One of the most common questions people ask is, "What can a scammer do with my personal information?" To help you better understand the risks, we've outlined what is considered Public Information versus Personally Protected Information (PPI) below. This list is intended for those who reside within the United States and may not be applicable to everyone.
We strongly advise against sharing any personal details with unverified or unknown individuals online. However, if you've already provided information to a scammer, or you're concerned they may have access to certain details, this guide will help you assess the potential risk based on the type of information exposed.
Types of Public Information:
Publicly available information is generally less risky to share, as scammers can often obtain this data with minimal effort. By "less risky," we mean that scammers are already using this information in mass-targeting efforts, so sharing it won’t increase your vulnerability by much.
Name: First, Middle, and Last names.
Email Address: Both personal and business-related
Phone Numbers: Both personal and business-related
Property records: These include deeds, mortgages, and property tax information.
Birth records: These contain information about a person's birth, including their name, date of birth, and parents' names. Not all states have uniform public birth records.
Marriage records: These contain information about a couple's marriage, including their names, date of marriage, and place of marriage.
Death records: These contain information about a person's death, including their name, date of death, and cause of death.
Court records: These include court cases, judgments, and sentencing information. Not all court cases are uniformly public.
Voter registration records: These contain information about a person's registration to vote, including their name, address, and party affiliation.
Personally Protected Information (PPI):
This type of information is private and should NEVER be shared with anyone unless it's in a secure, official, and verified setting. If exposed, this data can be exploited by scammers for identity theft, fraud, or other harmful activities. Always protect this information in a confidential manner.
Social Security numbers: These are considered highly sensitive personal information and are not publicly available.
Financial information: This includes bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and tax returns.
Medical records: These are protected by federal law and are not generally publicly available.
Employment records: These are typically protected by privacy laws and are not publicly available.
Personal communications: This includes emails, text messages, and phone calls.
What to Do if Your PPI Was Exposed?
Determine: What information was exposed to assess your risk.
Contact: The major credit bureaus Experian, Equifax, TransUnion to place a fraud alert or credit freeze on your account. A fraud alert makes it harder for identity thieves to open accounts in your name, while a credit freeze restricts access to your credit file.
Monitor: All of your financial institution accounts closely.
Change: Passwords and Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) wherever possible.
Watch: For Phishing and Social Engineering Attempts.
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