It’s not just the big boys who make tempting targets for cybercriminals. News reports show a rising trend of cybertheft which is not confined to large corporations. Rather, it appears, smaller businesses are attractive targets of business identity theft because they tend to not devote the resources to protect themselves against identity and information technology theft as do larger companies. It has been reported that more than half of those companies who have had their identity stolen will be out of business within one year of the theft.
One scheme which has been reported upon is the use of fraudulently altered public records which allow a perpetrator to appear to be authorized to act on behalf of a business. What can you do to help protect against your business’ identity being stolen? The Florida Department of State’s Division of Corporations suggests that you periodically check your business entity filings on www.sunbiz.org for any errors or problems. You should do this even if the entity is dormant or has been dissolved. If any unauthorized changes are found, you should immediately contact the Division of Corporations.
You can learn more about preventing business identity theft on the National Association of Secretaries of State’s website, www.nass.org.
Stephen M. Feidelman maintains a general civil law practice in Hollywood, Florida, with a core concentration on franchise and dealership representation and allied business law issues. He has attained a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review rating of AV®, which depicts that a lawyer is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity; has served on the Executive Council of The Florida Bar Business Law Section; chaired The Florida Bar’s Antitrust, Franchise and Trade Regulation Law Committee; been a faculty participant in numerous seminars related to franchise and business opportunity legal issues; contributed to Florida Bar committee consumer education pamphlets and seminar course materials; and been a guest college lecturer on franchise law issues.