Ramzam says that identity thieves frequently test credit card information by moving small sums of money, and banks have responded by scanning transactions records looking for unusual recipients of what look like test transactions.
Across the country investigators are also examining nearly 900 cases of alleged identity fraud, where a candidate pays somebody else to sit the driving test for them.
Elance and oDesk take steps to verify freelancers' identity, provide tracking tools to measure time worked and post freelancers' skills-test ratings, client reviews and work history.