Rarely bank videos go viral, but 'Amazing Mind Reader' clip last month has reached more than five million YouTube views. This creative video was released as part of the campaign Safe Internet Banking Belgium, intended to raise awareness of identity fraud and personal online security.
In the US, this week is designated as National Protect Your Identity Week and the month of October was named month of fraud in the UK. These are two countries where the online identity fraud has become a particularly widespread problem.
Online fraud continues to increase
Smartphone users are particularly at risk of theft 'identity. Photo: Phil Campbell
Statistics from the U.S. Social Security Administration show that identity fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. More than 12 million people were victims of some form of online identity theft in the first half of 2012 - a number that has increased more than three times since 2010.
Florida was identified as the highest risk status of stolen personal information, with Georgia, California and Texas also have higher rates than the average. Earlier this month, hackers gained access to more than 0,000 student records online system of a college in Florida, also putting thousands of staff at risk. In the same state, cases of stolen Social Security numbers have recently shown millions of dollars of tax evasion.
Similar crimes have also been an increasing problem in the UK. The UK currently has the highest rate of identity fraud in Europe, with almost 25% of its population having been victim. Other countries also see the risks of increasing security as more people make the transition to personal records and online communication.
personal risk
Some of the highest losses in Europe occur in Germany and Italy and financial, ranging from an average of £ 13,180 to £ 28,666 per victim. victimized households in North America are losing billions of dollars every year to this problem.
The risks go beyond financial losses. Some victims spend years trying to clear their names after their information stolen and misused.
Smartphone users an easy target
The growing number of people using smartphones has created a new demographic target for identity fraud. People who own smartphones are about 30% more likely to be victims than the general population. This is particularly true for the percentage of smartphone owners who do not update to new operating systems as soon as they are released.
The smartphone users tend to access the Internet on the road connecting to less secure in cafes and public parks networks. This makes them even more vulnerable to sophisticated identity thieves.
stay protected online
Experts advise monitoring online statements and credit reports to make sure nothing is wrong. It is also important to stay on top of online passwords, change them regularly and ensuring that you never use a single password for all online accounts.
The use of a VPN can also add an extra barrier against hackers or phishing. This solution is particularly effective for smartphone users, protection against mobile threats.
For more information on how VPN works please consult SwitchVPN services.
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