Websites designed to look like legit government services are being set up by criminals to harvest personal details that can be used for identity theft and to charge consumers fraudulent fees of around $100, the Department of Justice has warned.
DoJ issued a bulletin recently noting that while victims are being ripped off for relatively small amounts, the personal information collected (social security numbers, dates of birth, mothers’ maiden names) could be used to create fake IDs, passports and to steal tax refunds, etc.
Victims typically begin with a web search for a government service they need such as replacing a social security card, paying taxes, getting a driver’s license – and simply don’t realize they’re interacting with a fraudulent website, eventually submitting their information and paying a fee online to complete a request. After doing so victims in some cases have received requests for additional information such as birth certificates.
The bulletin recommends common sense steps such as verifying that you are interacting with a .gov domain name if the service claims to be a government entity, researching the website or advertised services thoroughly to see if anyone has been duped, exercising caution especially if interacting with a company or persons outside the US offering to assist with domestic services.
