Identity thieves have gotten quite sophisticated over the years. As reported by IBM's X-Force Trend and Risk Report fraudulent emails rerouting consumers to a bogus site also known as phishing is rising. It does not stop there however. There has been a surge in online server break ins. Not surprisingly the same is true for mobile phones given that many people have gotten rid of the traditional land line and are now using their cell exclusively.
Whichever sort of phone someone uses identity thieves have a scam for it. And it's not like they have to break into it either. Speaking with you directly often produces the best results simply because it works on a number of emotions not to mention the immediacy of the issue. Some of these are
1. You Owe The Internal Revenue Service
Very few things can scare you like getting a call from the Internal Revenue Service. The scammer states that something was wrong with your tax information from this year or previous ones. In order to stop an audit, a severe fiscal fine or even going to prison it is critical that you cooperate with this fake representative.
They take the gamble that after giving you this spiel that you will be to shook up to do anything else. So you begin to provide the maximum amount of private information as is possible.
2. Jury Duty
A bench warrant has been issued for your arrest. You had jury duty on whatever day and failed to appear. Saying you never got a summons of any sort doesn't work. The sheriff's office is on the way. they ask to verify some information. After doing that they state that they will verify everything is correct and get back to you.
3. The Process Servers
This could be by means of a subpoena or an alleged debt. Like the IRS and jury duty scam, the thief can be quite demanding. This notice has to be delivered to you immediately so they need to check the home address and ensure you will be there. To your temporary relief the home address doesn't match what's on their records and so they decide to verify the social security number.
4. Congratulations You Won
It's an ancient con however it can still get the job done. Especially on senior citizens considered to be one of the segments most targeted by identity thieves. You have won a sweepstakes of some kind. The award will be sent to you right away but first the "agent" will need you to provide answers to the following questions.
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