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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.Â
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. Â
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…)