It’s Identity Theft Awareness Week and Tennesseans face a growing risk of identity theft, as scammers use of increasingly sophisticated tactics.
Tennessee Tech Associate Director of Workforce Development for the Cybersecurity Education Research and Outreach Center Eric Brown said identity theft remains the top consumer complaint. Identity theft continues to increase in communities across the state.
“This is an absolute local impact that’s going on right now with our neighbors,” Brown said. “Identity theft is the number one complaint from the consumer side, and it’s happening here in Tennessee, not somewhere far away.”
Brown said freezing a credit report should be the first step for anyone who suspects fraud, stressing that the process does not damage a credit score and can immediately stop criminals from opening new accounts.
“If you suspect fraud at all, immediately freeze your credit bureau so that they can’t open new accounts,” Brown said. “This doesn’t hurt your credit account at all, and it can stop further exploitation if you’ve seen anything that looks strange.”
He said scammers now rely heavily on urgency and automation, often pushing victims to act quickly through texts, emails, or calls that appear legitimate but are designed to bypass common sense.
“These scams are only effective if you allow them to short-circuit your common sense,” Brown said. “Hang up, verify, and call a trusted contact through a number you already know is legitimate.”
Brown said seniors face some of the most aggressive targeting, especially through investment scams and medical billing fraud that preys on a sense of obligation and fear of unpaid bills.
“They’re hitting retirement funds and, in some cases, money people would use to buy food,” Brown said. “They don’t want a bad name because they didn’t pay a bill someone claims they owe.”
He said criminals are also increasingly exploiting children by creating credit histories using minors’ identities, often without parents realizing it until years later.
“We’re seeing an increase not only in exploitation of seniors, but in exploitation of children under sixteen,” Brown said. “Parents should check credit reports for their children to make sure there isn’t anything funny going on.”
Brown said anyone who becomes a victim should immediately freeze credit accounts, contact a bank, and report the crime to local law enforcement.
He said oversharing on social media remains one of the biggest mistakes people make, giving scammers the personal details needed to craft believable messages.
“Be responsible with what you share about yourself and your children,” Brown said. “That information makes it very easy to build a comprehensive profile and target you.”
Brown said the simplest advice during Identity Theft Awareness Week is also the most important. “Don’t fall for the urgent text message,” Brown said. “Stay calm, think it through, and don’t use the convenient link.”