Identity Theft & Security

Identity Theft & Security

What can go wrong once your information is exposed, and how to protect yourself.

Credit Freeze (Security Freeze)

A free lock on your credit report that blocks lenders from accessing it, preventing new accounts from being opened in your name.

Dark Web Monitoring

A service that scans hacker forums, breach dumps, and dark-web marketplaces for your personal information — emails, passwords, SSN — and alerts you if it turns up.

Data Breach

An incident where personal data is accessed, stolen, or exposed without authorization — often the source of information later sold or leaked and absorbed into broker and aggregator databases.

Doxxing

Publishing someone's private or identifying information online — often pulled straight from people-search sites and data brokers — usually to harass, intimidate, or endanger them.

Fraud Alert

A free flag on your credit file that requires lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity before extending new credit.

Identity Theft

Using someone else's personal information without permission, typically to commit financial fraud, open accounts, or impersonate them.

Phishing

A scam that uses fake emails, texts, or sites to trick someone into giving up personal information or credentials. Broker-sourced data (name, address, employer) is often used to make phishing messages more convincing.

Social Engineering

Manipulating a person — rather than hacking a system — into revealing information or taking an action that compromises their security.

Spoofing (Caller ID Spoofing)

Faking the phone number or identity displayed to a call or message recipient, often paired with broker-sourced personal details in scam calls.

Swatting

Falsely reporting an emergency at someone's home to trigger an armed police response, typically enabled by doxxing that reveals the victim's real address.