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The IRS Announced Tuesday that thieves used an IRS website used to provide service to taxpayers to steal data on 100,000 taxpayers .The information included tax returns and other information on file with IRS.
Not good folks. IRS has some pretty confidential information about our affairs that we might not want sold to identity thieves or posted online for anyone to view.
(Sorry - I didn't intend to bump this to the "Discussion+ Board." (My goof!)
From the article: "In order to access the information, the thieves cleared a security screen that required knowledge about the taxpayer, including Social Security number, date of birth, tax filing status and street address."
The only thing they didn't already know were the details of your income and refund. It would seem that this was more an attempt to verify the integrity of already stolen information more than anything else.
So, they sat there and laboriously "cleared" 100,000 individual security screens, one-by-one? Or do you suppose that there was some sort of master security screen that allowed you to list 100,000 individual names and all other relevant data?
Or do you maybe suppose that, as usual, info from the government or big business doesn't "ring true", to put it nicely? Sounds a lot like a major byproduct of bulls.
Now that I think about it, the transcripts would/might have the ACH info. I have never understood why ACH is not used by crooks. It seems easy; the info is on a person's checks.
(Excerpt) "To access the site, identity thieves must have had access to previously stolen Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information, including so-called “out of wallet” information like cars a taxpayer purchased, high school mascots and spouse names..."
DUH? Does anyone seriously consider their SS number secret or confidential? (You're excluded from this question if you've never held a job or enrolled in any classes since high school.)
OMG - They even know the name of your high school mascot! ... About those "secret" identity questions so many secure sites use. No need to use truthful answers. Be creative. I long ago invented fake spouses and favorite aunts, fake pets and birth places, fake wedding dates, fake streets I've lived on and fake third grade teachers. But nothing - not even these extreme measures - will keep the rats out!
Thanks for tips Hank! I thought I was creative, but you have me beat by a mile! Most of this "out of wallet" info is sitting in people's e-mail accounts. I delete every e-mail right after I read it. If I want to save it, I save it on my PC.
Comments
The IRS Announced Tuesday that thieves used an IRS website used to provide service to taxpayers to steal data on 100,000 taxpayers .The information included tax returns and other information on file with IRS.
Not good folks. IRS has some pretty confidential information about our affairs that we might not want sold to identity thieves or posted online for anyone to view.
(Sorry - I didn't intend to bump this to the "Discussion+ Board." (My goof!)
@Hank- which is where it sure as hell belongs. Good Grief! What next?
The only thing they didn't already know were the details of your income and refund. It would seem that this was more an attempt to verify the integrity of already stolen information more than anything else.
Or do you maybe suppose that, as usual, info from the government or big business doesn't "ring true", to put it nicely? Sounds a lot like a major byproduct of bulls.
(Excerpt) "To access the site, identity thieves must have had access to previously stolen Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information, including so-called “out of wallet” information like cars a taxpayer purchased, high school mascots and spouse names..."
DUH? Does anyone seriously consider their SS number secret or confidential? (You're excluded from this question if you've never held a job or enrolled in any classes since high school.)
OMG - They even know the name of your high school mascot! ... About those "secret" identity questions so many secure sites use. No need to use truthful answers. Be creative. I long ago invented fake spouses and favorite aunts, fake pets and birth places, fake wedding dates, fake streets I've lived on and fake third grade teachers. But nothing - not even these extreme measures - will keep the rats out!