Yesterday, to my surprise I received a UPS Overnight Letter that contained a check for $3,500. As I was not expecting this financial windfall, I contacted the company that the check was from to verify (wishful thinking) the check’s legitimacy.
Of course, it was not legit.
After speaking with a representative from the Cessna Aircraft Company, it became clear that the check was apparently some sick joke from an individual who is either trying to play Robin Hood or just really pissed off at the Cessna Aircraft Company.
At first this may seem funny, but take it from someone who’s been a victim to Identity theft this is not funny at all.
According to the FTC, over 10 million people have been a victim of some sort of identity theft costing the individuals and the affected companies over $53 billion dollars (see Identify Theft Statistics for more data). This is such a problem that even the FDIC (the organization that insures your money at your bank) has created a website to help people become more aware and take steps to protect themselves from this crime (see Introduction to Identity Theft for more information).
My one piece of advice – Keep in mind that if it seems too good to be true, more than likely it is.
