Posts Tagged ‘cyber crime’

Cyber Crime = Identity Theft & Fraud

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

The exclusive purpose for the information which is provided from this website is to disseminate information, and not to provide tax advice.  

This is the fourth article on this subject which has been posted by me on this website (http://www.billseabrookecpa.com/blog/?s=identity+theft ).  Just as a fire needs air, heat, and fuel to exist,  in order for identity theft to occur, there has to be an unsuspecting victim, an account number, and a cyber-criminal.  It is beyond the scope of this article to present the multitude of scenarios that can or do facilitate identity theft.  However, the old adage “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is certainly applicable. 

The nucleus of the identity theft situation is the “account number”.  Unfortunately, the most predominantly used account number is our Social Security account number.  Once a cyber-criminal has this number bank accounts and credit cards can be opened, financial transactions processed, identification cards created (fake driver’s licenses) etc.   

Additionally, cyber-criminals can fraudulently file a tax return using your account information and divert any refund which is due you to their own accounts.   There are several steps which you can follow to avoid becoming another “identity theft victim”: (more…)

Avoiding Becoming A Victim of Identify Theft

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

The exclusive purpose for the information which is provided from this website is to disseminate  information, and not to provide tax advice.

The risks of becoming a victim of identity theft continue to increase daily.  The consequences for any one who has become a victim can neither be accurately or adequately described, nor can the cost be easily quantified.  Additionally, once your identity has been stolen or compromised the time that is required to re-establish yourself and your identity, including your credit rating, will be calculated in time periods of “months” and “years.”

The article below provides additional information on this subject:  (more…)

Beware of the Cyber Criminals!

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

The exclusive purpose for the information which is provided from this website is to disseminate  information, and not to provide tax advice.

There are many opinions on this subject, but during the past twelve months or more I have read several articles which are advancing the position that cyber criminals, hackers, cyber terrorists etc pose the greatest threat to our national security.  Being informed and wary of all potential risks is one of your best defenses to avoid becoming a victim.  The article below focuses on one specific risk posed by the cyber criminals: (more…)