Don’t give out your home address on public Wi-Fi.
Your home address is a tricky piece of private yet public information. You don’t want everyone to know where you live, but you are always giving out your home address, like when ordering something online. Your house is likely available for public viewing on services like Google Maps, but that doesn’t mean people know the details of its inhabitants. But what happens when they do? Especially when they have bad intentions? Here are some of the most significant ways the wrong people can use your home address.
Safely sharing your home address online
This may be self-explanatory, but it begs to be said — we’re not telling you never to give your address while filling out online forms. It is usually safe to order packages and take-out, fill out medical and banking information, fill out job applications, do surveys, etc., because these forms should be secured by standard online encryption. (This is your reminder only to fill out forms you trust on websites that start with https, not http.) Also, when using end-to-end encryption messaging services or email, you may need to exchange your address with people for things like invitations.
However, hackers can get ahold of it when you use shady websites that require your home address or fill out these private forms over public Wi-Fi. Not only that, but your address would be attached to other personally identifying information like your name, phone number, and possibly banking information or your Social Security number. This exposes you more than if a hacker were to have your address and makes you more vulnerable to convoluted targeted attacks.
What can someone do with your home address?
So, how can a malicious actor use your home address against you? It’s not much use without other information, but from a cybersecurity perspective, hackers scrape home addresses from sources with other information to back them up. This makes all the difference. Some of the ways they may use this information are:
Social Engineering
Social engineering is a tactic hackers use to lure you into different scams, but it can be even more dangerous because it’s difficult to spot. Instead of tricking you with a faulty link, which is how most online scams function, hackers will take time to talk to you (or use AI bots) to convince you they are legitimate. This allows them to quell any fears or hesitation you may have once you are approached, increasing your confidence in them. These scammers will use any personally identifying information, like your home address, to make it seem like they already know specific information about you, like how your bank would. This makes it even more difficult for you, the victim, to determine if you are talking to an actual representative.
See also: Phishing Scam Exposed: How to Stay One Step Ahead
Doxxing and blackmail
Another dangerous use of your home address is the threat of doxxing. Doxxing is when someone releases private information about another person online. This is usually done as a form of harassment or intimidation. In possession of your home address and information about its occupants, hackers may blackmail you into giving them money, photos, etc., by threatening to release these details onto dangerous forums, like ones on the dark web or even websites like 4chan. These sites are crawling with people who will jump at the chance to put a random family in harm’s way through multiple means. Once these details are out, it is challenging to get them back. People targeted by doxxing have often resorted to moving to a new place entirely.
See also: Ransomware Attacks: Tips for Prevention And Recovery
Physical threats and swatting
Connecting to the point we made above, there are many ways that bad actors can use your home address to harass you. Sometimes, that means filing complaints to local authorities, mailing indecent or dangerous objects, and even stalking. But one of the most extreme things that can happen is known as swatting. Often referred to as a prank, many people have died as a result of swatting. This is when the perpetrator calls the police with a severe and pertinent complaint, claiming that you have an illegal weapon or detonator and are actively threatening your family or holding them hostage. This forces law enforcement to respond with the most drastic response they can form, often involving the SWAT team (hence the name), who will break into your home, heavily armed, to mitigate the threat. It is a terrifying situation that damages your property and puts everyone around you in danger, sometimes to a fatal degree.
Drug trafficking
Speaking of mailing things, your address can potentially be used by drug traffickers. This is known as the package misdelivery method of couriering drugs through the postal system. It is often used with vacant properties, but if you recently moved or are frequently out of town, you can quickly become tangled up with these illegal operations. To reduce suspicion, drug traffickers will intentionally deliver packages containing substances to the wrong address and then discretely retrieve them from the doorstep. However, chances are, if you spot a misdelivery, you will bring it inside without opening it and return it to your local post office sometime in the following days. If this package contains drugs, you are now in possession of hundreds to thousands of dollars worth of product. Even worse — drug traffickers are likely searching for this lost parcel, making you the target of a retrieval. These criminals are often violent with little regard for your life. You do not want to come face-to-face with one of them.
Real estate fraud
It is possible that scammers can use your property to fuel their tactics without you knowing for quite some time. Scammers may use your home address and other information to list your home as a rental property while collecting security deposits from unsuspecting renters. In extreme cases, they may even enter your home while you’re not there to give a tour! They can also do something similar by listing your house for sale at significantly below market price and collecting deposits from potential buyers. However, this can go a step further. Sometimes, scammers will forge documents and commit title fraud to claim false ownership of your property. Then, they will go through with selling it by legitimate means, leaving you without ownership altogether. This type of fraud takes significant time and money to resolve in court.
Insurance fraud
Like the abovementioned point, scammers will also try to claim property ownership for this scam. However, this time, they are attempting to get money through your insurance rather than a potential buyer. You likely pay for homeowners insurance to protect you in the event of a catastrophe ranging from environmental disasters, fire, water damage, theft, vandalism, etc. It’s not cheap! But if you were to experience one of these situations, it comes in handy because you would (or should) receive money based on your policy to help finance your recovery. However, scammers sometimes use your address and information to claim one of these disasters to receive a payout for something that never happened. In extreme cases, scammers may organize a way to purposefully damage your home to make their case.
Pizza delivery
This one is the least serious of the others mentioned, but it is technically something a rogue can do with your address. Although it’s common for disgruntled exes and neighbors to do this, someone can do this with the information they gather online. The age-old pizza delivery prank! This is when someone calls an order to a local pizzeria for delivery using your address, phone number, and name. That way, when the pizza arrives at your door, you become responsible for paying for it. However, this can quickly get out of hand, with pranksters ordering as many as ten pizzas from multiple locations, adding up the cost. If this happens, you may end up shelling out hundreds of dollars in pizzas. But at least you can host the largest impromptu pizza party ever attempted!
Protect your identity with a VPN
When you browse the internet without encryption, your private information is vulnerable to being intercepted by others on the same network. This is especially risky when using public Wi-Fi, as unauthorized individuals and potential hackers can quickly view your unsecured traffic. If you access sensitive information like filling out forms or logging into your bank account in such a scenario, your data is put at risk.
A VPN (virtual private network) obfuscates your data by rerouting it through a remote server before it travels over the internet, making it indecipherable to anyone trying to snoop on your online activities via traffic logs. This helps protect you from falling victim to fraud or other malicious activities. IPVanish, for instance, offers a secure connection along with security-focused features such as Threat Protection and Kill Switch. The decision is yours to make, although the better option is evident!
FAQs
Can I safely share my address online?
Yes, of course, it’s possible to share your address online safely. Using secure checkouts and encrypted forms with legitimate services like your bank, government websites, and big-name delivery services, your address is safe from being intercepted via the site. However, while on public Wi-Fi, you should use a VPN to help protect your data from snoopers using the same network, as it may still be visible to them.
How does a VPN protect my home address?
A VPN obscures your data with encryption and then sends it to a remote server before it reaches its destination. This means any data sent to the site is secured and indecipherable to any third parties who may want access to it. A VPN also helps protect you from hackers sharing the same network as you because your data is encrypted before it is transmitted, not after.
If my home address is public, how do I stay private?
Your home address is indeed public, and many public records contain your address, name, and other information. However, when these records are available on people search sites, they are much easier to obtain. You can legally request the removal of this information by following our tips.