Online job searching has opened up a world of opportunities for job seekers. You can do everything from the comfort of home—from performing research to distributing resumes to submitting applications. Most companies prefer the online hiring process, too. It’s simply a more efficient way for both employers and employees to connect.

But job-hunting online also has its drawbacks, including a much higher risk for resume identity theft. Identity thieves know that many job seekers are desperate, and are willing to provide whatever information is requested to secure an interview. The result can be financial ruin for a job seeker who has done nothing wrong other than try to adhere to application requirements.

Thieves use a variety of tactics to commit resume identity theft:

• Collecting your personal information: Identity thieves will gather as much information from you as they can. If you use a job site that allows you to post your resume, you’re at risk for identity theft because anyone with a profile can access it. It just takes a keyword search and a quick look at your resume to collect your name, address, phone number, former employers, and any other personal data you’ve included.
• Fake job listings: Identity thieves also create fake job listings to gather job seekers’ personal information. They may even take it as far as to have an online interview with you. Before offering you the position, they will ask for some type of verification (such as a bank statement or utility bill). They then use this information to access your identity and their scam is off and running.
• Unemployment scams: These prey on people who are desperate to earn money while they’re out of work. They offer to help you file for unemployment, only to steal your Social Security number, date of birth, and other personal information to hijack your identity.

Protecting Yourself From Resume Identity Theft

Before you apply for a job, do a little research on the company to make sure it even exists. Does it have a website and/or a social media presence? How does the information on the website compare to the job description? Also, never give out your personal information to companies online—regardless of whether they say it’s necessary for the job. An employer should never need your Social Security number, driver’s license number, or other personal information before meeting with you in person. If you will be working remotely, you should at least have a phone interview and a signed job offer before sharing your information.

You leave yourself vulnerable to identity theft when you provide the following types of information on your resume or on a job application online:

• Social Security number
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Mother’s maiden name
• Marital status
• Driver’s license number
• The year you graduated school and the name of the school
• Professional license number

Tips for Safe Online Job Searching

Watch out for these resume identity theft red flags as you perform your job search:

• If an employer requests your Social Security number on an online job application, contact the company to ask why it needs this information just to process the application. Explain that you will provide it following the interview and a firm job offer.
• Contact the company directly from its website and/or verify its corporate phone number, and always make sure the person interviewing you actually works there.
• Look at the email address of the person requesting your information. If the domain name doesn’t match the company, it is unlikely that he/she works for the company.

Above all, be cautious and don’t be too quick to provide your personal information during an online job search. It can be a frustrating process already; the last thing you want to do is become yet another victim of resume identity theft. Remember that you should always be researching companies as much as they’re researching you.

We recommend that you be proactive and protect your identity before, during, and after a job search by signing-up with ID Theft Solutions, the only identity theft protection company that restores your identity back to pre-theft status when it’s stolen. You can also connect with us here at The Identity Advocate to learn more about protecting yourself and your family from identity theft.

Related Blog Posts:

• Think Credit Monitoring Prevents Identity Theft? Think Again
• Tax Refund Identity Theft: What You Need to Know
• Is Your Social Media Profile Putting You at Risk For Identity Theft?

Department of Justice

A Southern California man who ran a durable medical equipment (DME) supply company has been found guilty by a federal jury in Los Angeles for his role in a $1.5 million Medicare fraud scheme.

Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. O’Neil of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California, Assistant Director in Charge Bill Lewis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Glenn R. Ferry of the Los Angeles Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

Vahe Tahmasian, 36, of Glendale, Calif., was found guilty on March 21, 2014, in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, six counts of health care fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft.   Sentencing is set for June 9, 2014.

The evidence introduced at trial showed that between April 2009 and February 2011, Tahmasian operated a Medicare fraud scheme at Orthomed Appliance Inc. (Orthomed), a DME supply company in West Hollywood, Calif.   Tahmasian and his co-conspirator, Eric Mkhitarian, purchased Orthomed from the previous owners and put the company in the name of a straw owner.   The defendant and his co-conspirator then stole the personal identifying information of Medicare beneficiaries and doctors in the company’s patient files and used that information to submit a large volume of fraudulent claims to Medicare.   The evidence showed that during a three-month period in late 2010, Tahmasian submitted more than $1.2 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for services that were never prescribed by a physician and never provided to the Medicare beneficiaries.   Tahmasian and his co-conspirator then took out more than $622,000 in cash from the company over a six-week period in early 2011.   The evidence at trial showed that Tahmasian used a fake California driver’s license during the course of the fraudulent scheme.   Tahmasian submitted a total of $1,584,640 in claims to Medicare and received approximately $994,036 on those claims.

Mkhitarian, Tahmasian’s alleged co-conspirator, remains a fugitive.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Los Angeles Region of HHS-OIG and brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Benton Curtis and Trial Attorney Alexander Porter of the Fraud Section.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,700 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5.5 billion.   In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov .

Your smartphone does double-duty as a wallet and personal computer, holding everything from family photos to sensitive office data. Digital pickpockets and old school thieves can take advantage of this and steal everything in one fell swoop. However, with the right tools, you can keep all of your smartphone data safe and secure.

NQ Mobile Vault

Whether you are protecting your private data from a thief or a nosy partner, NQ Mobile Vault is an important part of your privacy efforts. Priced around $20 per year, this service for iPhones and Androids uses bank-level encryption methods to keep sensitive texts, contacts, call logs, and photos in a hidden vault. With this tool, you can have a secure chat away from Facebook, or you can set a four-digit code to protect any apps that need an extra layer of protection from prying eyes.

Spread the Risk

Instead of keeping everything important on your smartphone, move some of your accounts to a tablet. Companies like T-Mobile include tablets in their telecommunication plans. You are much less likely to lose a Nexus 7 than you are to leave a smartphone lying around. However, keep in mind that you need to protect your tablets just as aggressively as you do your smartphones, and most of the methods listed here can be used for tablets as well as smartphones.

Virtual Private Network

If you use your smartphone over a public Wi-Fi, any hacker on that network can lift your passwords and usernames as well as any text that you transmit. You can avoid this by sticking with your phone’s data plan and accessing what you need over 4G. However, that can get expensive.

Express VPN enables you to save on data charges and use shared Wi-Fi safely via a VPN (virtual private network). For less than $9 per month, VPN Express will encrypt everything that you transmit over your phone, making it impossible for anyone to track you and giving you peace of mind when using public Wi-Fi.

FaceLock Pro

The FaceLock Pro app for Android and iOs devices won’t unlock anything unless it sees your face. Based on powerful face identification software, FaceLock Pro can be used to protect your entire phone or just your most sensitive apps. Unless your twin steals your phone, this app will keep thieves at bay.

Fido Anti-Theft

Better than a guard dog, this free app works with Android and iOs devices. If anyone swipes your phone, you can set off an audible alarm using this app. If the thief is in earshot, the alarm will alert you to the location of the phone, and if that tactic fails, Fido can remotely lock or wipe out your phone. As an added bonus, Fido scans each app that you download, keeping your phone safe from malware, spyware, and other malicious content.

Last Word

In addition to the fancy apps listed above, CTIA, The Wireless Association, reminds you to make sure that you don’t overlook the basics. Lock your phone with a hard-to-guess password; be aware of your surroundings, and guard your phone as if it is your wallet. Finally, save everything in a second secure spot like a cloud, external hard drive, or a PC to ensure that even if something is lost, you can reclaim it. Connect with Linda at the Identity Advocate for more educational opportunities. 310-8310-4400

One of the Tax Division’s highest priorities is prosecuting people who use stolen identities to steal money from the United States Treasury by filing fake tax returns that claim tax refunds. Working to stop Stolen Identity Refund Fraud, or SIRF, is vital because these schemes threaten to disrupt the orderly administration of the income tax system for hundreds of thousands of law abiding taxpayers and to cost the United States Treasury billions of dollars.

SIRF crimes are complicated to prosecute because they are often perpetrated by large criminal enterprises with individuals at all stages of the scheme: those who steal the Social Security Numbers (SSN) and personal identifying information, those who file false returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), those who facilitate obtaining the refunds, and the masterminds who promote the schemes. These criminal enterprises are able to exploit the speed and relative anonymity of highly automated systems for storing personal information, preparing and filing tax returns electronically, and generating income tax refunds quickly—often in the form of electronic payments.

Identities used in SIRF crimes may be stolen from anywhere. SIRF criminals have used social security numbers stolen from institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, and public death lists, thereby exploiting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities—the elderly, the infirm, grieving families. However, everyone with a social security number is potentially vulnerable to having their identity stolen. According to the IRS, from 2008 through May of 2012, the Service has identified more than 550,000 taxpayers who have had their identities stolen for the purpose of claiming false refunds in their names.

Click here to read the entire article: http://www.justice.gov/tax/Stolen_Identity_Refund_Fraud.htm

The Tax Division has had considerable success in SIRF prosecutions, which have generated long sentences for those convicted of SIRF crimes. This page contains links to articles, websites, and press releases with information on how the Justice Department and IRS are dealing with SIRF crimes, guidance for citizens whose identities have been stolen and used to file false tax returns, and efforts of the Justice Department to prosecute these crimes – Kathryn Keneally, Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division   Press Release Announcing SIRF Enforcement Initiative

Connect with Linda at 310-831-4400 or at info@theidentityadvocate.com to mobilize your efforts of protection and recovery when it happens to you!

In the wake of the recent Target data breach, in which identity thieves gained access to the personal information of at least 70 million customers, the company announced it would offer free credit monitoring for a year. While this is a good first step for the retail giant, it gives affected customers false hope.

At face value, credit monitoring seems like an attractive service. After all, it helps detect suspicious activity on your credit report and gives you a heads-up about potential problems. But many credit monitoring companies market their service as being an identity theft protection plan. This simply isn’t the case.

The reality is that credit monitoring is just what it says it is: monitoring. It doesn’t prevent identity theft or your credit from being hijacked. Considering the fact that one in four data breach notification recipients become a victim of identity theft, simply monitoring these attacks isn’t enough. You need to proactively take steps to protect both your credit and your identity.

Credit Monitoring Gives a False Sense of Security

Credit monitoring services alert you when any type of new account appears on your credit report. Unfortunately, by this time the identity theft has often already happened. Credit monitoring didn’t prevent the theft; it simply notified you of the fraudulent activity so you could start the long process of trying to repair your credit.

Look at credit monitoring as being only a small part of a comprehensive identity theft protection plan. Keep in mind that, although you’re alerted when changes occur on your credit report, some events may go unnoticed or even be reported incorrectly. Many consumers don’t discover that their identity has been stolen until debt collectors show up at the door.

The same goes for three-in-one services that offer to monitor all three credit reporting bureaus. These methods aren’t secure because an identity thief can still open accounts in your name without actually having your credit report pulled. There is also an extensive delay between when an account is opened and when it shows up on your credit report. By the time you’re notified, the identity thief could have dozens of accounts already opened and racking up debt.

Tips for Preventing Identity Theft

You need an identity theft protection plan to keep thieves from using your information in the first place. A few tips:

• Be proactive and sign-up for identity theft protection with ID Theft Solutions, the only company managed by law enforcement that restores your identity back to pre-theft status.
• Be cautious of the websites you visit and the Internet connections you use to access them. Public networks aren’t secure and identity thieves can easily gain access to your computer, email accounts, and bank accounts.
• Never share personal information via email, over the phone, or with anyone you don’t know well. Identity thieves like to impersonate customer service representatives and ask to verify your birthday, Social Security number, or other personal data. If you’re not expecting contact, hang up and call the company back at a phone number you can trust.
• Lock up your financial and medical information, and shred documents you no longer need.
• Implement a credit freeze and check your credit card statements at least once a month for suspicious activity. You can also sign up with CreditKarma.com to check your credit score and also receive monthly monitoring for free—without your credit being affected in any way.
• Add a fraud alert to your credit report if you suspect you’re at risk for fraud (such as using a debit or credit card during the Target data breach debacle).

Whatever you do, don’t just depend on credit monitoring as your identity theft protection plan. With one new victim every three seconds, identity theft is a growing problem that shows no signs of letting up. Visit The Identity Advocate to start safeguarding your identity today, and don’t forget to join our mailing list to have identity theft prevention tips delivered to your inbox each month.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Manuel Orosa, Chief, City of Miami Police Department (MPD), and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announce that Malinsky Bazile, 28, of North Miami Beach, was sentenced today for his participation in a stolen identity tax refund scheme. Bazile was sentenced to 144 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $140,000.

Bazile was convicted by a jury of one count of fraudulent use of unauthorized devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(2), four counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1), one count of exceeding authorized access to a protected computer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1030(a)(4), and one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(3).

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the defendant operated an identity theft tax refund scheme from January 2012 to October 2012. During that period, the defendant, while employed as a City of Miami Police Officer, used his access to the Florida driver’s license database to steal the personal identity information of approximately seven hundred middle-aged women with common last names throughout the State of Florida. Using those identities, the defendant filed false and fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service seeking refunds payable to pre-paid debit cards. The defendant was captured on multiple bank ATM videos withdrawing money from pre-paid debit cards loaded with fraudulent tax refund proceeds. FBI and MPD conducted a search at the defendant’s residence and found ledgers in a safe filled with hundreds of people’s identities and several pre-paid debit card containers. The defendant admitted to FBI and MPD that he made between $130,000 to $140,000 from the fraud scheme in 2011 and 2012.

Mr. Ferrer commended the FBI, MPD, and IRS-CI for their work on the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael N. Berger and Peter Forand.

Return to Top

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Further questions on protection from identity theft or obtaining a fully managed recovery program connect with Linda at 310-831-4400.

As another year comes to an end and we prepare our tax returns, the IRS and other government officials are preparing for an increase in tax refund identity theft. In 2011, the IRS missed over 1.1 million fraudulent tax returns and paid out over $3.6 billion in fraudulent tax refunds.

Fortunately, this year they’re taking more precautions to protect taxpayer identities. Even with these precautions, it’s important for you to know how to protect yourself from becoming another victim of tax refund identity theft.

How to Know if Your Tax Return or Records Have Been Affected

Identity thieves file fraudulent tax returns using legitimate taxpayers’ information. They file a fake tax return on your behalf, collect the refund, and repeat the process with another taxpayer. They often do this early in the tax season—before you are likely to file yours—so you’re often unaware a fraudulent tax return was even submitted in your name until much later.

Taxpayers only discover they’re victims of tax refund identity theft when they attempt to file a legitimate return. The IRS will reject the tax return and typically sends a notification stating that:

• More than one tax return has already been filed
• There is a balance due or collection actions have been taken for unfiled tax returns
• The IRS has realized you’ve received wages from employers that you don’t know

If you receive any notification from the IRS, you must respond immediately. You will be required to fill out IRS Form 14039 if you believe you’re the victim of tax refund identity theft.

Tips for Protecting Yourself From Tax Fraud

There are many things you can do to prevent identity theft when you submit this year’s tax return. While you should always protect your personal information, you should also:

• Sign-up with ID Theft Solutions, the only identity theft protection company managed by law enforcement that restores your identity back to pre-theft status.
• Never carry your Social Security card with you or any documents that have your Social Security number on it. If your purse/wallet is lost or stolen, a thief can easily gain access to your identity.
• Never give out your Social Security number just because someone requests it—especially a supposed phone call from a government official. The IRS will never initiate contact with you via the phone, so you are probably speaking with someone who is trying to commit tax refund identity theft. If you have any questions about the status of your tax return, hang up and call the IRS directly.
• Lock up or shred documents containing personal information or financial data.
• Review your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus at least once a year for any fraudulent activity.
• Use firewalls, anti-virus software, and regularly update your computer’s security patches to avoid giving identity thieves access to your information via the Internet.
• Never give out personal information over email, the phone, or through snail-mail without verifying the sender.

Lastly, always keep your eye on the news for any new consumer reports regarding tax fraud or tax refund identity theft scams that could affect you. The IRS and news outlets often publish examples of fake emails and phone calls scammers use to impersonate IRS officials.

For more information about protecting yourself this tax season or advice to help you avoid tax refund identity theft, visit The Identity Advocate or call 310.831.4400. We can help safeguard your identity throughout the year from all forms of theft (and there are many!). You can also join our mailing list to have identity theft prevention tips delivered to your inbox each month.

Thinking about social media and all those pictures, places and friends?

Thinking about your cell phones, smart phones, app’s connecting in unsecured WiFI spots?

Thinking about all those emails and who they are from and the responses needed?

Thinking about Yahoo news groups, and who do your really know?

Thinking about what you are  posting on Facebook,  like how about those vacation pictures, and the geo-tagging that lets the criminal element know you aren’t home?

And how about those dating sites? Finding scammers there too…

Awareness: Are you thinking about it? It  has got to be first and foremost in your mind.

Connect with the Identity Advocate, learn how to protect yourself, and your family and your business. Email Linda@theidentityadvocate.com or call her at 310-831-4400

The Affordable Care Act has been in the news a lot lately—website failures, blunders, missed deadlines, just to name a few—but now a new trend is popping up with ObamaCare. Now there is an increased risk of identity theft to add to the list of issues with the new healthcare law. Navigators, the professionals who are supposed to help guide consumers into the right affordable healthcare plan, are proving to be the biggest identity theft threat of all.

Identity Theft Threats Through ObamaCare

ObamaCare identity theft is a real concern, especially when you consider the lack of protective measures put in place. According to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, there is no federal requirement for navigators to undergo criminal background checks. Although a handful of states do require background checks, she acknowledged that it is possible for convicted felons to be navigators and gather consumers’ sensitive personal information. When you also consider that navigators only have to complete 20 to 30 hours of training—even though they’re essentially doing the same job as certified health insurance agents—there are obviously many reasons to worry.

But navigators aren’t the only risk here. The government databases used for ObamaCare store consumers’ personal, financial, and medical information—data that is shared with seven separate agencies including the IRS, Social Security Administration, and Department of Justice. These databases alone increase the likelihood of ObamaCare identity theft. With open enrollment through the health insurance exchanges running through March 2014, you will want to take the proper precautions to avoid becoming another victim of identity theft.

How to Protect Yourself from ObamaCare Identity Theft

As a consumer you have to be proactive to protect your identity. The elderly, disabled, and small business owners are at higher risk than other consumers for identity theft through ObamaCare, but you are at risk even if you don’t fall into these groups. Perform your due diligence and look out for the following:

• Never give out your personal information to anyone calling and representing themselves as government officials for ObamaCare. The government will never ask for your personal information—including your bank account or credit card information—to obtain insurance. You won’t be contacted via phone, email, text, or even at your door for anything related to the new healthcare law, so anyone telling you otherwise is probably participating in an ObamaCare identity theft scam. Legitimate navigators will not make unsolicited contact with you or ask you to pay a fee for their services.
• Watch out for fake ObamaCare or Medicare identification card scams. Identity thieves have been known to contact consumers claiming that they must have an ObamaCare identification card, but there are no such cards involved with the new healthcare law. Similarly, scammers are telling consumers that they need to verify their personal information to continue receiving their Medicare benefits. Again, not true.
• Avoid fraudulent or “dummy” websites. Creating websites that appear to be official is another favorite tactic of scammers. You can easily avoid this type of ObamaCare identity theft by only going to www.healthcare.gov, the official government healthcare site. From there you can trust links directing you to the official websites operated by individual state governments.

Whatever you do, never provide your personal information—including Social Security number, date of birth, and financial account numbers—to setup your new healthcare plan. Remember that the government already has your personal information, so no government representatives will ever ask you to provide it. If you are uncomfortable using the healthcare.gov website to sign-up, you can also call 1.800.318.2596 for personal assistance completing the application process.

For more tips to prevent ObamaCare identity theft scams—and every other form of identity theft—visit The Identity Advocate or call us at 310.831.4400. You can also get identity theft protection today with ID Theft Solutions, the only identity theft prevention and recovery firm we endorse. Your identity is always at risk, but with the right tools in your arsenal you can combat identity theft and keep your personal information safe.