An alarming number of Americans say they experienced identity theft, or attempted identity theft, during the pandemic. Forbes contributor, Kelly Anne Smith takes a detailed look at identity theft and provides 5 tips on how to protect yourself from it. Featuring John Wilson, Senior Fellow, Threat Research.
Originally published on Forbes Advisor.
Excerpt:
"The financial account fraud happened in tandem with a slew of Covid-relief scams. Many scammers targeted Covid relief programs, including unemployment benefits and stimulus checks. A watchdog for the Department of Labor estimates a significant chunk of at least $163 billion in unemployment-related overpayments were obtained through fraud, with the FTC reporting a 3,000% increase overall in reports of identity theft involving public benefits from 2019-2020.
Experts say that federal and state governments bear some responsibility for the fraud by not providing top-notch security measures to help protect consumers while doling out pandemic aid.
Read the full article here.