Do u know?

5 ways thieves steal your identity

 (that you probably didn't know)

You probably know someone who's had a brush with identity theft. Maybe a family member,co-worker or friend had a checking account emptied over night. Or maybe you yourself survived the heartbreak of nearly losing everything because of identity theft.If you follow my Breaking Tech News page, you know that the debit and credit card numbers of more than 40 million in-store Target shoppers were swiped this holiday shopping season. It goes to show that nobody is safe from identity theft.That's why you need to stay alert to the latest threats. You won't believe the new tricks identity thieves are using to steal your private information - and your money!

1. Fake Wi-Fi hotspots

Who doesn't love the convenience of public Wi-Fi hotspots? They're everywhere - airports, hotels and your favorite coffee shop. It's like having a mobile office where you can breeze through emails, watch video and update social media.But guess what? Criminals love public Wi-Fi spots, too. In fact, they like to create their own hotspots to trick you. They might use a generic name like "Hotel Wi-Fi." So, you might think you're logging onto the hotel Wi-Fi, but end up signing onto a hacker's network instead.That makes it easy for these criminals to snag sensitive information like your logins and passwords. Be sure to read my essential tip on how to stay safe on public Wi-Fi.You should verify the Wi-Fi network name with the hotel or coffee shop owner. Be sure it matches the name of the hotel, airport or cafe Wi-Fi network.You should also check the permissions page when you get on. It's the page where you click on a checkbox to agree to terms of use. If the page asks for identifying information like your name or passwords, it's a red flag that you might be logging onto a fake Wi-Fi hotspot.

2. Medical identity theft

You can become a victim of identity theft without having your Social Security or credit card numbers stolen. I'm talking about the new, fast growing threat of medical identity theft.It happens when a thief uses your name and personal identifying information to receive medical services or prescription drugs. And guess who gets stuck with the medical bills?There's no sure-fire way to prevent medical identity theft. But it's another reminder that you should never give out your personal information. And that you need to check your medical insurance statements regularly.

3. Mail redirect

Imagine you start receiving calls from creditors for purchases you never made. Or maybe the amount of mail you normally receive suddenly drops. What's going on?You might be the victim of a mail redirect scam. Thieves love to collect addresses - either by stealing mail from your trash bin, or simply by going through the phone book and picking residences at random. Then they request a change of address from the Post Office.When thieves start receiving your mail, they have access to your bank and credit card statements. They can also get their hands on pre-approved credit card offers and open accounts in your name. By the time you notice anything is wrong, the criminals have already done serious damage.Preventing a mail redirect scam is difficult. But you can lower your odds of becoming a victim by stopping junk mail like pre-approved credit card solicitations. This app makes it simple.You should also shred sensitive papers before throwing them out. And contact the Post Office immediately if you notice missing mail.Speaking of the Post Office, did you know the U.S. Postal Service sells your information to advertisers? Click here to find out how to stop the USPS from selling your information.

4. Search engine poisoning

Criminals will stop at nothing to steal your information. Case in point: Search engine poisoning. It's when thieves manipulate search engine results so that their fake websites appear higher in search results ranking.So, for example, let's say you want to go to your bank's website. You can't remember the exact Web address, So, you Google the bank's name.If you're not a careful, you could end up clicking on a link that takes you to a fake website that looks like the real thing. You might unknowingly give away your login and password to hacker!To spot a fake website, look for dead giveaways like grammatical errors or lots of pop-up ads. Learn more about how to detect online phishing scams in this tip.

5. Military scams

Did you know military members are more at risk of becoming targets of identity theft? The Federal Trade Commission has even designated July 17 as "Military Consumer Protector Day" to help military members and their families learn about the dangers of identity theft.Why are military members such prime targets? Security experts say that fraudsters love targeting military members because servicemen and women are frequently required to provide personal information. These scammers might pretend be part of a military program to steal data from our servicemen and women.Obviously, these scammers will stop at nothing to steal your information. That's why you need to arm yourself with the best identity theft protection available.