It’s not just banks that are preying on the unemployed, there’s a whole slew of conniving snakes out there doing their best to restore our faith in the basic rottenness of humanity.
The snakes in question here are identity thieves, who according to this article in the Chicago Tribune, are ramping up their efforts in our time of trouble, mostly through the use of fake job ads and other methods specifically targeted at the unemployed.
With unemployment soaring, identity thieves are increasingly preying on job seekers.
The scams run the gamut from fake help-wanted ads and job-search services to bogus résumé-posting Web sites, part of a new arsenal of weapons targeting millions of recently unemployed people.
“There are so many people out there who are desperate to find a job,” said Linda Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a non-profit watchdog group based in San Diego. “Unfortunately, identity thieves are taking advantage of people in these uncertain times.”
Whether they are registering with employment agencies, responding to ads, posting résumés or surfing career sites for work, jobless people too often give up their Social Security numbers and other personal data, experts say.
