Dark Net Season 2 Episode 5 My Identity

Dark Net is a documentary series that explores the different aspects of the internet dark side, from cyberbullying and cyberstalking to online extremism and identity theft. In season 2, episode 5, titled "My Identity," the show delves into the perils of identity theft.

The episode starts off with a story of a woman named Sarah, who had her identity stolen by a hacker who used her personal information to take out loans and credit cards in her name. The hacker had even changed Sarah's mailing address to intercept any letters from banks or credit card companies. Sarah's life was essentially ruined by the identity theft, as she found herself with debts she did not incur and a credit score that had plummeted.

The show then moves on to explore the dark web's role in identity theft. Dark web markets sell illegal goods and services, and one particular vendor on a dark web market called "Dark Market" specializes in selling stolen identities. The vendor claims to have access to thousands of identities, including social security numbers, driver's licenses, and passports. In an interview with the show, the vendor explains how he obtains the information – often through phishing scams or by buying the information from people who work in positions of trust, such as hospital employees with access to medical records.

The episode also features a cybersecurity expert named Jim Stickley, who demonstrates just how easy it is to steal someone's identity. He shows how he can use publicly available information such as a person's name, address, and date of birth to find out more personal information, such as their phone number, employer, and family members' names. Armed with this information, Stickley can then use social engineering techniques to trick companies into giving him access to the person's accounts or even reset their passwords.

Another story the show covers is that of a man named Mike, who discovered that someone had created a fake Facebook page in his name and was using it to communicate with his friends and family. Mike had no idea who was behind the fake page or what their motives were. The episode raises some interesting questions about what can be done to stop identity theft and fake online identities.

Overall, "My Identity" is a thought-provoking episode that shows just how vulnerable we can be to identity theft and how easy it can be for our personal information to be stolen and sold on the dark web. The episode also provides some useful tips on how to protect ourselves online and avoid falling victim to identity theft.