Beware: Social Security numbers available online via indexed tax documents

Beware: Social Security numbers available online via indexed tax documents
By Stephen Chapman | April 11, 2011, 4:38am PDT

As one who keeps up with the cutting edge of search engines and advanced
search querying, it is with much reservation and disbelief that I bring
you the results of my latest online investigative research. As of
4/10/2011, I have discovered in excess of 50 tax documents containing any
given combination of Social Security numbers, credit card information,
names, addresses, tax IDs, and phone numbers being made available online.
However, unlike recent leaks of email addresses and password hashes being
made available due to hackers compromising systems, these documents are
being unknowingly made freely available to prying eyes by the very owners
of said information.

Sounds unbelievable, right? It gets worse.

To clarify, these are tax documents as they have been/will be submitted to
State and Federal government: Names, addresses, income, phone numbers,
credit card numbers (stored from e-filing), and worse of all, Social
Security numbers. The latter is the most detrimental of all not just
because of the individual filing their taxes having their identity
potentially stolen, but because of individuals who have children that they
use for tax credits.

As any parent knows, you must include certain information about your
children when using them for tax breaks; namely, their names and Social
Security numbers. That takes identity theft into a completely different
atmosphere since a child having their identity stolen most likely will not
find out until years down the road long after the damage has been done and
the perpetrator has vanished. The potential consequences of such ignorance
are far-reaching.