"SBA Express" - A Case of (Almost) Identity Theft
Not long ago, I heard about a client of Bernie Ryba (from the outreach office of the Stony Brook SBDC in Great River) who had an experience worth sharing with all of you. Bernie's client - a well-educated man - received a phone call from someone saying they were from SBA Express, and that his loan application had been approved, and that they needed his Social Security Number to finish processing. The client was somewhat confused, as he hadn't applied for any funding. However, he assumed that his advisor spoke with SBA, who in turn spoke with SBA Express. "They have 'SBA' in their name," he reasoned. "Why wouldn't they be legitimate?" With this in mind, he gave the rep his Social Security Number. It didn't take long for him to regret it. He called Bernie, and asked if he'd heard of the company. Bernie had not, and asked for the toll-free number they provided (1-877-545-2174). He called, and pretended to be someone looking for financing. He