INDIANAPOLIS As 2025 approaches, the outlook is not looking good for victims of identity theft, cybercrime and scams.Cybercriminals are gearing up for a big year, and theyre posting a slew of job openings on the dark web."The bad actors are ramping up their operations because they know they have the ability to perpetrate more and more identity crimes, scams and fraud, Eva Velasquez,  President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, told WRTV. Likely there will be no consequences but a huge monetary return."The job openings are seeking software testers.Criminals will then use those new workers to look for known and unknown software bugs that can be exploited for a ransomware or cyberattack, according to ITRC.PREVIOUS | Growing number of schools victims of cyberattacksThe ITRC, a nonprofit aimed at preventing fraud and identity theft, predicts many of the bad actors will launch cyberattacks that could impact your personal information.Expect more data breaches in 2025.PREVIOUS | How cybercriminals sell your information on the dark webITRC also expects an uptick in cybercriminals using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to fool you.WRTV told you about voicemails circulating around Central Indiana claiming to be from local sheriffs, but theyre actually AI-generated.We can only anticipate that the problem is going to grow and it's already exponentially bad, said Velasquez.  The ITRC also anticipates a significant reduction in law enforcement involvement in identity crime investigations under the new presidential administration, as well as fewer cybersecurity regulations.Its a terrible dynamic, said Velasquez. Theres less interest in regulation on the whole and this is one of those unintended consequences.WRTV Investigates contacted President-Elect Donald Trumps transition team for a response to the ITRCs 2025 predictions, and we are still waiting to hear back.The ITRC says self-regulation will make a comeback in 2025.Tips to Protect Yourself:TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF Freeze your credit and your childs credit Use passkeys, like Face ID, instead of passwords Never call back the number that called you Do a separate search for the agencys actual phone number Call the agency and ask if the voicemail you received is legitimate Remember government imposter scammers will pose as: Law enforcement FBI Social Security Administration Internal Revenue Service Federal Trade CommissionUsing a passkey is much safer than using the same password across multiple accounts, said Velasquez. It really eliminates a lot of the risk and you dont have to remember anything. You take your face with you.