In an identity theft scam, a fraudster, often posing as a trusted government, financial or business institution or official, tries to trick a victim into revealing personal and financial information, such as credit card numbers and passwords, bank account numbers and passwords, Social Security numbers and more. Generally, identity thieves use someone’s personal data to steal his or her financial accounts, run up charges on the victim’s existing credit cards, apply for new loans, credit cards, services or benefits in the victim’s name and even file fraudulent tax returns.
Identity theft can wreak havoc in an individual’s life, and the fact that scammers often use trusted names, logos and web addresses in their schemes can make them very difficult to spot. In their latest Newsroom article, the IRS provides examples of the most common ploys, along with some simple steps you can take to prevent a crisis.
JB
Jonathan Bernstein
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/