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From The Vault · Issue 2026-04
The Journal
Playbooks, scam anatomies, and field notes from the Identity Vault research team. Practical guidance for prevention-first identity defense.
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Family & Loved OnesFeatured Story
Familial Identity Theft: When Your Child’s Thief Is Family (Part 1)
Kathryn Jones — Founder, The Identity Vault Kathryn built The Identity Vault to stop scams before they happen. Last Updated: April 2026 10 min read · Part 1 of 2 Part 1 of 2 When the Identity Thief Lives in Your House: A Parent’s Guide to Familial Identity Theft Key Takeaways 67% of child identity [...]
Expert Guide
The $725,000 Mistake: How Sharenting Puts Your Child at Risk
Kathryn Jones — Founder, The Identity Vault Kathryn built The Identity Vault to stop scams before they happen. Updated April 2026. Last Updated: April 2026 · 10 min read Key Takeaways One Carnegie Mellon case study: a 17-year-old in Arizona had $725,000 in fraudulent debt across 42 accounts opened by 8 different people — built [...]
Family & Loved Ones
Childhood Identity Theft Is On The Rise
Kathryn Jones — Founder, The Identity Vault Kathryn built The Identity Vault to stop scams before they happen. Updated April 2026. Last Updated: April 2026 · 10 min read Key Takeaways 1 in 4 American children will become a victim of identity fraud or theft before they turn 18 — most parents never check, and [...]
Identity Protection
Someone Filed Taxes in My Name — What to Do Immediately
Kathryn Jones - Founder, The Identity Vault Kathryn built The Identity Vault to stop scams before they happen. Updated April 2026. Last Updated: April 2026 · 8 min read If someone filed taxes in your name, you are not alone — and this is fixable. Finding out a fraudulent tax return was filed using your [...]
Identity Protection
Clicked an IRS Scam Email Link? Here’s What to Do Now
Kathryn Jones - Founder, The Identity Vault Kathryn built The Identity Vault to stop scams before they happen. Updated April 2026. Last Updated: April 2026 · 8 min read If you clicked an IRS scam email link, you are not alone — it happens in seconds. You see an email that looks like it's from [...]
Identity Protection
Gave Bank Info to IRS Scammer — What Happens Next
Kathryn Jones - Founder, The Identity Vault Kathryn built The Identity Vault to stop scams before they happen. Updated April 2026. Last Updated: April 2026 · 7 min read If you gave bank info to an IRS scammer, the next few minutes matter most. Banks can often stop or reverse unauthorized transactions - but only [...]
Uncategorized
I Gave My SSN to an IRS Scammer — What to Do Immediately
Kathryn Jones - Founder, The Identity Vault Kathryn built The Identity Vault to stop scams before they happen. Updated April 2026. Last Updated: April 2026 · 8 min read If you gave your SSN to an IRS scammer, take a breath. You're not the first person this has happened to, and acting quickly makes a [...]
Expert Guide
IRS Tax Scams 2026: How to Spot, Avoid, and Recover From Tax Fraud
Kathryn Jones — Founder, The Identity Vault Kathryn built The Identity Vault to stop scams before they happen. Updated April 2026. Last Updated: April 2026 · 10 min read Key Takeaways The IRS always sends written notice before any phone contact — an unexpected call claiming to be the IRS is a scam, every time [...]
Uncategorized
The 5 Steps That Lock Your Phone Number Down for Good
Kathryn Jones — Founder, The Identity VaultKathryn built The Identity Vault to stop scams before they happen. Updated April 2026.Last Updated: April 2026 · 7 min read Key Takeaways Your phone number is the master key to every account you own. To lock your phone number down for good, you don’t need expensive software or [...]