Identity theft has become a major issue on the Internet; learn how to avoid it

Identity theft on the internet is nothing new, but it may get you in a lot of danger. That's why it is believed that it might be dangerous to disclose too many personal details on Social media channels if you do not secure your privacy.

Cybercriminals can build fake Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts using your personal information and photos. They make such a convincing imitation clone of your profile that even you would not realize you did not make it. 

Hackers can then exploit these fake social media profiles to defraud people or smear your identity. Your friends, relatives, and coworkers may believe you are the one who is breaking the law or writing harsh language on social media platforms.

Not only social media platforms but hackers can also target you by sending a phishing mail in the name of any prominent company or brand and asking you to open the link inside the mail. There are, fortunately, some precautions one can take to prevent themself from these con artists. All you have to do now is be cautious about the information you post on the internet. Update your internet media privacy settings or notify any fake internet media accounts to help with this.

There is also the option to report fake social media accounts to the social media networks via the Web:

Facebook:

Go to facebook.com/help/174210519303259 to report a fraudulent FB page. Users can also report a bogus profile to cybercrime.gov.in if they don't have a Facebook account and somebody has made one of these on their behalf.

Twitter:

Go to help.twitter.com/en/safety-and-security/report-twitter-impersonation to report bogus profiles on this app. Users can also report an impersonation by going to the help.twitter.com/en/forms/authenticity/impersonation.

Instagram:

Users can report a fake Instagram profile using the name of their company or group by going to help.instagram.com/contact/636276399721841.