Once a thief gets their grubby hands on your Social Security number (SSN), you are at a much greater risk of having your identity stolen. Protecting your SSN begins with Home Security all the way to preventing social engineering scams.
According to a report, the IRS warned of a cyber-attack on the electronic filing PIN application for taxpayers. The thieves got into it with malware in an attempt to get the refunds of other people for themselves. It is reported that more than 450,000 Social Security numbers were taken, and more than 100,000 PINs, which can use to e-file.
These scams that use Social Security numbers are endless, and usually, hackers get them by using phishing attacks. Here’s how it usually goes:
-
You get an email with either a frightening or attractive subject line, which could even be a warning to protect your Social Security number.
-
The email looks totally real, and it even had privacy info and logos at the bottom.
-
The goal of the hacker is to push you to fill out a form, which includes putting in your Social Security number.
-
The Federal Trade Commission has reported that the scam has a subject line of “Get Protected.” The scam even mentions the “S.A.F.E. Act of 2015,” which protects against the fraudulent use of a person’s Social Security number.
-
As with many phishing emails, the one known as “Get Protected” has false info in it.
-
These emails also include a links that releases a virus, or perhaps take you to a website that downloads a virus onto your device or tricks you into giving them private information.
The Three Ways You Can Get Scammed
Most people make decisions based on their emotions, and cyber criminals know this. So, they are preying on greed, generosity, and fear.
-
People don’t think straight when they are being ruled by their emotions, and their logic tends to disappear. There is a feeling of pressure to act as fast as possible, as the scammer has fed their sense of alertness. Other times, the scammer pushes onto their desire to give, such as after a natural disaster…or they make up a fake contest or scam, alerting the receiver that they have won a large sum of money, but must claim it quickly.
-
Typically, before they start getting to the “meat and potatoes” of the scam, they first gain your trust.
-
They also will do all that they can to appear credible, such as manipulating your Caller ID into showing the name of your bank or even IRS when the call comes up. They might even have a website, a “badge number,” or have it so there is background noise to sound like a call center.
-
These people are professionals and will do all they can to make it seem legit.
ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon.com author, CEO CreditParent.com, home security expert for Porch.com, and the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity and Personal Protection security awareness training program.
|