I-TEAM Consumer Alert: A.I. being used to steal your identity

DAYTON — Over 110 million people have had their personal information compromised this year, according to the credit bureau Experian, putting them at risk of identity theft.

These breaches have become increasingly sophisticated, with bad actors using artificial intelligence to make scams more convincing. The Federal Trade Commission reported that more than a million Americans had their identities stolen last year, resulting in over 2.5 million cases of related fraud and nearly $13 billion in losses.

“Your data is going to be out there in some way, shape, or form,” said Michael Bruemmer, Vice President of Consumer Protection and Data Breach Resolution at Experian. “Hackers are more effectively using AI to launch scams, conduct data breaches, and invade critical infrastructure.”

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Stephanie Fountain, an identity theft victim, discovered her identity was stolen when she went to file taxes this summer. “I freaked out like I started bawling,” she said, noting the significant impact on her credit.

Bruemmer highlighted the growing threat of synthetic identities, which are created from pieces of different people’s information. “So it’s taking your social security number, my date of birth, address, maybe my driver’s license, and boom, you have a newly created synthetic identity,” he explained.

Despite the increasing sophistication of these scams, Bruemmer emphasized the importance of individuals taking steps to protect themselves. “People are looking in mass. How can I get someone’s identity or identity information quickly and move on and gobble up something else?” he said.

Fountain is now focused on keeping as little of her information out there as possible, saying, “I still think twice about it.”

As identity theft continues to evolve with the use of AI and synthetic identities, individuals are urged to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to safeguard their personal information.

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