Identity Theft (Phishing) Can Result In Stalking Or Worse

Phishing has become a problem that surpasses even viruses. Phishers are attempting to aquire your personal information, including account numbers, credit card numbers, phone numbers, passwords and even your home address. This in known as Identity Theft.

Identity theft can lead to cyberstalking (being stalked online) and maybe even to your being stalked in the real world. Nearly everyone has heard of stalking; the obscene or threatening phone calls at all hours, unwanted visitors at your door, maybe even having your home broken in to or being physically assulted. All of these things are possible, though, to be fair, getting caught in a phishing scam rarely results in that dire of a result. In spite of the rarity, you still need to be on guard against identity theft.

In today’s New Your Times online there is an article that details what can happen in extreme cases.

A Sinister Web Entraps Victims of Cyberstalkers

In an earlier posting I reported on a situation at MySpace.com that was also an extreme case.

Personal Safety and the Internet