Most of us have never dealt with identity theft... Or have we?

Now is the time to truly discern where your information is lying across the internet. Of course, none of us can monitor every online transaction, post, or edit we make public after they've been sent out to the mercy of the hostile world of keyboard warriors, trolls, and thieves alike. The end of the year brings the scammers a sense of power that Thanos could aspire to, and there is no sign of change in that department. How much information and directly to whom we sendit is definitely in our control, but even our best intentions and precautions can be reduced to a gleaning ground for unethical actors eager to dig.

So, what do we do about it if there seems to be no solution?

Ultimately, with a situation in which a scammer already has your information, they will attempt to scam you. You may simply receive an extreme amount of phone calls from random unknown numbers. Emails will pile up and not be automatically sorted as junk, touting anxiety-inducing titles about missed payments or false purchases on your "account." When a scammer feels they can't get through to you, they often sell your information to other scammers who will cycle your data into their own harassment scandal. You may be in this position for years and never have any clue how many people know so much about you. There is no resolution to be found until your information is out of circulation, so it's important to take the next best step.

Be Proactive

As a gamer and father, I have recognized not only the intense need for online safety but also the many methods that are being used in today's world. Scammers are sly, and avoiding them carefully is a bit of a hassle, but here are my strongest tips for you.

There are paid methods to have professionals scrub your information from the internet.

Some companies specialize in applying small legal actions to force websites to remove content on your behalf. Less information available reduces the likelihood of identity attacks. Unfortunately, not only does this come with a literal price tag, there's no guarantee you'll have the whole of your unwanted information, or even precise data you really dislike, deleted. On top of this, if scammers already have your data on paper or a private server, which they likely do, you may never find proof you were compromised until an errant charge or credit report appears.

Use Parental Locks and Research Apps

Children just want to have fun, and scammers are ungodly perceptive to this fact. Any parent reading this is probably already fighting with their child about an app they want you to download for them, or at least they're crying for your phone right now. An important thing to discuss with children over time and to be vigilant about is the fact an app from any reputable app store could carry virus codes that either feed information to the developer or cause issues with your device. Applying parental locks may assist you in knowing exactly what is running on your devices without sifting through 90+ weird apps your kid downloaded to find a fishy one. It's not easy to make the judgement an app may not be safe, as countless apps seem polished and innocent. I'd offer the tip to avoid the less polished apps, especially for children, that were created with free software such as Unreal Engine or Unity. Check some reviews and do a quick search of the developer to get an idea of authenticity before you tap that download button.

Don't Even Open the Emails or Answer the Calls

While your modern device should have the proper securities to stop any attack from the function of opening a scam email, the scammer who sent it can see when you open it. When you get those back-to-back unknown numbers, block them. Failing to circumvent interaction with scammers in any way is what fuels them to try harder. You don't want a fool to be encouraged. It's like walking away from someone who starts yelling at you from across a street, and there's too much traffic for them to catch up to you. They'd rather give up on you and yell at someone coming toward them.

Stop Taking the Facebook "Tests"

Every time you use a third party on Facebook or like websites, you are offering your name, IP address, and location to the third party. If this third party is a scam act, you may have instantly submitted yourself into their database to update their profile on you. Now, imagine if one of those tests ask about your elementary school, favorite animal, hobby, or food. Would it seem more clear where that information is heading?

Read the Fine Print

Sad fact: Fine print is used daily to fool the common person, especially during holidays. It is of extreme importance that we are cognizant of all terms we agree to. Many companies take on deals with third parties to help their businesses run, and that includes sharing certain information with those parties. The main issue here is the reality not every partnering company is a good actor. An incredible business could lead your data to others with terrible intent, leaving you none the wiser while people scheme upon you. Opt out of communications and sharing if you can, unless you know and trust where the information will go.

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