The Intersection of Cyber Crime and Coronavirus Stimulus: The Perfect Storm for Fraud

The size of the CARES Act stimulus package is reminiscent of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but the fraud risks are far more extensive due to the emergence of cyber crime as a booming industry on the dark web. The number of data breaches in the last five years means that synthetic and stolen-identity use will be rampant, making it vitally important for government agencies to be cautious, and perform the necessary due diligence to identify impersonations of legitimate beneficiaries or the creation of shell companies applying for benefits. Phishing campaigns have also become more sophisticated and effective.