As many of our readers are aware, identity theft is still one of the most pervasive crimes perpetrated against people.  A growing concern is the rise in business ID theft.  Your BBB® also wants consumers to understand that this form of ID theft just doesn’t harm the business, but consumers as well.

Can you imagine the headache caused when a consumer goes to a site to make a purchase, especially a major purchase, only to have their credit card processed without receiving the product for which the purchase was made? Can you imagine the frustration and concern that a reputable company experiences when receiving complaint calls or e-mails from people who weren’t actually their customers making demands for items for which the actual business never received the order?  In some cases, the business may not even carry the item in question.

According to the Small Business Administration, sba.gov, over 10 million consumers are victimized by business ID theft, and they state that the numbers are growing.

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