‍October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Please Protect Your Personal Information Against Identity Theft

Identity theft can affect anyone at any time, often with little warning. The 2025 Aflac data breach involved the personal information of approximately 22.65 million individuals, highlighting the scale of this threat.

Protecting your personal information can help reduce the risk of fraudulent accounts being opened in your name. This is why it’s important to adopt proactive measures to help protect your private data from misuse.

Potential risks of identity theft

‍Identity theft is a threat that affects many individuals more frequently than you might think. Although most corporations work proactively to safeguard your personal information, entering your email address or phone number into various websites or services carries a risk because that information may subsequently be exposed through a breach.

When this information is compromised, criminals may exploit it to impersonate you, potentially leading to theft of funds and private information.

Criminals employ various tactics to steal your information, which can include:

1. Direct attacks: These involve targeting individuals through specific channels:
   
   • Phishing: Fraudulent emails designed to deceive recipients into revealing sensitive information.
   • Smishing: Text messages that attempt to extract personal data and financial details.
   • Vishing: Voice calls aimed at manipulating individuals into divulging private information.

With the information gained from these direct attacks, criminals may impersonate you to obtain money or access private data.

2. Third-party attacks: Criminals may also target organizations that store users' personal information. These attacks can often involve the same methods mentioned above, aimed at corporations that manage sensitive data or financial resources. The goal is to exploit weaknesses within these organizations to access private information.

Another method outside the previous categories involves the use of postal mail for scams and identity theft. Scammers may use mail to solicit sensitive information, while stolen mail can provide access to personal and financial information.  

Here are some indications that your information may have been compromised:

• Receiving unexplained bills either in your name or someone else’s.
• Having unfamiliar inquiries or credit accounts on your credit report that you didn’t initiate.
• Getting alerts from your bank about fraudulent activity on your account.

How to protect yourself against identity theft?

‍To help protect yourself, take steps to reduce the risk of your personal information being compromised:

• Refrain from clicking on links in messages from unknown senders and avoid entering personal or financial information on unfamiliar websites or over the phone.
• Use strong, unique passwords for every account, and if possible, use a password manager tool.
• Be selective about where you provide financial information and use trusted, secure services.
• Be cautious about the companies you share your private information with.
• Enable multifactor authentication (MFA/2FA) in your accounts with sensitive data.  

These practices will help safeguard your personal data and reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

Make this the month you upgrade your passwords

Weak or reused passwords are one of the easiest ways for criminals to gain access to your accounts, especially when your information has been exposed in a data breach. Using strong, unique passwords for each account can help limit the damage if one of your accounts is compromised.

Remembering all your passwords is a chore. That’s why your IDShield Membership includes a password manager that helps create, store, and organize secure passwords in one place. Log in to your IDShield Membership portal today to start using this important feature!

How can IDShield® help?

‍IDShield provides identity theft protection plans with top-tier services, including personal data monitoring, dark web monitoring, Social Security number tracking, credit monitoring, and real-time alerts if suspicious activity is detected.  

IDShield also provides world-class VPN security, malware protection, parental controls, and password protection. And if you experience identity theft, Licensed Private Investigators will provide personalized support to restore your identity to its pre-theft status.  

IDShield includes ScamCheck, a powerful new tool that uses AI to help detect and block scam threats before they reach you.

Here's what ScamCheck does for you:

• Deepfake Scan: Verifies that video calls are with a real person, not an AI imposter.
• Call Block: Automatically blocks suspicious phone numbers.
• SMS Protection: Filters out spam and scam text messages.
• Web Guard: Blocks unsafe websites and removes scam ads.

ScamCheck is one way to help protect yourself from evolving threats, while staying informed is another important part of protecting your personal information. Learn more about common scams and ways to protect your identity with these helpful resources:

• What is Ghost Tapping and How Can You Stay Safe?
• Five AI Scams Targeting You Right Now
• Medical Identity Theft  

Don’t wait until a scam affects you!  

Take Control of Your Digital Life

If you're not currently enrolled in an IDShield identity theft protection plan, you can become a member at your next enrollment opportunity.

If you’re already a member, log in to your account to access your identity theft protection features.  

Log in to your account

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IDShield® is a registered trademark of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. (“LegalShield”). LegalShield provides access to identity theft protection plans. Identity theft protection plans provide access to monitoring, consultation, and restoration services. An Identity Fraud Protection Plan is underwritten and administered through American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida, an Assurant company. LegalShield is not an insurance carrier. Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.