Social Security fraud is a financial issue that costs taxpayers billions of dollars per year. Identity theft criminals commit Social Security fraud, sometimes in ways that are not obvious. Victims of identity theft may not know that other individuals who have stolen their Social Security number may sell their personal information to other accounts in the dark web. These accounts also have SSN trace and bank account trace software allowing them to sell and keep that information to themselves. You should know these two methods thieves use to steal your personal information.
Phishing
Criminals can pose as employees for an organization, often by sending an email to legitimate employees that have an embedded link or attachment. These emails may contain messages that address an urgent matter. The reality is that criminals want their victims to take quick action by clicking on the link, providing criminals access to their organization’s private network. Phishers take advantage of employees and treat them as low-hanging fruit with little autonomy to make their own decisions. However, efficient and careful employers, especially in IT departments, would not hesitate to warn their employees about cybercrimes such as phishing.
Data Breaches
Data breaches don’t require cybercriminals to directly interact with organizations. Committing a data breach creates leaks in the organization’s private network, allowing them to steal personal identifiable information. Cybercriminals can install malware that steals passwords from accounts and can even implant keystroke software, allowing them to see what keys employees type on the keyboard. Data breaches can be prevented by installing safe, secure software that identifies and blocks access to suspicious websites. Employers can also conduct an identity or credit score check to ensure an interviewee has a clean criminal record and has shown correct verifiable information.
Social security verification is a difficult topic to discuss, even as identity theft grows as a topic security issue. Phishing is a method that attempts to manipulate potentially vulnerable employees, whereas data breaches involve stealth operations based on secret collaboration, with the intent to steal personal and financial information without the organization’s knowledge.