A scammer has your name, phone number and address. What can they actually do?

While having your name, phone number, and address alone is usually not enough to steal your identity or empty your bank account, it provides scammers with a credible starting point. They can combine this information with data from breaches or social media to impersonate companies, initiate SIM-swap attacks, or strengthen family-emergency scams. It is crucial to verify any requests for sensitive information and take precautions like enabling two-factor authentication and monitoring your accounts.

• Basic personal information like name, phone number, and address can be used by scammers as a starting point for more serious attacks.
• Scammers can combine this information with data from breaches or other sources to create convincing fake stories or impersonate legitimate companies.
• Potential attacks include SIM-swap scams, phishing, sending fraudulent mail, and strengthening family-emergency scams.
• While not enough for direct financial theft, this information can be used to trick individuals into revealing more sensitive details.
• Key protective measures include enabling two-factor authentication, contacting companies directly using trusted methods, and monitoring financial accounts and credit reports.
• Identity theft protection services can offer monitoring, data broker removal, and recovery support.