Business identity theft pamphlet (PDF)

Contents
Introduction
Prevention checklist
Checklist for victims
Additional identity theft resources

Introduction

Business identity theft is a kind of identity theft. One type of business identity theft involves a criminal “hijacking” a victim’s existing business by changing the business information (entity name, entity address, registered agent, etc.).

A second separate type is where a criminal creates an entirely new business using a victim’s address or sometimes both the victim’s name and address. In both cases, the criminal may use the business’s identity to establish lines of credit with banks or retailers. With these lines of credit, the identity thieves will buy items that can be exchanged for cash or sold with relative ease.

The damage can be devastating to the victim, for example, by causing damage to the victim’s credit history, including denial of credit. The damage can also extend to the victim being contacted by government agencies like the IRS. The cost to clean up and correct the damage can be thousands of dollars and hours of lost time.

The Colorado Secretary of State, the Colorado Attorney General, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation ID Theft Unit have developed this Business Identity Theft Resource Guide to provide businesses with the information necessary to avoid and reduce the threat of business identity theft and to help those businesses that have already fallen victim to these crimes.

Who to contact