Business Identity Theft.

What does my business have to do with being an identity theft victim?

Business Identity Theft is a real threat to any business owner. You should worry even more because you don't have a website. That usually suggests to an idthief that your business's resources are limited and you cannot afford to have lengthy legal investigations into crimes such as identity theft.

If you did have a website, a lot of your customers, clients and other people you do business with, will have visited it and know what it looks like. Now, since you don't have a website, an id thief could erect one today in your business's name and no one would be the wiser. They could immediately start collecting your customers 'and potential customers' personal information.

Within a week or two they could collect so much information, that they would be busy for the rest of the year! All at your business's expense! Imagine the fallout this would generate when your customers find out that they were phished!

Here's the FTC's take on the issue.
..." These days, it is almost impossible to be in business and not collect or hold personally identifying information — names and addresses, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, or other account numbers — about your customers, employees, business partners, students, or patients. If this information falls into the wrong hands, it could put these individuals at risk for identity theft".

So you see, the problem has not been your business falling victim to idtheft, but more that of your business's contacts' and your employees' personal information being compromised. That's the business identity theft you need to worry about.

Here's a pop quiz, can you be absolutely sure that over the past year, not a single piece of personal information was carelessly left in full view of your staff/or and the public? Remember now, identity fraud can be committed with one stolen ssn.

IF you answered "no" to that question, then what steps have you taken to eliminate scenarios like that happening again in your business?

Why sholud businesses protect personal information from id thieves?