Identity Theft
By Danielle Riffe
How does the scam work?
Identity Theft works by a criminal stealing your personal information and then using it to commit fraud.
Who does the scam target?
Anyone with a Social Security number. It could be a 4 year old child, all the way up to an 89 year old senior!
Who would be hurt throughout the scam?
Yourself mostly. If they steal your credit card then your bank also. If you have been saving up that money for your daughter's college, then that would affect her hard as well.
What is the economic impact?
Tax-Related Identity Theft affects you and your tax returns, additional tax, and you revived wages from a different employer.
What makes it so common?
So many people get bombarded with different accounts of ID theft every single day. One single mistake can end up in a crisis. So many people think that that one email is just to win 200 dollars, not to get their personal information stolen.
Do you think the average person would fall for this scam?
Yes, I do think an average person could fall for this. It comes in so many ways that sometimes it looks unbelievable.
What does this scam rely on to be successful?
This scam mainly relies in being unnoticed for as long as possible. If it goes unknown for 5 years, then the scam would be very successful.
How long can this scam go?
As long as it doesn't go unnoticed.