This document discusses various types of identity thieves and how they steal personal information from victims. It provides statistics on identity theft incidents and warns that public Wi-Fi, home Wi-Fi networks, and discarded documents can all expose personal details. The document recommends using a VPN for public Wi-Fi, enabling strong passwords and encryption on home networks, shredding documents, and monitoring credit reports to help protect against identity theft.

2. The Perpetrators
Your information is vulnerable to a wide variety of would be thieves

3. The PUBLIC WIFI
PREDATOR
Sets up fake Wi-Fi networks
or uses sniffer software to
steal victims’ personal
information as victims are
using public
Wi-Fi at coffee shops, airports
or hotels.

4. The HI-TECH
HENIOUS HACKER
Uses technology know-how to
obtain victims’ data and personal
information by hacking home WiFi networks or using social
engineering, malware, or
phishing email.

5. The DUMPSTER DIVING
DELINQUENT
Gathers victims’ personal and financial
information by dumpster diving,
stealing mail, shoulder surfing or
swiping wallets/purses.

6. What Could These Crooks Do
with Your Personal Information?

7. These criminals could sell or trade your information on the black market…

8. …spreading it to even more shady people!

9. Identity Theft Is On The Rise!
Number of Identity Theft Incidents & Total Fraud Amount by Year

10. Scary Identity Theft Statistics
• 1 in 20 American adults were victims of identity theft in 2012.
• An identity theft incidence occurs 20 times every minute!
• 25% of people who receive data breach notifications become victims
of identity theft.
• Consumers who had their social security number compromised in a
data breach were 5 times more likely to be a fraud victim than an
average consumer.
• 18% of more than 2 million complaints that the consumer sentinel
network received in 2012 were related to identity theft, making it the
number one problem reported to the agency.

11. Common Ways Victims’
Information is Misused

12. AS REPORTED TO THE CONSUMER SENTINEL NETWORK

13. How You Can Fight Back
The best ways to protect yourself

14. Follow these Security Measures
When Using Public WiFi
• Use a VPN service to encrypt all
your internet communications (VPN
offers the highest level of security
• Confirm the network name
• Turn off sharing of printer and files
• Turn on the firewall on your device
• Limit online shopping and banking
on public Wi-Fi

15. Secure Your Device and Your Home
WiFi Network
• Enable WPA 2 Encryption on your home
Wi-Fi Network
• Install anti-virus and anti-malware
programs and keep them up to date
• Enable firewall protection
• Create random and strong passwords for
all accounts
• Beware of phishing emails
• Limit the information you share on social
media sites

16. Protect Your Personal Information Offline
•
Keep important documents in a safe bolted to
the floor
•
Put a lock on your mailbox
•
Shred any papers that have your personal
information on them before discarding
•
Monitor your credit reports regularly
•
Institute a credit free to prevent anyone from
applying for new credit using your name
•
Enlist an identity theft protection service

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Hotspot Shield VPN enables you to surf the web privately and securely,
protecting you from hackers, malware and identity theft.
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