Don’t be naive, anyone can have their identity taken from them.
I visited my sister in Maryland during the time that my brother had a heart attack and had to undergo a *ple heart bypass. After the successful operation, we stayed at my sister’s house to catch up on things because we really haven’t seen each other for a while. She told us a story that happened to one of her friends. I thought we all know the email SCAM from NIGERIA. Judging from the age of my sister’s friend, I know that he isn’t technically savvy or even internet savvy. They probably started using email recently and are not aware of the dangers of email SCAMS.
So, there he was – receiving an email about an inheritance unclaimed from a Nigerian bank officer. My sister showed me the emails and the history on how her friend got scammed. One email stated that if he sends $500.00 USD, they will be able to release the funds to him. They sent him a “fake” bank certificate with all the seals and stamps to make it authentic. Being naive and unaware of these types of scams, he complied. Another email came saying they needed $1,200.00 USD to finalize the documents and emailed him a copy of the document bearing his name with the authority to receive the said inheritance and a guarantee of release of funds upon receipt of his $1,200.00 USD. What did he do? He complied. After several weeks with no funds being received, he got worried and told my sister about the story. My sister told him that he was scammed. All the emails and documents received from this person in Nigeria is now at the hands of his lawyers trying to recoup whatever money he lost in the deal.
This was just a simple case and anyone who’s naive would probably think that those things can’t happen to you. Identity theft is more serious because you have no idea that it is being done until it’s too late. Luckily, my sister’s friend didn’t provide his Social Security Number and Bank Account details. Just the same, one can never be too careful. With the sophisticated gadgets these thieves are using, one can only do so much like filing for a fraud alert with the credit bureaus to alert you whenever there is an unusual purchase or event using your credit cards. One company offers a 1 million guarantee that they can protect your identity. The CEO is so sure of his companies’ efforts are effective, he posts his own Social Security number on their website. The company is called lifelock. With a guarantee like that, I guess you can be assured that they will do everything to protect your identity from being stolen.
It’s not something to take lightly. I have seen and watch nightmare stories about people whose identities were stolen. It’s not fun. Some couldn’t even an approval for a mortgage to buy a home just because someone else ruined their credit. It could happen to you. So, always be watchful and protect all your personal information. Better safe than sorry.
