Most people are all too familiar with the term "identity theft," but usually associate it with an individual. Unfortunately, the reputations and good credit of many small businesses are also at stake, according to a recent BusinessWeek article by John Tozzi. The article looks at the increasingly used "business bust-out" scam in which imposters use the name of a legitimate small business to obtain credit (usually in the form of credit cards). The credit cards are then sent to the imposter's mailing address, instead of the real business' address. Once thieves have cards in-hand, they quickly sell them on the street and then disappear to target their next victim.
Small businesses are especially susceptible to this crime, according to Tozzi, because they often do not take necessary steps to prevent identity theft of any sort. Protecting your business from thieves does takes constant vigilance, especially considering that these identify theft scams are just as likely to strike online as off. As a consultant or freelancer, how do you protect your business from cyber thieves and business scammers?