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Id Theft - Cost of Restoring Your Lost Identity
When your identity is stolen, the costs that are associated with clearing your name can be overwhelming both in terms of money and stress. Clearing your name can take months, and in some cases, even years. As if that wasn't stressful enough, consulting legal advice to quickly correct your situation may even take toll on your wallet.
The holidays are officially here. You can tell, not only because Halloween has come and gone, but also because a tidal wave of catalogs spills out when you open your mailbox. Catalogs, holiday cards and the regular junk mail can dramatically increase the volume of mail you receive, providing thieves with a greater opportunity to steal your identity.
News: Gov. Sarah Palin’s E-mail Hack Trial Delayed
The trial of David Kernell, a 20 year old college student from Univ. of Tennessee and accused of hacking into Gov. Palin's Yahoo e-mail has been delayed until May 2009. David is also the son of Rep. Mike Kernell who is a Democrat. Kernell's lawyers have argued that the case should be considered a misdemeanor and not a felony. Kernell is currently facing upto five years in prison and $250,000 fine. Read more.
News: AARP and Google Offer Identity Theft Tips
In order to help consumers protect themselves from online identity theft, AARP and Google have teamed up to create 6 videos. According to AARP, identity theft is a major concern for people over 50 who want to have more control of their finances. Some of the topics that are covered in these videos include firewalls, phishing scams, privacy control and secure passwords. Users can watch these videos at AARP website or Google Privacy Channel on YouTube. Read more
News: Houston Postal Worker Involved in Mail Theft
Rodney Ervin, a Houston postal worker is facing prison sentence next year on charges of mail fraud and identity theft. Federal investigators were able to identify Ervin on security videos using stolen credit cards. Ervin is currently free on bond and is facing a maximum of five year term for mail theft, two years for id theft and ten years for unauthorized use of access device.
News: State Department Warns of ID Fraud
The State Department has notified 383 people of possible identity theft resulting from a security breach in its records system. Nearly 400 passport applications containing personal information like social security numbers may have been accessed and vulnerable to credit and identity fraud. The investigation will continue and those who were contacted have been offered free ID monitoring for a year. Read more.
News: Inmate Pleads Guilty to Holocaust ID Theft Plan
John Kenneth Leighnor Jr., an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institute in Petersburg has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and identity theft. The scheme involved cashing in money from the bank accounts that belonged to Holocaust victims. Prosecutors say that he used obituaries and dormant Swiss bank accounts to locate the victims. Read more
News: Supreme Court to Decide Identity Theft Laws Against Illegal Immigrants
The Supreme Court will decide whether ID theft laws apply to illegal immigrants. If yes, then it will allow the government to send illegal aliens to prison or force them to leave the United States. In the past, some courts have ruled that the prosecutors must prove that the person knew he was using a real social security number to get employment. Read more
News: President’s Identity Theft Task Force Issues Report
Attorney General Mukasey and FTC Chairman Kovacic released a report on progress made by the President's Identity Theft Task Force. The strategic plan was released by the Task Force in April 2007 and outlined 31 recommendations that the federal govt. should adopt to combat identity theft. The Task Force is co-chaired by the Attorney General and the FTC Chairman, and now has 17 federal agencies and departments working together to help prevent ID theft.
News: Supreme Court Takes on ID Theft Case
Federal prosecutors are pressing charges on undocumented workers who were arrested for stealing social security numbers to get employment in US. However, the defense lawyers are arguing that their clients should not be charged because these illegal aliens were seeking identities only to work and were not aware of the numbers being fictitious. Read more
ACORN Voter Registration Fraud & ID Theft
Because some ACORN staffers are unable to meet their quotas and face penalties like smaller paychecks or losing their jobs altogether, there has been an influx of falsified voter registration forms being filed by desperate employees.
News: ACORN Registers Dead & Children to Vote
O'jahnae Smith is ready and registered to vote this November. There's only one problem: She's 7 years old.
News: Married ID Thieves Meet in Jail
When identity theft suspect Christina Herrera was arrested, she didn't have to wait long to tell her husband. He was in the next holding cell.
News: Sarah Palin’s Hacker Indicted
A Tennessee man has been indicted for hacking into the e-mail account of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. David Kernell, 20, was charged with illegally accessing Palin's Yahoo! account "by researching and correctly answering a series of personal security questions," according to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville.
Protecting Your Family From ID Theft
Can you picture your two-year-old with a mortgage or your grandfather who’s been dead for five years with stamps from a recent trip to Italy in his passport? Those things may sound impossible, but they happen every day. In the world of identity theft nothing is as it appears, and with rules like that anything is possible.
News: UK to Make Death Records Public, Combat ID Theft
The Government has taken new steps to combat identity fraud and will henceforth be releasing details of all people who have died in the UK to credit rating agencies and other vetted organisations.
News: Leaders in Various Industries Unite to Fight ID Theft
An unprecedented coalition of leading corporate, government and academic institutions today announced the formation of the Center for Applied Identity Management Research (CAIMR). CAIMR is focused on developing research and solutions for society's most daunting identity management challenges such as cyber crime, terrorism, financial crimes, identity theft and fraud, weapons of mass destruction, and narcotics and human trafficking.
2008 Boasts Most Data Breaches Ever
By 9:30 am on August 22, the amount of data breaches reported in 2008 surpassed the figures for all of 2007. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, and with more identities being compromised by company negligence, you are more at risk than ever before.
Is a Credit Freeze Right For You?
Many people who are afraid of becoming victimized by identity theft have been turning to credit freezes to protect themselves. But what they don't know might be hurting them. Make sure you have all the facts before you decide what option is best for you.
(NAPS) – More and more con artists are using e-mail to try to hijack your personal financial information. Scammers called “phishers” claim to be from a reputable company and send out thousands of fake e-mails in hopes that consumers will respond with bank account information, credit card numbers, passwords or other sensitive information.
Stolen Credit Funds Terrorist Attacks
It’s bad enough to have your identity stolen. But it can be even worse if you find out that your stolen credit was used by one of Osama bin Laden’s cronies to fund a terrorist operation.
News: Terrorists Turn to Credit Fraud for Funding
Banks and financial institutions have an important role to play in combating terrorism, since they can effectively limit the flow of funds to terrorists. The focus for credit card fraud should be placed on both the source and availability or distribution of funds.
News: Online Fraudsters Use Instant Chat
Two of four people on trial in Ottawa for an elaborate alleged credit and debit card fraud scheme chatted online about problems they were having counterfeiting credit cards, Crown prosecutors alleged Wednesday.
You'd think Houston resident Phyllis Ann Taylor was a hurricane magnet. First her Louisiana homes were damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, she told federal officials, then her Galveston house was hit by Hurricane Ike.
House Stealing: ID Theft’s Newest Face
Having someone steal your identity might sound bad enough. But the latest trend involves thieves stealing both your identity and your house. Yep. Identity thieves can now steal your house out from right underneath you without you even knowing it.
Online Solutions to Protecting Your ID
Being technology dependent can greatly increase your risk of identity theft if you aren’t careful, but now it looks like technology can also offer you extra layers of identity theft protection.
News: Suspects Sought in Major Fraud Operation
It's a major scam affecting dozens of victims from all over the U.S., and police say it started in Louisville. After a 2-year investigation, detectives are now asking for the public's help to find the last two suspects.
News: Man Impersonates Son of Country Legend
A Seattle man who impersonated the son of country music legend Merle Haggard has pleaded guilty to fraud and identity theft.
If you become a victim of identity theft, there is a long list of things you are supposed to do right away to prevent further harm to your identity. Having that list and other pertinent information in one spot will help you be prepared.
The amount of information available on identity theft can be overwhelming. But that doesn't exempt you from needing to know some facts about the fastest growing crime in America. Here are 20 facts in an easy to read--at a glance--format.
News: Scams Causes Bank to Close ATMs
ATM services at an Indiana bank had to be shut down after police received reports of a phone scam targeting Johnson County residents and businesses.
News: CT Gov. Adds New ID Theft Protection Laws
The legislation levies steep civil fines of up to $500,000 for businesses or individuals who have been entrusted with confidential information of others but fail to safeguard it.
News: FTC Cracks Down on Medical ID Theft
The FTC plans to issue a new consumer protection rule that will take on the issue of medical identity theft, a growing concern now that identity thieves have recognized that medical records are rich sources of financial information.
eBay is commonly known as a quick way to make a buck or a great way to find a deal. But more and more identity thieves are using it as a means of defrauding multiple people at one time. Learn their tricks so you can protect yourself.
How to Read Your Credit Report
You've heard of the value of checking your credit report each year, but reading the report and actually understanding it can be totally different things. Learn how to understand the four major sections in the report and how to spot identity theft red flags.
News: Man Caught Trying to Skim Card
A 22-year-old man was convicted Friday of identity theft for trying to "skim" a credit card number from a customer while working as a cashier at Garrett Popcorn on the Magnificent Mile in January.
News: Fast Food Manager Charged with ID Theft
Knightdale police charged a restaurant manager this week with stealing a drive-through customer’s credit card information, court records show. Police said Friday that the manager used the information from the credit card to pay his electric bill.
News: Over $400K Returned to ID Theft Victims
The Indiana attorney general’s relatively new Identity Theft Unit has sent more than $415,000 back to consumers who were victims of the crime.
News: ID Theft Among DA’s Top Concerns
Bucks County District Attorney Michelle Henry doesn't hesitate when asked what has gotten her attention in the nine months since she became the county's top prosecutor — gangs and guns, identity theft and contractor fraud.
News: MA to Get More Secure Driver’s Licenses
The enhanced Massachusetts driver's license program is expected to significantly increase the security of the process the Commonwealth uses to issue driver's licenses while supporting the RMV's customer service goals.
News: Condo and Co-Op Applications May Lead to ID Theft
CO-OP boards, condo boards and even landlords routinely ask applicants for personal data like Social Security numbers, exactly the kind of information that is used in identity theft. One building worker acknowledged that he found 10 years of application packages in a board member’s trash.
3 Ways the Gov’t Promotes ID Theft
Although Congress and the Senate were both busy at work this week introducing and passing laws aimed at reducing identity theft, there are still three glaring ways in which the federal government knowingly puts consumers at risk.
News: More than 34K Children’s IDs Stolen
Among the people Linda Foley is currently working to help are a 3-year-old whose Social Security number is being used by someone for work purposes. And there's a 5-year-old whose identity is linked to driver's licenses, arrest warrants for drunken driving, and a warrant for unpaid child support.
News: Bills Aims to Remove SSNs from Medicare Cards
A newly-introduced bill in the U.S. Senate proposes an end to the practice of placing Social Security numbers on Medicare cards in an effort to protect Medicare beneficiaries from identity theft.
ID Theft: Lessons from Sarah Palin
Last week, Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin's personal email account was hacked by the twenty-year-old son of a Democratic Congressman. What can Palin's incident teach you?
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) has been amended to include some new red flag rules. Banks and other similar institutions have until November 1 to comply with the new standards that will have them looking out for your safety in new ways.
News: Suspect Located in Sarah Palin Email Hack
The FBI has a suspect in its investigation into who broke into GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin's Yahoo! email account. His name is David Kernell, and he's a 20-year-old University of Tennessee student and the son of Democratic Tennessee state representative Mike Kernell.
Advanced skimming technology is making it possible for savvy identity thieves to steal your credit card information without even asking you to remove your card from your pocket. Is your card vulnerable?
New ID Theft Protection Law Passed By Congress
Congress finally passed an amended version of the Senate's 2007 Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act. But are these amendments really for the good?
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed U.S. Senate Bill 2168 for the Identity Theft and Restitution Act of 2007 via voice vote. The bill would protect businesses and individuals against cyber crimes and stiffen penalties against online criminals and identity thieves, according to information from the Automotive Service Association (ASA).
Company Offers Identity Theft Proof Wallet
A new weapon in the war against ID theft, the Rogue Vault wallet offers identification theft protection with its use of RFID-blocking materials and an innovative theft-proof design.
News: More Than 100 Charged with Passport Fraud
Between July 2005 and August of this year, 112 people were charged in federal court as part of the investigation, which federal officials called "Operation Deathmatch." Authorities seized $650,000 in cash, a Mercedes-Benz, three guns and more than 80 of the fraudulent passports.
News: Gov. Sarah Palin’s Email Account Hacked
A team of hackers successfully gained access to Gov. Sarah Palin's personal yahoo email account producing three text files and two family photos.
The Mortgage Crisis & ID Theft
With so many mortgage companies going under, it shouldn't be any surprise that many of them are improperly disposing of sensitive financial information of former clients. What can consumers do about this? Are you at risk?
Is Your Employer Keeping Your ID Safe?
88% of employees are confident that their employers are protecting them from identity theft risks. But, reports indicate that there have been more data breaches so far in 2008 than in all of 2007 combined. Are you at risk?
News: Women Reprogram Gift Cards, Commit Fraud
Investigators say the suspects stole gift cards from stores, then re-programmed them with stolen credit card numbers. That kind of identity theft can happen in an instant. Police say someone can steal the numbers off the magnetic strip of your debit or credit card, or simply write them down.
News: Microsoft Releases ID Theft Plan
Microsoft releases long anticipated white paper on their comprehensive strategy for curbing online identity theft. In addition to describing current Microsoft initiatives, the paper outlines long-term solutions for "changing the game" by ending reliance on "shared secrets" for authentication.
News: Routine Traffic Stop Yields ID Thief
A 28 year old man was pulled over for playing music too loudly. When he gave police his information, they noticed his face didn't match the photo on the license. That launched an investigation that led to his arrest for identity fraud.
Google Gets Hit With Phishing Scam
Phishing emails are nothing new. Every day the emails boxes of thousands of people are flooded with fraudulent requests to "verify" account information. Read about the latest attempt on Google and what it can teach you.
10 Places Identity Thieves Lurk
Identity thieves tend to lurk in common places--places you probably frequent often in your everyday life. Knowing where they are and what they are looking for might just be the best way to protect yourself.
News: FTC Requires Towns to Add ID Theft Plans
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued new requirements for municipalities on the adoption of identity theft programs. All must comply with the quickly approaching Nov. 1 deadline.
News: Microsoft Seeks To End ID Theft
In a bid to curtail online identity-theft fraud and to broaden adoption of its digital identity system, Microsoft is urging individuals, companies, and governments to work together to implement technology, initiatives, and policy that support the secure management of online identities.
News: Woman Steals BF’s CC, Checks Into Hotel With Other Man
A Maine woman cheated on her boyfriend and used his credit card to make purchases for, and rent a hotel room with, her new lover. But the party ended when she was caught by her boyfriend himself.
Everybody knows that identity theft has gained a lot of ground due to the ability to quickly exchange information over the internet. But most people have no idea just how involved the underground black market for identity theft is. Picture an e-bay type environment with buyers and sellers who have the ability to rate each other and leave feedback about transactions. Only this online hot spot is a breeding ground for illegal activity.
Credit Shaving: Should You Be Worried?
Credit card shaving is a hot trend among novice identity thieves. Using a simple cut and paste method, identity thieves create cards with live account numbers on them and use them to fund their own spending sprees. In most cases, they don't even know the names of their victims. Are you at risk?
News: 33-year-old Steals ID, Enrolls in High School
A 33-year-old woman is charged with stealing her daughter's identity to attend high school and join the cheerleading team.
News: Man Steals ID, Doesn’t Realizes it Belongs to Crook
A 28-year-old man was pulled over during a routine traffic stop, but when police ran his ID they discovered they had a wanted criminal on their hands. Turns out, they had an ID thief unknowingly posing as a wanted criminal in their custody.
News: Tony Blair’s Charity an ID Theft Target
Last week the email in boxes of people who have previously expressed interest in the Tony Blair Faith Foundation were flooded with what looked to be a sweet deal--an email promising round trip airfare to the UK to hear Blair speak coupled with sizeable grants for their organizations. Sadly, the emails were the products of spammers who duped countless people out of thousands of pounds before getting caught.
News: UK Implements Interviews for Passports
Identity theft leading to phony passports is a big problem in the UK, so they decided to do something about it. Now, any passport applicant (ages 16 or older) must sit down for an in person interview with passport officials before a passport will be issued. So far, the system has prevented at least 9,000 phony passports from being issued.
Identity theft has made it more difficult than ever to determine whether or not a potential employee is or isn’t authorized to work in the country. But with fines and penalties constantly increasing, employers better take a proactive approach if they don't want to pay.
The Most Dangerous Form of ID Theft
People who think they are doing all the right things to protect themselves from identity theft might be leaving themselves vulnerable to another, much more serious, form of identity theft. Social security number theft could wind up being much more costly than its credit or debit counterparts.
News: Man Posts Ex’s Info Online, Commits Fraud
A New York man posted the personal information of his ex-girlfriend and several members of her family on a MySpace page. He obtained the information from a local hospital employee.
News: Real Estate Agent Charged with ID Theft
Police believe a former mortgage and real estate employee used her access to personal information to apply for credit cards in other people’s names. Read more.
News: AZ Death Cert. Removed From Online Database
Digital copies of death certificates have been removed from the Web site of Maricopa County in Arizona because they could be used for identity fraud. How do death certificates make people vulnerable and are you at risk? Read more.
News: Countrywide Offers Free Credit Monitoring in Response to Breach
Countrywide Financial Corp. is offering two years of free credit monitoring to customers whose sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers, allegedly was stolen from the home lender's computer files.
News: Data on 745,000 Floridians Lost
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum issued a consumer alert Tuesday after reports that lost data reported by the Bank of New York Mellon Shareowner Services has compromised the sensitive personal information of more than 745,000 Floridians.
New Technology That May Reduce ID Theft
Miri Systems, a relatively new company, has designed a new type of credit card that allows your account number to remain hidden from both merchants and identity thieves. But are banks buying? And should you?
Identity Theft & Military Personnel
Long deployments and public documentation (dog tags, ID cards, etc...) of a soldier's social security number may be putting him or her at greater risk for identity theft. The government has become aware of the problem and is putting new safeguards in place to help protect those who protect us.
Voter Registration May Lead to ID Theft
Experts are expecting a record turn out at the polls on November 4th. Because of their interest in this year's candidates, many first time voters are registering to vote. And many identity thieves are posing as government organizations hoping to strike gold.
News: ‘Fraud Fighter’ Sentenced in ID Theft Case
A woman who used her position as a bank's fraud-prevention specialist to steal another person's identity was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison and was ordered to pay $11,180 in restitution. How did this happen?
News: Man Busted for Auto Insurance Fraud
A Boston man assumed a stolen identity and registered for car insurance before faking an accident and filing a false claim. The identity he stole belonged to his brother.
Identity Theft: 5 Myths Revealed
A lot of rumors are circulating when it comes to identity theft. Some of them are seemingly harmless, but others could wind up costing you big. Make sure you know the truth.
News: Man Steals ID &Pretends to be Pharmacist
A convicted criminal landed in hot water recently when he, according to court documents, identified himself as a state-licensed pharmacist in hopes of working for the Cleveland County Healthcare System.
News: Ex-husband illegally charges $300,000 and gets busted
A New Jersey man stole his former wife's identity and charged $300,000 fraudulently in her name before getting caught.
News: Tax Preparer Charged with Identity Fraud
A Carrollton, GA man is being charged with multiple counts of identity fraud after his clients began noticing that their tax refunds were being deposited into his bank account.
News: Sarah Palin’s Social Security Number Stolen
According to a recent report, Sarah Palin's social security number has been stolen. She is the Governor of Alaska and John McCain's running mate for vice president.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. For some people who can't get their hands on enough cash or credit to get by, that might mean stealing someone else's identity just so they can make ends meet. Tough economic times call for higher safety standards. Learn what you can do to protect yourself.
Does Filing Bankrupty Increase the Odds of ID Theft?
When a person files bankruptcy, their personal financial information is available in public records searches for ten years. This is meant to deter them from ever filing bankruptcy again, but it might also encourage identity theft. Find out how to reduce your risk.
News: Dad Busted for Stealing Son’s SSN-Aug. 30, 2008
Eric Serrano, 38, of Meriden was arrested by warrant after his son learned he owed the IRS more than $11,000 in unpaid taxes for 2005, a year the youth was in school and did not work, according to court records.
News: First Data Debuts Contactless Payment at DNC-Aug. 28, 2008
With GO-Tag, First Data is placing a major bet on the fast-emerging world of mobile e-commerce. These pea-sized chips, each with a radio transmitter inside, can be stuck on a cell phone or ID badge to make paying for purchases fast and easy.
News: Insurance Agent Arrested for CC Fraud
A former Streator insurance agent is facing prison for allegedly stealing a credit card from an acquaintance and using it to purchase personal items.
Identity theft tends to be a virtual crime that takes place almost entirely in the electronic realm. But does that mean identity thieves don't have faces and trademarks you can be on the lookout for? Absolutely not.
IDs: Compromised But Not Defrauded
Phishing scams, stolen wallets and data breaches can all cause some identities to be compromised without ever being used fraudulently. If you know your identity has been compromised, what can you do to prevent it from being used against you?
News: Fraudulent Caller Impersonates Bank
At least 1,000 Utah residents received phone calls this week from an automated system designed to sound like their bank. Those who fell for the trick unknowingly compromised their accounts.
Does the Internet Contain Info that Puts You at Risk?
Seemingly innocent information contained in blogs, social networking profiles and online resumes might be all identity thieves need to steal your good name and all of your money.
Identity Theft & Natural Disasters
There's a lot to think about in the midst of a natural disaster. Hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and floods can all rob you of your home. But did you know they can rob you of your identity too?
Best Western Experiences Security Breach
A security breach at a Best Western hotel in Germany has left the hotel chain and an European newspaper fighting about the magnitude of the crime and the amount of people left exposed.
Identity Theft & Schools: Is Your Child at Risk?
Children are prime targets of identity thieves and the mishandling of important information can easily result in identity theft. How does your student's school handle sensitive information? Is your child at risk?
Office ID Theft: Are Photocopiers a Risk?
A lot has been said about protecting computers and the information they contain. But few people realize many copiers have hard drives that store all of the information that's been copied. Learn more about the risks copiers pose.
Are You Giving Your Identity Away?
Are some of your habits and routines making you vulnerable to identity theft? Stopping these seven behaviors might significantly lower your risk.