A recent survey by Javelin Strategy and Research indicates that smartphone users were a third more likely to be victims of identity fraud than the general public. They attribute this likelihood to several factors:
- Password protection. The study found that 62 percent of smartphone owners don’t have password protection on their devices. If one of these phones falls into the wrong hands, personal information is just a swipe away.
- Saved logins. Does your smartphone remember your username and password for your email, social media accounts and financial applications? If so, you are not alone: 32 percent save their login info for the sake of convenience. Saving a few seconds would be a large price to pay for identity theft.
- Virus protection. We’ll install virus and malware protection on our computers, but we don’t always think to do so on our phones. That’s a major reason why over $1 million was stolen from Android users in 2011 (Android’s open marketplace is more susceptible to virus and malware-ridden applications as compared to Apple’s app store, which reviews every app).
- Fake sites. Phishing sites on smartphones can be easily confused with the simplified, mobile version of a legitimate site. That makes it easier for scammers to get information. According to Alicia diVittorio, a Lookout mobile safety advocate, you are three times more likely to provide sensitive information to a malicious source on a smartphone than a PC or laptop.
Take extra care when storing password and downloading apps, especially Android users. While the open marketplace allows for a huge variety of apps, it’s also a lucrative target for scammers: over 13,000 malicious apps were found in the marketplace at the end of 2011.
If you believe that a malicious company has targeted your phone and stolen your money or identity, you have a right to seek justice for consumer protection.
Sarelson Law Firm – Miami litigation attorney