How to Check If Your Data Has Been Leaked

In today’s digital age, a new identity theft case occurs every 22 seconds - a truly alarming rate. Sometimes the warning signs are ignored, and other times they’re not even noticeable until it’s too late. That’s why this guide will show you practical tips to check if your data has been leaked and what actions to take.

Data leaks are common and often unexpected. Detecting them quickly and responding effectively is essential, yet many people don’t know how to do it - leaving them vulnerable to serious risks.

How Your Activities Expose Your Personal Information

If you’re a target, no matter what you do, whether online or offline, they can piece together enough of your information to impersonate you. Users often share personal details such as birthdays, location-tagged photos, and family information, which scammers exploit for identity theft.

Common activities such as filling out online forms, making purchases, or creating accounts expose personal information. Some apps and websites also collect your device’s location, even if you never give permission directly.

8 Easy Ways to Verify if Your Data Has Been Breached 

Consider the following points if you want to check whether your data has been leaked:

• Check Your Accounts for Unusual Activity: Give a thorough recheck on your financial statements for any unfamiliar transactions or account numbers. Also, consider checking your credit reports for new accounts opened in your name. Watch for unusual charges or missing funds. 
• Unfamiliar Login Alerts: Many services will email or text you about suspicious sign-in attempts, indicating someone unknown is trying to access your account.
• Login Issues: You might have difficulties logging into your account because the password was changed without your authorization.
• Changes to Settings: Look for unusual changes to your email’s forwarding rules, filters, or signature.
• Unexpected Messages or Activity: This could include emails you didn’t send appearing in your send folder or contacts receiving unusual messages from your account.
• High Volume of Spam: A sudden influx of spam emails is a sign of a compromised account used to spread spam.
• Set Up Dark Web Monitoring: It helps you detect leaked personal information, providing details on what data was exposed and where, and alerting you in real-time so you can take immediate action. When your information is found, you receive an alert and exact details of what was breached. 
• Use Data Breach Checkers: You can also use specialized tools made for scanning lists of leaked data. If your information appears in new data breaches, it alerts you.

What to Do if Your Data Has Been Breached?

If your data is breached, you should take the following immediate actions:

• Change your passwords: Change your passwords for all affected accounts.
• Enable 2FA: Activate two-factor authentication (2FA) on all of your accounts.
• Keep a check on your accounts: Check your bank and credit card transactions regularly for any suspicious activity. Contact your bank to report any fraudulent charges and consider closing your account that has been hacked.
• Freeze your credit by placing a security freeze with the 3 major credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian).
• Visit IdentityTheft.gov to create an official report, which will provide you with an identity theft official statement and a personalized recovery plan.
• Contact companies involved: Inform the companies where your data was leaked about the breach, and follow up with them to protect your information.
• Consider filing a police report: A report with your local law enforcement can serve as documentation to help resolve fraud issues.
• Keep watching your accounts: Continue to monitor your bank accounts, credit card reports, and credit score for further signs of identity theft.

You must consider using a credit monitoring service or identity theft protection service for ongoing vigilance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if someone is stealing my data?

If you notice strange things happening, like:

• You’re getting intrusive pop-up ads, especially ones that appear outside of the apps you’re using. 
• Your monthly data usage is much higher than usual without any change in your online habits.
• You find apps on your phone that you didn’t install.
• Seeing outgoing calls and texts you don’t recognize.
• Apps are crashing, and the battery is draining much faster than normal.
• Receiving verification codes for accounts you didn’t access.

How should I confirm if someone is using my identity?

To check if someone is using your identity, look out for the following unusual changes: small test purchases, Automatic payments, or transactions you don’t recognize or duplicate. If your regular mail stops arriving, or you start receiving bills or statements for accounts you didn’t open, it could be a sign of identity theft.

What should I do if my information is on dark web?

If your information is found on the dark web, consider these steps:

• Immediately change the passwords for all your accounts, especially sensitive ones like banking and email.
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all your accounts.
• Run a full scan on your computer, tablet, and phone with a reputable antivirus to check for any viruses or spyware.
• Contact your mobile carrier to add SIM-swapping protection to your account to prevent criminals from taking over your phone number.