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Posted in Board Brief on Apr 20, 2022
Last month’s Board Brief looked at the purpose and value of Title insurance companies. This month, we look at the claims of Title Theft Insurance, which is very different.
Title Theft Insurance is sold by many legitimate companies. They claim criminals can create fraudulent ID’s and other documents, submit them to your local jurisdiction responsible for maintaining property records and have the title transferred without you knowing. While this is possible and can happen, it is difficult for criminals to accomplish. The chances of Title fraud are proportionately higher for vacant property and ...
Posted in Board Brief on Mar 16, 2022
We’re know the buying/selling housing market has been crazy. We've also seen plenty of scarey news items saying everyone is at risk of having their home stolen from under them by a crook who fraudulently forges their home title.
It's important to know it's being overhyped by companies selling Identity protection and Title Fraud protection.
This is a three-part series on what Title insurance is, what Title insurance protection is (and isn’t) and who is really at risk as far as homeownership and Title fraud is concerned.
What exactly is HomeTitle Insurance?
Title Insurance is a legitimate busine...
Posted in Board Brief on Feb 16, 2022
Why use an IRS IP Pin Number? IRS IP PINs are designed to make it more difficult for thieves to file false tax returns. If you use an IRS PIN, Identity thieves would need to know your Social Security number AND your IP PIN.
IRS IP PINs used by individual filers are only temporary. Each taxpayer’s IRS IP PIN lasts for a year. The following year, taxpayers will have to sign up for a new IP PIN that they will use when filing that year’s income tax returns.
How do I set up an Annual Number? If you have not used an IRS IP Pin, you can get one by logging onto the “Get an IP PIN” on the IRS website (...
Posted in Board Brief on Jan 19, 2022
Multiple data breaches from outside the tax system means cybercriminals have basic information on millions of Americans, such as names, Social Security numbers and addresses. The steps taken by the IRS since 2015 help protect against fraudulent tax filings that use this basic data.
As a result, identity thieves are looking to steal more detailed financial information to help provide a more realistic tax return to better impersonate legitimate taxpayers. Because they need more personal data, cyberthieves increasingly target tax professionals, human resource departments, businesses and other pla...
Posted in Board Brief on Dec 15, 2021
Depending upon the method you choose to be communicated to by your bank/CU institution, they will send you a notification. If they detect or suspect fraud, they will call you, send an email or tweet. However, when they do, they don't talk to you or engage you except to confirm the transactions or deny it.
If you deny it, you are asked to contact them at the number provided. This makes for one of the most difficult detections, because the majority of the time, it really is your financial institution alerting you as soon as they can.
If you made a purchase, respond by typing yes to the text stre...