Identity theft scams are becoming more efficient as thieves target professionals

The problem of identity theft is one that is worrying more and more Americans. As stories come out in the news regarding how pervasive this problem has become, consumers grow more concerned that they could become victims of identity theft. The typical victim doesn’t find out about the theft until nearly a year has passed, and in that time they could be defrauded out of tens of thousands of dollars worth of goods and services. With new bankruptcy legislation making it harder to deal with problems such as identity theft, consumers are justifiably worried, and people are taking unprecedented steps to protect their personal information from criminals. With more people doing that, the criminals have themselves resorted to other tactics, including changing their targets altogether.

They’re now stealing personal information from offices of business professionals.

Until recently, the typical thief targeted individuals, stealing mail, going through garbage cans or conducting low-level Internet “phishing” scams. But now criminals have become bolder, targeting the offices of doctors, dentists, lawyers and accountants. It makes sense; by rifling through filing cabinets of professional offices, thieves can obtain hundreds, or even thousands of records at one time while taking no more risk than when they steal the records from one individual at a time. The payoff is considerably higher, and the thieves have the option of pursuing the identity theft themselves or simply selling the information to other criminals.

The theft can come from anywhere - one thief was a manager of an apartment complex who simply took the information from applications to rent an apartment. With so many businesses using Social Security numbers either to identify customers or to run credit reports on prospective customers, millions of people may be placing their personal information at risk without even realizing it. An estimated ten million people were victimized by identity thieves last year, and the number continues to increase annually.

There’s not much you can do as a consumer, except to be aware that your information is out there and to guard it as carefully as you can. If you are doing business with a person or company that asks for your Social Security number, inquire as to whether providing it is really necessary. Often, companies ask for this information as a matter of course when they really don’t need it. Many health insurance companies use these numbers simply to identify customers; you can often get them to substitute a “dummy” number simply by asking. It’s a simple request; they’re often happy to comply. The result is that you are now protected just a bit more should someone steal the insurance company’s entire customer database.

As time goes on, more and more such scams will become prevalent, and better safeguards will eventually be put into use. In the meantime, it’s up to individuals to protect their own information. 

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