A warning from identity theft victims in the aftermath of the Medibank and Optus hacks
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We here at the SDC are always warning of the dangers of identity theft, and how important it is to keep your personal information safe and secure from scammers.
But even if you're vigilant about protecting your data, there's still a chance that you could become a victim of identity theft – as Sarah, Dave, and Nadine found out the hard way.
These Aussies shared their stories with the ABC to warn others of the potential risks that leaked information can pose online, such as the recent Optus and Medibank hacks.
Sarah
Sarah's (not her real name) ordeal began when her photos were taken from a real estate agent's website without her knowledge or consent, and then shared on public platforms like Pinterest.
She gave out a photo of her licence while applying for a lease.
‘Probably the most shocking and stressful part was just seeing my licence there on Google for anyone to use,’ Sarah said.
‘It was extremely stressful, not knowing what the repercussions were, what I'd lost out of this, whether there was any financial loss or risk to myself.’
Then, one night, she and her family got the shock of their lives when a man showed up at their house claiming he hired and paid for Sarah’s sexual services online.
Sarah said they were even shown a copy of her licence featuring her address. Thankfully, the man relented when they informed him that he got scammed.
In another instance, another man went to Sarah’s house — this time, he was claiming they owed him $1000 for a gaming device he sold.
‘He rocked up having transferred the money and obviously wasn't receiving his PlayStation,’ she said.
From that point, the issue only became worse with Sarah's image being used to apply for credit cards and other financial products in her name.
To add to her predicament, no matter how hard she tried to close down any unauthorised applications done using her leaked details, another bogus application would be made.
‘Initially, I spent days and days going through my credit file, calling up every banking institution that had had credit applications,’ she said.
‘It's a very emotionally stressful thing that I don't want to put any more of my life into.’
The ABC noted that they contacted US-based image hosting site Pinterest to answer why they were still allowing Sarah’s image to still be displayed, but they did not receive a response.
Dave
Unlike Sarah, Dave had no idea how his details were duplicated.
Oddly enough, a ‘very bad’ copy of his licence was used to take out more than $70,000 for a car loan.
‘The first I found out was that I started to get toll notices. I got heaps of these over a period of weeks, and I couldn't really resolve it,’ he said.
One Friday morning at 3am, he got a call from the police about a car they flagged down.
‘They stopped someone driving this car and asked me whether I was lending it to them. And so obviously, I explained that it wasn't mine.’
Even with the disclosure made to authorities, Dave was still contacted by debt collectors, who demanded he pay for the $70,000 loan.
‘It seems quite incredible that on the basis of a copy of my licence, that had a JP stamp on it but it was illegible, that they were able to go borrow this money and then buy this car,’ he said.
Thankfully in Dave’s case, the police eventually verified his claim about the car and promptly spoke with debt collectors who kept hounding him.
‘It could have been quite a different situation if I hadn't had that access to that detective or I'd been out of the country,’ he said.
‘I think I was actually very lucky to get away with it and not have any further sort of ramifications.’
Nadine
Nadine’s troubles began with credit card applications. A lot of them.
Using only her licence number and date of birth, hackers were able to open up around $9000 worth of applications for personal loans.
Thankfully, thinking quickly, Nadine set up a credit report once she heard the news that her details were compromised.
Despite her preparations though, she still lost a small amount of money from lenders who released cash.
Things reached the point where she had to go to court to obtain proof that she was a victim of identity fraud, in addition to spending countless hours talking with companies by email and phone to explain her situation.
‘That was a really lengthy process, but I knew that's what I had to do because my credit rating is important to me,’ Nadine said.
‘I don't even have a credit card and I don't ever intend on having one, and these types of applications can really harm your credit rating…I didn't want them registered in my name.’
Not one for half measures, she also blocked her credit file from making future applications despite the obvious hassle — and even moved houses just to avoid hackers using her listed address!
‘I think it also just helps with reclaiming your identity to actually be able to say, “No, I have not lived at that address for quite some time.”’ she said.
‘To prove that, yes, that was a stolen driver's licence that they used.’
The stories of ‘Sarah’, Dave, and Nadine are frightening, especially given recent events and the ease with which criminals can twist our data to meet whatever ends they want.
So, heaven forbid you do find yourselves on the receiving end of identity theft, what do you do?
For starters, you may report your case to the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
You should also contact your bank immediately and inform them of your situation. If possible, ask what you can do to change access to your account in terms of security.
And speaking of changing access, change important passwords of accounts you think might be compromised the first chance you get.
You can also reach the services of organisations like IDCare, which offers counselling and support to victims of data breaches like that of Medibank and Optus.
So, what is your reaction to the stories of Sarah, Dave, and Nadine? Do you have a personal experience with identity theft? We certainly hope not but if you do, share them with us in the comments section below.
Source: YouTube/TODAY
But even if you're vigilant about protecting your data, there's still a chance that you could become a victim of identity theft – as Sarah, Dave, and Nadine found out the hard way.
These Aussies shared their stories with the ABC to warn others of the potential risks that leaked information can pose online, such as the recent Optus and Medibank hacks.
Sarah
Sarah found herself in a nightmare after a lease application gone wrong. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/lil artsy
Sarah's (not her real name) ordeal began when her photos were taken from a real estate agent's website without her knowledge or consent, and then shared on public platforms like Pinterest.
She gave out a photo of her licence while applying for a lease.
‘Probably the most shocking and stressful part was just seeing my licence there on Google for anyone to use,’ Sarah said.
‘It was extremely stressful, not knowing what the repercussions were, what I'd lost out of this, whether there was any financial loss or risk to myself.’
Then, one night, she and her family got the shock of their lives when a man showed up at their house claiming he hired and paid for Sarah’s sexual services online.
Sarah said they were even shown a copy of her licence featuring her address. Thankfully, the man relented when they informed him that he got scammed.
In another instance, another man went to Sarah’s house — this time, he was claiming they owed him $1000 for a gaming device he sold.
‘He rocked up having transferred the money and obviously wasn't receiving his PlayStation,’ she said.
From that point, the issue only became worse with Sarah's image being used to apply for credit cards and other financial products in her name.
To add to her predicament, no matter how hard she tried to close down any unauthorised applications done using her leaked details, another bogus application would be made.
‘Initially, I spent days and days going through my credit file, calling up every banking institution that had had credit applications,’ she said.
‘It's a very emotionally stressful thing that I don't want to put any more of my life into.’
The ABC noted that they contacted US-based image hosting site Pinterest to answer why they were still allowing Sarah’s image to still be displayed, but they did not receive a response.
Hackers were able to get their hands on a ‘very bad’ copy of Dave’s licence. Credit: ABC
Unlike Sarah, Dave had no idea how his details were duplicated.
Oddly enough, a ‘very bad’ copy of his licence was used to take out more than $70,000 for a car loan.
‘The first I found out was that I started to get toll notices. I got heaps of these over a period of weeks, and I couldn't really resolve it,’ he said.
One Friday morning at 3am, he got a call from the police about a car they flagged down.
‘They stopped someone driving this car and asked me whether I was lending it to them. And so obviously, I explained that it wasn't mine.’
Even with the disclosure made to authorities, Dave was still contacted by debt collectors, who demanded he pay for the $70,000 loan.
‘It seems quite incredible that on the basis of a copy of my licence, that had a JP stamp on it but it was illegible, that they were able to go borrow this money and then buy this car,’ he said.
Thankfully in Dave’s case, the police eventually verified his claim about the car and promptly spoke with debt collectors who kept hounding him.
‘It could have been quite a different situation if I hadn't had that access to that detective or I'd been out of the country,’ he said.
‘I think I was actually very lucky to get away with it and not have any further sort of ramifications.’
Nadine
Criminals were able to do so much with only Nadine’s licence number and birthday. Credit: ABC
Nadine’s troubles began with credit card applications. A lot of them.
Using only her licence number and date of birth, hackers were able to open up around $9000 worth of applications for personal loans.
Thankfully, thinking quickly, Nadine set up a credit report once she heard the news that her details were compromised.
Despite her preparations though, she still lost a small amount of money from lenders who released cash.
Things reached the point where she had to go to court to obtain proof that she was a victim of identity fraud, in addition to spending countless hours talking with companies by email and phone to explain her situation.
‘That was a really lengthy process, but I knew that's what I had to do because my credit rating is important to me,’ Nadine said.
‘I don't even have a credit card and I don't ever intend on having one, and these types of applications can really harm your credit rating…I didn't want them registered in my name.’
Not one for half measures, she also blocked her credit file from making future applications despite the obvious hassle — and even moved houses just to avoid hackers using her listed address!
‘I think it also just helps with reclaiming your identity to actually be able to say, “No, I have not lived at that address for quite some time.”’ she said.
‘To prove that, yes, that was a stolen driver's licence that they used.’
The stories of ‘Sarah’, Dave, and Nadine are frightening, especially given recent events and the ease with which criminals can twist our data to meet whatever ends they want.
So, heaven forbid you do find yourselves on the receiving end of identity theft, what do you do?
For starters, you may report your case to the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
You should also contact your bank immediately and inform them of your situation. If possible, ask what you can do to change access to your account in terms of security.
And speaking of changing access, change important passwords of accounts you think might be compromised the first chance you get.
You can also reach the services of organisations like IDCare, which offers counselling and support to victims of data breaches like that of Medibank and Optus.
So, what is your reaction to the stories of Sarah, Dave, and Nadine? Do you have a personal experience with identity theft? We certainly hope not but if you do, share them with us in the comments section below.
Source: YouTube/TODAY
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