Hackers steal tax data from IRS

[EOCT]

Hackers have stolen data on 104,000 taxpayers from the IRS. The data includes all the personal identification and financial stuff which would allow them to file fraudulent returns, say, calling for refunds; and use the same info for identity theft operations like creating bogus loans, withdrawing money from accounts, etc.

Here's an especially interesting part of this fraud. They obtained the tax data from whole returns the IRS allows taxpayers to obtain by special application. To get the copies, IRS asks for identifying info for security purposes. Some is probably easily obtained by the fraudster, and other info is presumably very difficult. Like HS attended, team mascot, first pet's name, mother's maiden name. Easy to steal, huh? No. These fools are said to have hacked social media sources like Facebook which has lots of supposedly private info.

So get the social media players to put extra powerful locks on info which can be used to rip people off? Probably not necessary. Half the companies we deal with ask us to give them all sorts of identifying personal info they can use to ID us when we lose a PW, etc., etc. etc. Our info is everywhere, right?

I'm Mr. Secret when a commercial outfit asks for info. Telephone number? Nope. SS or Driver's license number? You kidding?

But wait. What about the stuff so many companies ask for which we now find can be dangerous. Mom's Maiden name, dog's name, HS mascot, etc.? I'll now refuse requests for that stuff and dig in hard. Any thoughts on whether we can get away with that?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/27/busin ... .html?_r=0

[UAdevil]

Data thieves believed to be Russian.