Not every attempt at identity theft is as obvious as the Nigerian Prince scam. Attempts at identity theft come in the forms of emails that look like they might be from your bank and phone calls from people asking you to give away “confirm” your account information. I once had someone attempt to get me to divulge my health insurance account number in a phone call placed at 8:30pm on a Friday. Being aware of the signs of an identity theft scam is the best way to avoid falling for them. In a new video, Common Craft explains what identity theft is, the signs of it, and how to avoid it.
Applications for Education
How to identify online scams should be a part of any lessons about responsible Internet use. This video would also be useful in consumer education courses.
Disclosure: I have an in-kind business relationship with Common Craft.