Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Chilling Ad Shows How Easy It Is to Steal Your Online Identity


We all know it's not a good idea to share too much information online, but what's the worst that can happen?

This video, by a Belgian bank, addresses that question. Tom Degroote, a seemingly average Belgian guy, gets punked by a rep from Febelfin, the bank. The sinister rep explains that with one phishing email and a phone call he can empty Degroote's bank account. But he has other plans for Degroote. Soon he is getting prosthetics to look like Degroote and then taking pictures of himself with a bunch of women that he posts to Degroote's Facebook account. Then he buys an expensive antique harp on eBay with Degroote's credit card and has it shipped to Degroote's house.

The video ends with Degroote's doppelganger telling him, "Your whole life is online and before you know it, someone like me takes it over." As Degroote notes, "That's freaky." The ad plugs SafeInterenetBanking.be, where consumers can learn how to protect their online identities. Duval Guillame Modem, the ad agency behind the effort, has pulled off similar stunts before, most notably "A Dramatic Surprise on a Quiet Street," an ad for cable network TNT that became one of the most-shared of all time. {see below}

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