Identity theft is a big issue, and every single person is at risk. Last year’s Equifax hack showed just how easy it is for criminals to gain access to personal information en masse.

With the ever-increasing number of corporate data breaches, identity theft can happen to anyone at any time – even after they die. But some people are more likely than others to become victims of this devastating crime.

For example, when you experience a major life event that requires filing official paperwork – buying or selling real estate, marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, starting new job, etc. –  your sensitive personal information gets entered into all kinds of databases.  This gives hackers more opportunities to find an access point and steal your identity.

Data breaches can expose passwords, email addresses, credit card information, home addresses, phone numbers, and more, depending on the severity of the attack. All of this can be used to steal your identity, so it’s important to pay attention to every data breach that hits the news.

When someone passes away, their family members have a lot of emotional, financial, and legal issues to sort through. One death-related complication you might not anticipate is the identity theft of your recently departed relative.

Though it seems heartless and morbid, stealing a dead person’s social security number and personal information is more common than you think. The AARP reports that fraudsters use the identities of 2.5 million deceased Americans every year to open credit cards, apply for loans, sign up for cell phone services, and more.

According to fraud expert (and former con man), Frank Abagnale, there are five ways you’re enabling identity thieves on social media.

Last week, the credit reporting agency Equifax revealed that nearly 143 million Americans were affected by a massive security breach that put personal information, such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and driver’s licenses, into the hands of hackers.

Now the threat of what can happen with the stolen information has half the U.S. population worried. In this post, we highlight the threats that consumers now face and steps to take to help ensure that you don’t become a victim to further criminal activity.

In recent news, a Kentucky disability lawyer named Eric C. Conn – who plead guilty in March to a $550 million Social Security fraud scheme – is on the run. Early in June, the con man removed his electronic monitoring device and fled. The U.S. District Court has since issued a warrant for his arrest.

The social security program is meant to help people. But some shameless individuals use it to help themselves, and in doing so commit a serious crime.