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Government Shutdown Leaves Americans More Vulnerable to Identity Theft, Scams

Adam Levin

citizens are more vulnerable to the effects of identity theft and scams as a result of the ongoing government shutdown. This effectively leaves victims unable to file reports or get documentation of their stolen identities, which is typically a first step for mitigating damage to credit and financial accounts. .

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Business ID Theft Soars Amid COVID Closures

Krebs on Security

This story is about the victims of a particularly aggressive business ID theft ring that’s spent years targeting small businesses across the country and is now pivoting toward using that access for pandemic assistance loans and unemployment benefits. For 2020, the company estimates an overall 258 percent spike in the crime.

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Scary Fraud Ensues When ID Theft & Usury Collide

Krebs on Security

The reader who shared this story (and copious documentation to go with it) asked to have his real name omitted to avoid encouraging further attacks against his identity. That worked, and once inside the account Jim could see more about the loan details: The terms of the unauthorized loan in Jim’s name from MSF.

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Credit Freezes are Free: Let the Ice Age Begin

Krebs on Security

If you’ve been holding out because you’re not particularly worried about ID theft, here’s another reason to reconsider: The credit bureaus profit from selling copies of your file to others, so freezing your file also lets you deny these dinosaurs a valuable revenue stream. But it also includes a silver lining.