One way to be sure you aren’t sharing your financial information with the entire Internet? Don’t post it on social media by way of a paycheck made out to you. Yes, you should be proud that you’re raking in the dough. But if you want to keep your identity safe, plastering it on the web is not the way to go.
Federal prosecutors in Minnesota charged 28 people accused of being part of a conspiracy to cash counterfeit checks, reports CNNMoney, using the bank details of unsuspecting Instagram users who’d apparently posted selfies with paychecks, as well as others.
Just by searching #myfirstpaycheck, the group allegedly gleaned account numbers and bank routing information from victims, who displayed those details clearly in their photos.
The suspects also allegedly stole physical checks from workers and businesses as well.
The defendants are accused of then using that information to open new bank accounts, producing and then cashing counterfeit checks, to the tune of more than $2 million, according to the indictment.
“This case is representative of a recurring trend — the migration of traditional street criminals to white collar fraud,” Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said.
Noted: Do not put your financial information within easy, hashtaggable reach of strangers on the Internet.
#StealMyIdentity: Fraudsters use paycheck selfies to steal bank details [CNNMoney]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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