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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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IdentityIQ Releases Report on Newest Scams to Target Your Identity

Identity IQ

This report explores key findings based on IdentityIQ member-reported data and found significant jumps in two major types of scams: peer-to-peer payment apps utilizing platforms such as Cash App, Zelle and Venmo, surging more than 58%, and scams stemming from the theft of personal documents, increasing by 44%.

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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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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.

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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. One reader’s nightmare experience spotlights what can happen when ID thieves and hackers start targeting online payday lenders.