IDENTITY THEFT IN THE NEWS
7/2/2009 2:02:57 PM
Fraudulent Documents Won’t Get You Across the Border Anymore
As reported in the Yuma Sun, those who are caught trying to use fake documents to get into the U.S. will be prosecuted for identity theft. In the first five months of 2009, 118 people have been caught at the San Luis port of entry.
7/2/2009 1:58:48 PM
Physician Assistant Convicted of Stealing Doctor’s Identity
The US Department of Justice has reported that a California PA has been convicted of identity theft as part of a $7.7 million Medicare fraud scheme after stealing a physicians ID number and forging prescriptions.
6/15/2009 3:05:04 PM
PA Couple Charged with ID Theft
A Pennsylvania couple has been charged with identity theft after charging hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit card bills creating using 23 fake identities from stolen social security numbers, reports The Morning Call.
6/15/2009 3:04:08 PM
DC Restaurant Card-Skimmers Caught
The Washington Post reports that servers at several D.C. area restaurants have pleaded guilty to a card-skimming scam resulting in more than $730k in charges affecting more than 50 financial institutions.
6/15/2009 3:02:28 PM
Man Uses Stolen Cards for Betting
A NY many used stolen credit cards for some betting, resulting in about $3k in losses according to a Newsday.com article. He has several charges against him including two counts of first-degree identity theft.
6/4/2009 3:20:40 PM
Woman Caught After Falsely Collecting Tax Returns
A Mobile, AL woman has pleaded guility for filing false tax returns, collecting $300,000 after stealing the identities of more than 30 people, according to WHNT.
6/4/2009 3:10:43 PM
Woman Charged with Identity Theft After Already Serving Time for Similar Crime
The Chicago Tribune reports that a woman who already served time for identity theft has been charged once again with a second round of identity theft upon her release from prison.
5/26/2009 11:36:58 AM
Hawaii Woman Facing Life In Prison for Identity Theft
FoxNews reports that a Hawaii woman has been indicted on 122 felony counts including identity theft, forgery and money laundering. Bail is set at $1M and prosecutors are seeking a life sentence.
5/18/2009 2:19:39 PM
Man Steals Identities While Pretending to be Tool Company
As reported in the Chicago Tribune, a Detroit man set-up a fake 1-800 telephone number in the name of tool company to steal identities. He was sentenced to 5+ years in prison.
5/18/2009 2:18:33 PM
California University Computers Hacked
News.com reports that the records of 160,000 students, alumni and others including medical records dating back to 1999 have been compromised, inlcuding 97,000 SSN stolen.
5/8/2009 3:17:37 PM
Former Banker Sentenced for Stealing Customer IDs
As reported in the PhillyBurbs.com, a former bank worker was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing customer identities to open up fraudulent credit cards.
4/17/2009 2:48:12 PM
Florida Identity Theft Rising
WMBB reports that Florida has risen from fifth to third highest of states with high rates of identity theft.
4/17/2009 2:46:27 PM
Report Shows Organized Crime Blamed for Data Breaches
The Washington Post reports on a recent survey in which organized cyber thieves are playing a much larger part in data breaches.
4/10/2009 11:05:39 AM
Man “Lives” Off Identity Theft
The OC Register reported recently about a man who attempted to flee the country after scamming people in $2.8M worth of identity theft. The man pretended to be a real estate investor and even scammed a fellow jail inmate. He would use victims’ information to buy homes, get credit cards and pay his bills.
4/2/2009 3:56:12 PM
Puerto Rico Kids Latest Victims of Identity Theft
More than 7,000 children in Puerto Rico are the latest victims to identity theft, as reported on MSNBC.com. Seven people have been arrested and most were illegal immigrants from the Dominican Republic.
4/2/2009 3:55:25 PM
Cybercrime Profits Now Exceed Drug Trade
As reported in the Register, AT&T Chief Security Officer testified to the US Senate Commerce Committee that cybercrime is a multi-trillion industry, exceeding that of the drug trade. Cybercrime is now suspected to be a threat to all organizations worldwide.
3/26/2009 3:10:23 PM
Malware Infections Increasing at Alarming Rates
CNET reports that the rate of malware infections is expected to rise at a rate of 336 percent per month throughout 2009.
3/26/2009 3:09:22 PM
Web site Used as Stash House for Stolen Data
As reported on MSNBC.com, a U.K.-based firm recently found a Web site operating out of the Ukraine that was used to stash data from more than 160,000 computers.
3/26/2009 3:06:11 PM
Tough Economy Makes it Harder to Recover from Identity Theft
Nationwide recently reported on a survey which found that identity theft victims didn’t feel they had enough money in saved up for potential recovery process.
3/19/2009 11:36:07 AM
Consumer Federation of America Compliments Identity Guard
The Consumer Federation of America has performed an analysis of identity theft services and their real value to consumers. Read the press release for more.
2/11/2009 3:49:54 PM
Identity Fraud Survey Report Released by Javelin Strategy & Research
Intersections reacts to findings. Urges consumers to be vigilant and to take more comprehensive approach to preventing fraud and protecting their identities. Read press release or listen to Podcast.
1/29/2009 3:06:00 PM
VA to pay $20M to Veterans for Possible Identity Theft
MSNBC.com reports that the Veterans Affairs Department has agreed to pay $20M to veterans after they were possibly exposed to ID theft in 2006 when sensitive personal information was lost.
1/29/2009 3:04:56 PM
Identity Theft Possible for Monster.com Users
The Washington Post reports that Monster.com, a leading job searching agent, had its databases illegally accessed. Information that was stolen includes contact and account data, including user IDs, passwords, e-mail addresses, names, phone numbers, and demographic data.
1/29/2009 2:58:59 PM
Massive Identity Data Breach Affects Credit Card Users
As reported on CNET.com, Heartland Payment Systems, one of the nation's largest bank-card processors, has been sued over a data breach in which certain data that it maintains had been hacked in 2008. Reports suggest this may be the largest data breach ever in the U.S.
1/8/2009 12:13:38 PM
Social Networking Site Identities Breached
Twitter, a popular social networking site, had 33 accounts breached as reported on TechNewsWorld.com. Accounts affected include Britney Spears and Barack Obama.
1/8/2009 12:12:06 PM
Single Mom’s Identity Sold to Illegal Immigrant
A single mom is the latest victim of identity theft according to a recent article on WBBH.com. Her identity was stolen and sold to an illegal immigrant for $800.
1/8/2009 12:09:54 PM
Data Breaches Rise in 2007
The Washington Post reports on the rise of data breaches in 2008, now affecting at least 35.7 million people. This number is up 50 percent over 2007.
1/8/2009 12:08:16 PM
Identity Thief Impersonates the Wealthy
NextAdvisor.com reports on a 23-year old man who thought he could get away with being someone really famous with fraudulent credit cards.