There are scavengers watching homes and investment properties that go into foreclosure or foreclosure status. There a number of websites that offer information on homes with foreclosure status that haven’t gone to sheriff sale or litigation.
Protecting Your Identity during Foreclosure
Scavengers look for ways to cash in on your foreclosure property by stealing your mail. Scavengers drive around the distressed property’s neighborhood, and it’s not just a one-time drive by, it’s many. Once they see the opportunity to steal your mail, they will take it and run. For Example: Recently, one our past clients was a victim of business identity theft, one of his properties is currently in a foreclosure status. He is self-employed and had his business mail sent to his property address. The out of town scavengers researched foreclosure homes in this prime area; they saw the opportunity to steal our client’s mail, which they did. The scavengers ordered a new ATM debit card and pin through telephone banking that went to our client’s address and picked up the new card from his mail box. The foreclosure scavengers stole over $15,000 out of our client’s business checking account and drove back to Massachusetts from Florida. Luckily, our client’s bank restituted his stolen $15,000.
If you’re in foreclosure or “foreclosure status” keep your personal and business identity safe, regardless of your distressed situation and your bruised credit. Here are some basic tips to keep your personal identity safe and business identity safe during a foreclosure:
- Take your mail out of your mailbox everyday
- Try to go 100% paperless with bank statements and credit card statements
- Never have your business mail sent to your personal address, the least invest in a little P.O Box
- Forward your personal mail to a relative’s address during your foreclosure, especially if you are receiving checks and financial statements in the mail
- Purchasing credit monitoring and identity theft protection is worth the monthly investment
Protecting Your Identity from Tax Phishing
The IRS released a new consumer warning about a sophisticated phone scam that targets new immigrants and tax payers. Victims are told to pay the so called back taxes by using a pre-paid debit card. “If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.” –Source IRS.gov
Other IRS scams include:
- Fake names and badges
- IRS Caller ID Spoofing, meaning it is not IRS that is calling you but it appears to be. Caller ID Spoofing happens a lot to businesses.
- Keep in mind, the IRS never calls you, unless there is an open tax settlement or deferment that your CPA or Tax Attorney is representing on your behalf, who the IRS calls directly.
If you have been a victim with the new IRS tax phishing scam call 1.800.366.4484 or go to the IRS.gov link
Protecting Your Bruised Credit from Scammers
Even though you have bruised credit, don’t neglect protecting it. There is a new source of scamming bruised credit; the scammers are calling credit restoration companies to restore someone else’s credit. A scammer called our company and said he “was calling on behalf of his old friend Mr.….” and continued by saying “I need a credit score of 720…” this is a red flag. The scammer could not succeed in tricking our company because of our thorough credit analysis. It’s very difficult for a scammer to complete our credit analysis. Usually, when someone calls on behalf of someone it is one of our businesses partners calling for their clients, and ends with a conference call or meeting with the potential client.
Understand that your credit and identity is secured with us.
Related Articles:
- Five Tips To Prevent Online Identity Theft
- Protecting Your Credit from Identity Theft and Identity Theft Scams
- How to Avoid Business Identity Theft
- Good Business Starts Begins with First Pro Capital and Credit Consulting Professionals
For more information on how we can help you restore your bruised credit after Business Identity Theft and Personal Identity Theft, please fill out the online contact form about your concerns or give us a call at 855.477.9007. Read what our valued clients have to say about First Pro Capital and Credit Consulting Professionals on our Testimonials page.
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