect that from the internet as well.

Finally, change all of the passwords and keys on the websites you use. Start from banking and social media and go further until everything has a new password. Make sure you are doing this using your personal VPN and our password security tips.

Step 2 – Contact Everyone

Start with the essentials and go as broad as you can. Primarily, you should contact your bank, your employer, and the local police department. Explain what happened in detail and tell them to notify you if there are any further attempts to collect or use your information.

Also, you should contact your friends and family. While there is little chance that they will be affected directly, they might be pulled into a scam using your social media accounts. And, the emotional support at this moment is not a bad thing.

Step 3 – Make New Options

With the money you took from your bank, make a new account somewhere else. You can even make it in the same bank, especially if you want to preserve most of your credit history and benefits, but you should use a new phone number and change some of the details, including passwords.

Also, you should make new emails where the few important institutions will be able to contact you without the scammer intercepting. You could use a new and free VPN server each time with Le VPN app in order to mask any IP address you are leaving and prevent anyone from tracking the new accounts.

Step 4 – Legal Action

Once most of your private information is secured, it is time to visit your lawyer. Some experts have experience in identity theft, and they will be able to protect you from most of the legal fallout that will ensue.

While it is usually possible to find and punish the person abusing your identity information, making them repay the damages made might be impossible. Still, they will be facing up to 12 years in prison in some countries.

Step 5 – Scorched Earth

Discuss with your legal expert if there is a way to entrap and take vengeance against the person that misused your identity. This might not bring a solution, but it will bring catharsis.

Inform your bank to arrest anyone using your former credit card, and sell your social media accounts to a marketing company, while you make other accounts.

Simply, make everyone using your prior personal information suffer much more than they would when simply not having that information work.

Conclusion

Being able to respond to identity theft is not easy. But, if you have a good hold over your data, it can be done without the consequences getting too severe. And, the faster you react, the better everything will be.

Although it is better to use the services from Le VPN and cybersecurity techniques to prevent identity thieves from ever finding you in the first place, you can also use them to solve your issue faster and with less long-term damage to your good name and personal finances.