Identity Theft Can Get Victims Thrown In Jail

The risks involved in identity theft go way beyond things like having your credit card used to make purchases that you didn’t make. In fact, this is one of the least of your worries, and not a compelling reason to get identity theft protection. The fact of the matter is that the credit card companies usually don’t hold you liable when your identity is stolen for more than about $50 or so in charges. While you don’t want to be out $50, there are worse things.

There are many worse things, in fact. Just ask 31 year-old Daniel Montoya of Corpus Christi, Texas. Montoya was stopped recently for a traffic violation. Imagine his surprise when the officer arrested Montoya on an outstanding warrant from Missouri.

Now, Montoya has never been outside of the state of Texas. However, Montoya had previously been the victim of identity theft. He knew this because when he filed his taxes last year, he had to go to the IRS and file a police report because someone was using his name.

It started about 12 years ago. Someone stole Montoya’s records from a U-Haul storage facility. Since then, he’s been struggling hard to get his name cleared. It is expected that one or more illegal immigrants have been using Montoya’s name in a number of states, including Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Arkansas.

This time around, he spent six days in the Nueces County Jail. Montoya was released once police were able to verify that this wasn’t the person they were looking for, and showing that his fingerprints and picture didn’t match the wanted criminal.

Montoya’s employer has assured him that he will be able to keep his job, even after missing a number of days of work. Montoya intends to request a new social security number in order to begin to reclaim his own identity and get out from under the many hazards of identity theft.

Photo via JOPHIELsmiles

{ 0 comments }

Ways To Steal Your Identity – 42 Articles You Should Read

Post image for Ways To Steal Your Identity – 42 Articles You Should Read

Ways to Steal Your Identity – 42 Articles You Should Read

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing white collar crimes in America. People want to fight back against these criminals and keep their good names. They need concrete actions they can take to safeguard their personal information. Here are 42 articles to help people prevent Identity theft and win their lives back.

  1. How Identity Theft Works – Are You You, or is Someone Else You?: A treasure trove of information on the fastest growing crime in the world. Plus, 8 things thieves will do with your personal information once they hijack it!
  2. E-Bay Identity Theft!:  Over 15 stories of thieves and how they hijack internet accounts.
  3. 9 Things To Do When Your Identity Is Stolen:  Plus tips on how your information could get into the wrong hands!
  4. Is There Any Way To Know If Someone Has Obtained  A Loan Using My Identity?: Did someone steal your identity and take out a huge loan in your name? Warning signs of fraud.
  5. How I Stole Someone’s Identity: How and why a Professor and author would break into an online bank account. He sheds light on common pitfalls and online weaknesses.
  6. Who Stole My Credit Card Number?: Tips and information to help you protect your identity.
  7. How To Keep Your Identity Safe: 8 Great ways to help reduce the possibility of becoming a victim of identity theft.
  8. 12 Tips to Protect Your Data While Doing Financial Transactions Online: Including the safe way to do your online banking.
  9. To Stop Junk Mail: How to protect your privacy and increase your peace of mind. Useful tips from an Accountant and Attorney.
  10. Mailbox vandalism and what to do about it:  See how a state-of -the-art mailbox and advice from the post office can help protect your identity.
  11. Helping Kids Use Social Websites Safely: Children need identity protection too! Educate your kids with these words of wisdom about internet safety.
  12. Put Your Credit On Lockdown! How To Stop Identity Thieves Dead In Their Tracks!: Great questions and answers from a financial consultant to help you keep your good name.
  13. The 10 Best Ways You Can Hide Your Valuables: Why the traditional approach of keeping your valuables hidden at home could protect your identity.
  14. Choose A Tote Bag With A Zipper To Keep Valuables Out Of Sight: When this kind of bag could help protect your good credit.
  15. Car Key Stash Pockets: Going to the water park with the family? Safeguard your key inside this special pocket so you can leave your valuables in a safe place.
  16. How To Protect Your Medical Identity: Stakes can be higher with Medical Identity than with credit card fraud. The fallout can be deadly if certain erroneous information ends up in your medical records. Find out how to save your money and your life!
  17. Preventing ID Theft: Common sense tips to help you protect your valuable information.
  18. Top 11 Things To Pack For A Summer Vacation: See how these important items including copies of documents help you prepare for the unexpected.
  19. Solutions For 10 Potential Travel Disasters: Don’t leave home without it. Great information on exactly what to do if your passport and other important documents go missing.
  20. Top 7 Reasons Why I Use My Credit Card For Everything: This credit card junkie explains why there are benefits to using them if you pay them off each month.
  21. Home Security Tips: Save your identity! Simple, low-cost things you can do to make your home more secure and protected.
  22. Stolen ID: Identity Theft Statistics: Low-tech ways of stealing your personal information are still the most popular for identity thieves.
  23. Check Forgery And Fraud And No Help From Bank? Free, unbiased advice on what steps to take next to recover your money.
  24. What To Do When You Get Robbed While Traveling: Some of the things you should do if you fall prey to robbers. Keep all of your important documents in one of these.
  25. Why Won’t My Credit Card Swipe? Did a magnet “swipe” your information or Is your dirty magstripe to blame? Prevention and correction tips.
  26. Hotel Key cards and identity theft Can my identity be stolen from my room key card? America’s top identity theft speaker has checked encoded information on the magnetic stripe and will share his advice.
  27. Identity Theft! Avoid it!: Thieves can use your name, Social Security Number and other information to ruin your life. Here are tips to help reduce the threat of a con artist taking over your identity.
  28. Free Advice: Arrested for a crime committed by someone who stole my identity.
  29. Check Forgery And Fraud And No Help From Bank? Free, unbiased advice on what steps to take next to recover your money.
  30. Identity Theft After Death: 8 Important steps to protect your deceased loved one’s identity.
  31. How to Search Arkansas Death Records: The record of death was always printed on paper in the past, but today death records are available online. Why you might need proof of death to protect your deceased loved one’s identity
  32. Tips For Keeping Your Family Safe On The Internet: Great information to help minimize the potential dangers online including sharing personal information.
  33. Browser poisoning: Your New Threat To Wifi Security: Find out how other users in the “hotspot” can hack into your computer and access your personal information. Prevention can be as simple as a click of the mouse.
  34. What Are The Signs That Your Security Might Be In Danger At A Wi-Fi Hotspot? : Is your network security at risk at the coffee shop? It may not be the people sitting with you that you need to be concerned about!
  35. Cell phone – Privacy And Safety Concerns: Great safety tips for your cell phone. The precautions are similar to those should take on your computer.
  36. ATM Safety Tips: Simple tips for safety and security at the ATM could save your money and your life!
  37. Social Networking Sites: Safety Tips For Tweens and Teens: Add these tips to the safety and privacy lessons you teach your kids.
  38. Watch Out For Unauthorized Charges From I-Tunes: This high-tech scam involving unauthorized purchases with electronic gift certificates is just one of the ways thieves are trying to steal your identity!
  39. Understanding Your Credit Card Rights: You have rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act. Find out what they are and how they can protect you.
  40. Did You Get Your Cash Back When You Made Your Debit Card Purchase?: Is it possible to have cash back charged to your debit card? Find out about this new, dangerous scam.
  41. How much Is The Stuff In Your Purse Worth? What kinds of things a person carries in her purse and the value of its contents.
  42. 10 Things We Still Print That Should Be Digital By Now: Information including why keeping receipts this way is safer and smarter than keeping them in a box.

{ 0 comments }

Spend the Night, Leave your Identity

When you think about identity theft protection, you probably think about someone digging through your garbage to find your credit card receipts. You might think about someone hacking into your home wireless network and siphoning all of your personally identifying information and financial information from your computer. While these things do happen, the fact of the matter is that your identity is much more secure at home than it is when you’re staying overnight at a hotel.

Consider these facts:

  • The Destination Hotels & Resorts computer system is Austin, Texas was recently hacked, revealing the credit card numbers of over 700 guests from across the country.
  • One of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts’ data centers was recently hacked, as well. The hackers downloaded information from 31 of the hotels between November and January, putting everyone who stayed at those hotels at risk.
  • At least 400 Maryland residents, as well as many more unknown victims, were put at risk when the InterContinental Hotels Group was hacked last September, and payment processing information was captured.
  • In Los Angeles, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites experienced hacking and identity theft at four of its restaurants, as well as its valet parking stand.

So, how do you combat this identity fraud? Well, you could not stay in a hotel. That would be a start. However, that’s not a particularly viable option, is it? It’s not as if you’re better off in a tent in a back alley behind the hotel, or sleeping in your car. An RV might be an option, but if you’re flying from LA to New York for a business trip, that’s really out of the question.

No, you need solid identity theft protection. You can hire someone to keep an eye out for you, and there are a number of companies on the market who specialize in identity theft protection. Alternatively, you can look out for yourself by making sure to always check your credit card statements frequently, and by doing a little bit of research about the specific hotel chains you’re staying in.

Photo via kevindooley

{ 0 comments }

Bad Cop

You really can’t tell, we suppose, when a cop is going through the police academy whether or not they’re going to turn out to be an identity thief. It’s not like there are distinguishing characteristics that scream out, “Hey! I’m willing to rip off my own grandmother to drive a new car.” Sure, there are psychological profiles and evaluations that might tip off potential police force employers, but identity theft is one of those things that’s hard to pin down, sometimes. At least, that’s what the police in Daytona Beach are finding out. That’s why it’s always important to have identity theft protection.

Last week, a police officer in Daytona Beach was arrested on identity theft related charges. Claudia Wright is an officer that has been with the Daytona Beach police agency for the past five years. She is accused of using her grandmother’s ID in order to obtain a car loan back in 2007. The actual charges against Wright include faces a charge of uttering forged instruments, uttering a forged check and criminal use of personal identification information.

The grandmother, Annie Robinson, went to buy a car back in March. She was denied the car loan, and got a copy of her credit report. The credit report showed delinquencies on a purchase of a car in 2007 that she didn’t make. The car loan was written off as bad debt in April of this year.

Naturally, Robinson was concerned. She contacted authorities, who began an investigation. The investigators discovered that the police officer had taken out a car loan for more than $32,000 in the name of both Wright and Robinson.

In the process of the investigation, police uncovered a copy of Robinson’s driver’s license that was used in the purchase of the vehicle. This particular format, however, was one that could only have been accessed by someone who could get into police computer systems. Not only does it seem that Wright chose to steal from her grandmother, it would appear she abused her position as a police officer to make it happen.

The investigation is ongoing, and it will be interesting to see what happens to Wright before it’s all said and done.

{ 0 comments }

Identity Thieves Team Up with Mortgage Fraudsters

There’s apparently just something about the state of Florida that makes us feel like signing up for an identity theft protection program. It was announced last weekend that a group of 10 individuals were arrested in a massive mortgage fraud and identity theft operation. The announcement was made by the Attorney General of Florida, Bill McCollum, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner, Gerald Bailey.

This group is charged with stealing more than $8 million from a number of different financial institutions. In the process, they are accused of using other unsuspecting peoples’ identities to get mortgages and properties. Specifically, the arrested individuals are looking at charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, grand theft, and title insurance fraud.

These arrests come at the end of a four year investigation. The investigation was conducted by the FDLE, as well as the AG’s office. The investigators have discovered the scheme, which used so-called “straw buyers” to use personal identification of victims whose identity was stolen. The buyers then got credit and made purchase for properties that they had no intention of making mortgage payments on. Those properties were then sold to other straw buyers at a profit using the same scheme.

In some cases, the group stole properties from legitimate owners by forging a Warranty Deed or a Quit Claim Deed. They then deeded the property to one of the co-conspirators. Overall, they obtained home loans for 14 properties in both Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. The properties today are in foreclosure because of nonpayment on these loans.

The investigation is ongoing, of course.

There is a lesson to be learned here. Identity thieves and other criminals are finding new and more creative ways to rip off common folks. If you’re not on top of things, you can find yourself victimized. You need to take steps to protect your identity and your assets, so that if you’re targeted by these types of criminals you will know it right away.

{ 0 comments }

The Most Common Types of Identity Theft

In the information age, everything rises and falls on your personal data. That’s why identity theft protection services have become so popular in recent years. With the right information, an identity thief can open accounts in your name, rack up all sorts of debt and then take off without you even knowing about it for months. Indeed, with enough information about you, a criminal can use your identity to take out loans, withdraw money from your checking account and do many other things that can completely destroy your credit rating and even your reputation.

Identity theft usually occurs in one of several ways. Knowing what those ways are will help you with the process of identity theft protection:

  • “Loose” data. The most common identity theft happens when a company that you have an account with is compromised. You might have a credit card account, for example, whose system has been hacked into. The criminal might not even bother taking your credit card number, but will collect plenty of other identifying information.
  • Carelessness. In many cases, we only have ourselves to blame for identity theft. We email our spouse the credit card number and PIN, and then someone gets ahold of those numbers. We carry a list of our entire family’s social security numbers in our wallets. In many ways, identity theft protection is about making smart choices that aren’t always obvious at first.
  • Dumpster diving. When you think about identity theft, you either think of the hacker in his parents’ basement breaking into your bank account or you think of someone sorting through your trash. There’s a whole industry based on the idea that someone’s willing to dig through your trash to find stuff – the paper shredder industry. How common this is, of course, isn’t certain.
  • Theft. Sometimes, identity theft accompanies regular theft. A burgular might not only steal your television or your pearl necklace, he might also steal personally identifying information and then use that information in an identity theft scheme, as well.

Photo via SpecialKRB

{ 0 comments }

League of Super Villains Includes Identity Thieves and Chop Shop

If there’s one thing you can say about criminals, it’s that they get more creative over time. Apparently, some criminals in Fresno, California decided to take a little bit of financial advice from Wall Street tycoons and diversify their interests. If you’ve ever wondered whether or not you needed identity theft protection, you won’t wonder any more after you hear this story.

Apparently, two individuals from Fresno were operating a chop shop at a home on Grove and Jackson near Calwa. Now, it’s odd to find a chop shop in a residential area to begin with (although the phenomenon is increasing in popularity, with five other similar busts in the greater Fresno area in the past year). But, these are no ordinary criminals. These two are truly enterprising.

It turns out this house was also the base of operations for mail fraud and identity theft.

The Fresno H.E.A.T. (Help Eliminate Auto Theft) team arrested a woman who was suspected of stealing both a Honda and a Mercedes. Once the 23 year-old woman was arrested, the team was able to get a search warrant for a home across the street. Inside of the garage, the team discovered a Honda Civic that was already being chopped up. They found another stolen vehicle on the street.

Once the team got inside, however, they found the mother lode. Inside, they found a number of credit cards, checks, mail, and even evidence that the individuals may have engaged in dumpster diving. A computer was turned on, and there was evidence that information from one of the victims was being entered into the computer.

In addition to credit cards, the thieves stole social security cards and drivers licenses. A man, 47, was arrested in the search.

According to authorities, stolen and recovered vehicles don’t really follow a specific pattern. Vehicle theft, by its nature, tends to be transient. You’re dealing with a mobile product, so it’s natural that you might be dealing with mobile thieves.

The two suspects were, of course, arrested. The woman is looking at charges including multiple counts of possession of stolen property and possession of stolen vehicles. The man, on the other hand, is going to be looking at charges of possession of stolen vehicle, owning and operating a chop shop and possession of stolen credit cards, checks, and mail.

Photo via kennymatic

{ 0 comments }

Keep Your Identity Safe by Knowing Where You Stand

No one wants to be the victim of identity theft. Protection from identity theft involves being diligent, and it takes some real effort on your part. Even if you’ve invested in an identity theft protection service, there are some things you should be doing to make sure that you’re all good.

One of the things you need to do to keep your identity safe is to regularly review your financial information. There are things to look for (what should be there) and things to watch out for (what shouldn’t be there.

What should be in your financial information

Here are the things you need to make sure you have:

  • If you have bank accounts or credit card accounts, you should get statements every month that show all of your transactions. You need to be reviewing these to make sure everything is legit.
  • If you’re not getting any statements, check with the bank or financial institution. It could be that someone’s gotten ahold of those statements and can use them against you. In some cases, it could be that the statements are just being delivered electronically, or that the bank has the wrong address.
  • If the bank says that the address they have on file is different than your address, you need to inform the institution that you didn’t authorize a change of address and that someone might be using your account improperly. Get copies of all of the most recent statements so that you can see if there’s anything on there that doesn’t belong.

What shouldn’t be in your financial information

Likewise, there are some things you shouldn’t see:

  • You shouldn’t see any unauthorized charges. If there are, report them to the financial institution right away.
  • You shouldn’t see any new accounts that you didn’t open. In some cases, an identity thief might even open an account at the same institution under your name. This is dangerous for many reasons, not the least of which is that it puts your primary accounts in danger.

Don’t be a victim of identity theft. Protect yourself by thoroughly reviewing all of your financial documents on a monthly basis.

{ 0 comments }

Post image for Identity Thieves Target Puerto Ricans

Identity Thieves Target Puerto Ricans

When you think about identity theft protection, you probably think about suburban families with credit cards and mortgages in a major U.S. city. You think about the possibility that a criminal will get ahold of your social security number and use it to rack up plenty of debt in your name. What you don’t probably think about, however, is that people born in a U.S. territory also have a social security number and are just as vulnerable as other Americans to identity theft.

According to a recent AP story, Puerto Ricans are being targeted in a massive identity theft scheme. The records in Puerto Rico in many places, especially rural locations, are kept in places like schools and church rectories, where thieves can get their hands on them. In some cases, criminals may be able to get as much as $6,000 just for one name, social security number and a little bit of other identifying information.

What makes this situation especially frustrating is that documents stolen from Puerto Rico have shown up in a number of identity theft ring busts in places as far away as Delaware and Ohio. Officials have also found stolen Puerto Rican identity records in immigration busts in Texas and Florida, particularly in meat packing plants in those states.

In some ways, birth certificates are the hottest commodity. Birth certificates are especially valuable, and have become almost like legal tender. There are even stories of addicts stealing birth certificates and then trading them to dealers for a drug fix.

Up to this point, the only solution that Puerto Rico has had to offer has been to void all of their birth certificates, including about a million and a half birth certificates belonging to Puerto Ricans on the U.S. mainland. Everyone has to apply for a new birth certificate.

The old birth certificates will actually be invalidated, come September 30 of this year.

The birth certificate sweep won’t solve the bigger problem, of course. There are plenty of other documents out there already, from drivers’ licenses to passports, using stolen Puerto Rican identities. The move should help to slow the growth of identity theft on the island, however.

Photo via Joe Shlabotnik

{ 0 comments }

Post image for Basic Identity Theft Protection Tips

Basic Identity Theft Protection Tips

If you’re like most folks, you have at least some awareness of the huge problem that identity theft has become in our day. What you may not realize is how many hundreds of thousands of people each year are the victims of an attempted identity theft.

Fortunately for you, there are things you can do to protect yourself. You can invest in an identity theft protection service, which will often provide some of the best defense against theft. You can also take some relatively basic identity theft protection steps to help it from ever happening.

Here are some of the basic identity theft protection tactics you should employ immediately:

  • Create backup copies. Photocopy the front and the back of every card you carry in your wallet or purse. This means credit cards, social security card, insurance cards and more. Keep these safely locked away so that you have all of the information you need at a moment’s notice if these items are stolen.
  • PDA and smartphone security. Consider using a password to protect your PDA or smartphone so that no one can get into your device without knowing the password. If your device doesn’t have a built-in password feature, you can usually download an app that will give you some degree or another of security. Chances are this kind of security won’t thwart a hacker who gets ahold of your phone or PDA, but it will thwart many common criminals.
  • Close unused accounts. If you have an account that you haven’t used for 6 months or more, you may not need it at all. Be careful of closing accounts for this reason, because it can negatively impact your credit score. Closing accounts can raise the ratio of available credit to debt.
  • Pay attention to physical security. Keeping an eye on your purse, bookbag, briefcase or laptop bag is some of the most basic and most important kind of identity theft protection you can engage in.

You can’t guarantee you won’t be the victim of identity theft, of course. However, between using an identity theft protection alert system and using the above sort of common-sense tactics, you may be able to reduce the odds.

Photo via CarbonNYC

{ 0 comments }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →