INDIANAPOLIS— As 2025 approaches, the outlook is not looking good for victims of identity theft, cybercrime and scams.
Cybercriminals are gearing up for a big year, and they’re posting a slew of job openings on the dark web.
"The bad actors are ramping up their operations because they know they have the ability to perpetrate more and more identity crimes, scams and fraud,” Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, told WRTV. “Likely there will be no consequences but a huge monetary return."
The job openings are seeking “software testers.”
Criminals will then use those new workers to look for known and unknown software bugs that can be exploited for a ransomware or cyberattack, according to ITRC.
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The ITRC, a nonprofit aimed at preventing fraud and identity theft, predicts many of the bad actors will launch cyberattacks that could impact your personal information.
Expect more data breaches in 2025.
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ITRC also expects an uptick in cybercriminals using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to fool you.
WRTV told you about voicemails circulating around Central Indiana claiming to be from local sheriffs, but they’re actually AI-generated.
“We can only anticipate that the problem is going to grow and it's already exponentially bad,” said Velasquez.
The ITRC also anticipates a significant reduction in law enforcement involvement in identity crime investigations under the new presidential administration, as well as fewer cybersecurity regulations.
“It’s a terrible dynamic,” said Velasquez. “There’s less interest in regulation on the whole and this is one of those unintended consequences.”
WRTV Investigates contacted President-Elect Donald Trump’s transition team for a response to the ITRC’s 2025 predictions, and we are still waiting to hear back.
The ITRC says self-regulation will make a comeback in 2025.
Tips to Protect Yourself:
TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF
- Freeze your credit and your child’s credit
- Use passkeys, like Face ID, instead of passwords
- Never call back the number that called you
- Do a separate search for the agency’s actual phone number
- Call the agency and ask if the voicemail you received is legitimate
- Remember government imposter scammers will pose as:
- Law enforcement
- FBI
- Social Security Administration
- Internal Revenue Service
- Federal Trade Commission
“Using a passkey is much safer than using the same password across multiple accounts,” said Velasquez. “It really eliminates a lot of the risk and you don’t have to remember anything. You take your face with you.”
