Business owners say their personal data is being leaked on federal loan site
Small businesses across the U.S. have reported personal data leaks after applying for a disaster loan from the Small Business Administration. The SBA has yet to acknowledge the leaks, and its website was plagued by maintenance shutdowns in late March. The agency told CBS News it is currently operational — despite concerns from small business owners.
Eric Levinson opened The Hummingbird Inn, a pet-friendly Maryland bed-and-breakfast, in 2017. When the coronavirus pandemic hit and he was forced to close his doors, Levinson turned to the SBA for a disaster loan.
"You go from a steady cash inflow, that you know, obviously ebbs and flows during the year, to it completely flatlining, no new reservations, no new booking, so no income at all," he told CBS News' Jim Axelrod.
Levinson went online to the SBA site and found someone else's date of birth, social security number, e-mail, phone numbers and business address all filled in on the loan registration page, where he was supposed to put his own personal information.
Ten minutes after deleting the information and replacing it with his own, Levinson said he got a call from a business in Delaware that now had all of his data.
"So, on top of the stress I have trying to keep this business going, now I don't know who else could have seen that information," he said. Nearly a dozen other small businesses told CBS News they experienced the same problem in late March.
Todd McCracken of the National Small Business Association said these leaks could not have come at a worse time.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/business-owners-say-their-personal-data-is-being-leaked-on-federal-loan-site/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=85832854
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Scammers abound!
Had to close three credit cards out this month (2 of them were the same card after being reissued!).
Be careful and check your accounts.
Don't rely on anyone else.
YOU are you own best advocate right now!
