Cyber criminals may attempt to gain unauthorized access to someone else's account: For example, they send phishing emails or take advantage of data leaks to access login data. If successful, they can log in and take over the account. They may then, for example, use a hacked online shopping account to buy and sell illegal goods. In criminal prosecution, the trail then first leads to the owner of the hacked account. The actual perpetrators, however, may remain hidden.

Cyber criminals do not necessarily have to take over someone else’s account though in order to impersonate another person on the internet. They may also create a new account in someone else's name. Before doing so, they collect pictures and private data such as date of birth and profession. They use this data to fill, for example, a social media profile which can look deceptively real. They may then ask family members of the person concerned to help them out in a financial emergency or exploit their trust to obtain sensitive data. They may also send links to infected websites.

Digital identity theft therefore has many faces. What all the cases have in common is that criminals pretend to be someone else on the internet. The consequences can be severe - from financial losses to reputational damage to criminal charges. To prevent this from happening, you should put as many obstacles in the way of cyber criminals as possible.

How to secure your digital identity and accounts

When you create a new account:

• Follow our recommendations on strong passwords and use a password manager.
• Use a separate password for each service. Then, if, for example, your social media account is hacked, your email account will not be affected.
• Activate two-factor authentication where possible. Without it, obtaining the password makes it possible for hackers to control the account.
• Only disclose as much about yourself as necessary - both publicly and to the provider of your email service or social media platform.
• Use different user names on different platforms. This will make it more difficult for cybercriminals to create an overall profile of you.

While you are on the internet:

• Use a screen lock for the devices that you are using such as smartphones or tablets. This can, for example, be based on biometric data such as a fingerprint. Also, make sure that you are unobserved when entering passwords.
• Check e-mails carefully before clicking on attachments or links. For example, cyber criminals use phishing e-mails to try to steal passwords. E-mail attachments are also one of the most common ways of infiltrating malware.
• The same applies to all links you come across online: Seemingly funny or scandalous content often conceals infected websites or malware.
• Be careful when using public WLAN networks. Risks can include the unencrypted transmission of data and the infiltration of malware.
• Protect yourself with regular updates of your software and operating system. These often close security gaps before cyber criminals can exploit them.
• Use a virus scanner on all devices and activate the firewall.
• Use different email addresses, one for competitions, newsletters and social networks, for example, and another for important communication with close contacts.
• Don't reveal anything about yourself online that you wouldn't tell strangers in real life as well. Therefore, also set your social media profiles to private and check friendship or follow requests thoroughly.
  

If you are affected by digital identity theft:

In an emergency, quick action can prevent serious consequences. To this end, we offer guidance for those affected by hacked accounts, especially email accounts, for those affected by identity theft on social media platforms, and for those affected by devices infected with malware.