Source: Australian IT
A MISSING computer backup tape containing personal information on Ohio state employees also held the names and Social Security numbers of 225,000 taxpayers. The tape, stolen last week from a state intern’s car, was previously revealed to hold the names and Social Security numbers of all 64,000 state employees, as well as personal data for tens of thousands of others, including Ohio’s 84,000 welfare recipients.

The taxpayers’ information was on the backup tape because they hadn’t cashed state income tax refund checks. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland said an expert’s review could reveal the tape contained more sensitive data. The administration has maintained it does not believe the information had been accessed because it would require specific hardware, software and expertise. But data security experts said the unencrypted tape, described by police as roughly 10cm square and 2.5cm thick, could be breached by someone with computer expertise, time and money.

Mr Strickland said 20,000 state employees had signed up for identity-theft protection as of Tuesday night, and there had been no indications that someone had attempted to use their personal information. The state is paying more than $US700,000 to provide all state employees with identity-theft protection services and to hire an independent computer expert to review what data the tape contained. Officials said they would extend identity-theft protection services to the people in the categories announced on Wednesday.

The tape was stolen June 10 out of the unlocked car of a 22-year-old intern who had been designated to take the backup device home as part of a standard security procedure. The governor has since issued an executive order ending the practice of employees taking backup devices home for safekeeping. He also mandated a review of how state data is handled.

Source: Oregon Live
Fallout from raids - When fakes won’t cut it, undocumented immigrants use other people’s SSNs. Fictitious Social Security numbers and green cards are cheap and widely available, and getting them is the first step for many undocumented immigrants arriving in Oregon. But workers and federal officials say increased immigration enforcement — such as June’s raid at the Fresh Del Monte Produce plant in North Portland and the arrests of 167 workers — has pushed some undocumented workers to shift from forgery to identity theft.

“Enforcement is deterring people, but it’s also having another effect,” said Kevin Sibley, unit chief for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s work site enforcement. “Aliens are finding it more difficult to find jobs using the traditional counterfeit documents. So they’re willing to commit the extra step to beat the system and get a job. The next step is using someone else’s identity.” [more]

Source: The Sarnia Observer
Sarnia police have arrested two more people and issued a warrant for a third in connection to an identity theft investigation. To date, six people have been charged in the the identity theft ring bust. On May 11, police executed a search warrant at a Davis Street residence, seizing stolen credit cards, bank cards, altered driving licences and other identification.

Those arrested include Debbie Pettit, 34, Jeffrey Stevens, 43, Kevin Booth, 30. Yesterday, police arrested Gary Allen Degroot, 33 and William Jay McIlmoyle, 40. Both are expected to make a court appearance today. A warrant has also been issued for Jason Thomas LaCroix, 24, who is currently incarcerated. In total, the suspects face close to 90 criminal charges.

Source: Timesnewsnet
A Sullivan County grand jury on Wednesday indicted 42-year-old Jeffrey S. Pedrick, on 42 counts of forgery, 42 counts of identity theft, four counts of credit card fraud, one count of theft over $1,000, and two counts of theft under $500.

Pedrick is accused of forgery at the Kingsport Press Credit Union, where Pedrick allegedly signed a check on March 9 for $400 without permission from either the signer or co-signer of the check, according to court documents. Court records also show that Pedrick allegedly sent forms to the post office to stop the mail of a Harlen McDavid, who had hired Pedrick, an employee of J & S Contracting & Landscaping, for the purpose of home repairs. Pedrick allegedly stole and used his McDavid’s AARP Visa card and Bank of America Mastercard.

On April 4, Pedrick allegedly admitted to McDavid’s wife during a phone conversation that he had both taken and used the cards, according to court records. Three days later, the cards were reportedly returned to the victim in an envelope stuck in the back door. A security video from Wal-Mart, West Stone Drive, reportedly shows a white male using the Mastercard for 4 separate purchases, who was identified by the McDavids as Pedrick.

Source: SFGate
If it hadn’t been for the distinctive suede coat, there would have been no chase through the streets of San Francisco, no heroine and, in all likelihood, no justice. But when Karen Lodrick turned away from ordering her latte at the Starbucks at Church and Market streets, there it was, slung over the arm of the woman behind her.

It was, Lodrick thought, a “beaucoup expensive” light-brown suede coat with faux fur trim at the collar, cuffs and down the middle. The only other time Lodrick, a 41-year-old creative consultant, had seen that particular coat was on a security camera photo that her bank, Wells Fargo, showed her of the woman who had stolen her identity. The photo was taken as the thief was looting Lodrick’s checking account.

Now, here was the coat again. This woman — a big woman, about 5 feet 10, maybe 150 pounds — had to be the person who had put her through six months of hell and cost her $30,000 in lost business as she tried to untangle the never-ending mess with banks and credit agencies. [more]

Source: Courier Post Online
Police announced the arrests of four people Monday who are charged with credit card and identity theft and asked the public’s help in finding others who may be involved. Police said the arrests occurred last week at a home in Camden and in a convenience store parking lot in Deptford.

Arrested were Ryan Stevens, 32, of the 1000 block of Princess Avenue in Camden, and Edwina Morales, 26, of the same address. Both were arrested in their home around 1 p.m. June 5, police said. Two days later, police arrested two Salem County men — Evan Nolan, 25, of Elmer, and Matthew Wendorf, 28, of Pittsgrove — around 11 p.m. in the parking lot of a Wawa store at Cooper Street and Almonesson Road in Deptford.

Police said they received a tip from U.S. postal inspectors on May 28 about possible credit card theft. According to police, Stevens and Nolan worked for a Pennsauken marketing company that had access to credit information. Police Sgt. Fred Davis said Stevens used the information to get credit cards delivered to his home as well as to get Wawa gift cards for amounts of $25 and above. He said police went to the house posing as a mail carrier and when the door opened, officers raided the home. “When we got there, they were on the computer, applying for another credit card,” Davis said.

Police said they found a list of about 85 people nationwide who had been victimized by having their credit information taken and used by others. “We don’t know the exact monetary amount involved yet,” Davis said. Police said they set up a June 7 meeting with Nolan to exchange credit information for a half ounce of cocaine. When the exchange was made, Nolan and Wendorf were arrested, Davis said.

Stevens and Morales are charged with 25 counts of credit card fraud, one count of trafficking in personal identity information and conspiracy. Stevens was released after posting $425,000 bail. Morales was released without bail because she has five small children to care for at home, Davis said. Nolan and Wendorf are each charged with trafficking in personal identity information, identity theft, attempting to possess a controlled, dangerous substance and conspiracy. They were being held in Camden County Jail on $25,000 bail each.

Source: KSL
This week, the Utah Attorney General’s Office will send out 100 letters to Utahns whose social security numbers may have been compromised. They are the first in the country, to do this. Utah authorities call it a moral obligation. Some 20,000 Utahns have been identified as victims. Most of them don’t even know their identity has been stolen; so many people will be surprised to get one of these letters in their mailbox.

A series of Eyewitness News investigations exposed the fastest growing crime in Utah, and the pace has yet to slow down. Chief Deputy of the Utah Attorney General’s Office, Kirk Torgensen, says identity theft is a huge problem. Authorities say thieves are targeting adults as well as children. Torgensen says, “The problem with children is nobody ever thinks of looking at their kids’ credit report because there shouldn’t be any credit report.” In 2004, Eyewitness News went undercover and exposed just how easy it is to buy a social security card. Authorities say most customers are illegal immigrants, who need one to work. “They’re just spinning out a number and if it’s your bad luck that your number got spun out and put on a card, then that’s how your social security number gets compromised,” Torgensen says. And he says too often, the adult victims never find out. The younger ones do, but not until it’s too late. He says, “They don’t find out until the worst possible moment, when they want to go out and get a student loan for college.”

Division of Workforce Services has identified perhaps 20,000 Utahns whose numbers have been compromised. The attorney general’s office is sending out 100 letters this week, alerting people of the situation. They are only sending 100 letters so they aren’t overwhelmed by calls from people who want help. Assistant Attorney General Richard Hamp says most of those numbers are being used by illegal immigrants. “The biggest problem when someone else is using your number, then what they do goes on your credit rating, and the biggest issue is destroying your credit rating and then your ability to purchase.” The letters will also tell them to check their child’s social security number. “We want just to gauge a response. If we get a lot of people calling in it looks like they’re compromised then we take further steps,” says Curt Stewart with the Department of Workforce Services.

Stewart says they found out through cross-checking databases that thousands of Utahns’ numbers are being used by multiple people to collect wages. They are starting to notify Utahns on public assistance whose children have a social security number collecting at least $1,000 last quarter. Torgensen says prevention is the best defense against this kind of crime. He says, “People are just going to be very resolved to look at their credit reports.” He says everyone should check our credit reports three times a year. For more information on identity theft, call 801-281-1267.

Source: Information Week
A new identity theft scam, purporting to be from the American Red Cross calling about an injured soldier, is targeting military families. The Red Cross issued an alert warning people that its representatives generally don’t contact military members or their families directly, and almost always go through other channels such as a commander or first sergeant. Military family members are being urged not to give out any personal information over the phone if contacted by anyone who is unknown to them.

The scam, according to the alert, starts by someone calling a military spouse and identifying herself as a representative of the Red Cross. The caller tells the victim that his or her spouse, who isn’t identified by name, was injured while on duty in Iraq and was evacuated to a hospital in Germany. The caller then says the medical unit can’t start treatment until paperwork is filled out, and they need the victim to verify the spouse’s Social Security number and date of birth.

It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, for someone to pretend to be a member or representative of the American Red Cross for the purpose of soliciting, collecting, or receiving money or material. The alert noted that Red Cross representatives will contact military members or their families directly only in response to an emergency message initiated by the family. The Red Cross doesn’t report casualty information to family members. The Department of Defense contacts families directly if their military members have been injured. Anyone receiving this kind of fraudulent call is being asked to report it to their local Family Readiness Group or Military Personnel Flight.

Source: AZ Central
A Tempe and a Mesa woman have been linked to a gang identity theft ring. They were arrested Wednesday. Ana Dominguez, 25, of Tempe, financed gang members by laundering money through prison inmates’ “books,” according to Tempe Police. She used false identities she got from stolen mail. Maricell Vega, 27, of Mesa, set up dozens of false accounts for gang members, using stolen identities, police said. Vega received the stolen identities from gang members in jail. Dominguez was arrested at 2:29 p.m. in the 2000 block of East Howe Avenue, near Apache Boulevard and Price Road. Vega was arrested at 12:45 p.m. in the 11300 block of East Prairie Avenue, near Elliot Road and the Pinal County line. Both were arrested on suspicion of identity theft.

Source: PR Newswire
Over the past 10 months, identity theft has continued to dominate news headlines with stories of dumpster divers and security breaches. So, it’s no coincidence that Americans’ confidence has also dropped, leading to nearly a 10 percent increase in the number of people feeling vulnerable to identity theft. According to a national survey, conducted by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) and Fellowes, Inc., the leading shredder manufacturer, concerns about identity theft are increasing with Americans feeling less confident than they did a year ago concerning their safety from the crime.

This new research is part of a long-term awareness initiative called Americans’ Identity Confidence Index, which gauges how consumer perceptions of identity theft and specific preemptive behaviors change over time. Through the index, Fellowes and the ITRC annually survey respondents on five questions pertaining to vulnerability, and report on overall changes. This year, the index dropped more than four points, indicating consumer confidence is down compared to 2006 when the index was first measured. The study also reveals that the vast majority of Americans continue to believe that identity theft can happen at any time (84 percent in 2007 vs. 81 percent in 2006). Although 69 percent report using tools or solutions to protect themselves (similar to 65 percent in 2006), more people report feeling vulnerable to the crime (59 percent vs. 50 percent).

“Identity theft affects thousands of people every day,” said Jamie Fellowes, chairman and CEO of Fellowes, Inc. “Although the crime isn’t going away any time soon, it is our hope that through this index we can continue to gain a better understanding of consumer’s general awareness, and ultimately help educate them on how to best protect themselves.”

While Americans are aware of the threat of identity theft, misunderstandings about how the crime occurs still remain prevalent. The survey reveals that Americans still believe technology makes them more vulnerable to the crime, with nearly 40 percent stating that identity theft is most likely to occur through online exchanges. In reality, online exchanges only represent 9 percent of the crime, whereas the majority of identity fraud occurs through paper documents and stolen information (1). Additionally, Americans are too trusting when it comes to those they are closest to. Only 6 percent of respondents suspect that family and friends are responsible for identity theft. However, national statistics show that 15 percent of identity fraud cases involve family, friends or acquaintances (1).

Identity Theft Solutions:

Perhaps driven by increased insecurities, more Americans are taking precautions and adopting good identity theft protection habits compared to 2006. When asked about the specific activities Americans engage in to protect themselves, more respondents report:

• Shredding personal information such as bank statements (71 percent vs. 66 percent) or unsolicited credit card offers (66 percent vs. 60 percent).
• Regularly monitoring their credit card and bank statements (87 percent vs. 82 percent).
• Making sure no one is watching or listening when they disclose personal information (84 percent vs. 79 percent).
• Only half of Americans order a current credit report at least once every two years (similar to 48 percent in 2006), even though it is one of the most effective ways to ensure that no one is misusing your credit.

“A stolen identity can affect all aspects of your life,” said Jay Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “We are seeing a large number of paper data exposures across the country, making it essential for consumers to appropriately protect their information. It’s great to see more Americans taking extra steps to safeguard themselves against identity theft. You can never be too careful when it comes to preventing the crime.”

Source: NZ Herald
New Zealanders who find themselves victims of overseas-based identity fraud may have few avenues for redress, the Privacy Commissioner warns. At a time when dataflow across borders is booming, Marie Shroff is urging New Zealanders to be wary of the threat of privacy breaches where New Zealand laws would not apply.

“If information is being misused overseas, things can be done but they’d have to be done on a Government-to-Government level,” she said. Ms Shroff’s concerns follow an increase in information such as passport, credit and bank details being stored and processed overseas. Government agencies and private companies are bound by the privacy laws of the country they are based in, but an international company with no base in New Zealand may not offer any protection. [more]

Source: WSBTV
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Authorities are looking for a woman who may have had access to the personal information of millions of people. Tonia Leach said her identity was stolen by a woman who worked at a major U.S. credit reporting agency and investigators believe the identity thief is in the Gwinnett County area. Leach first discovered that someone had stolen her identity after her credit report showed that Manpower and Equifax had conducted background checks on her. Since Leach had never applied for jobs there, she knew what happened. Authorities said a woman stole Leach’s name, Social Security number and date of birth to get a job at Manpower, a temp agency. It was there the woman was also able to get a job at Equifax, a credit reporting agency. A spokesman for Equifax told Channel 2 that the employee did not have access to any of their records.

“I didn’t understand how when you do a background check you check for a credit report but you do not pull up a picture from the DMV to see a picture to verify,” said Leach. Investigator Jim Mayes said the woman may have gotten Leach’s information while working at a Gwinnett County apartment complex where Leach temporarily lived. “I was able to track her movement as far as addresses she left, also through a personal reference she left from her last employment,” said Mayes. The woman also opened credit cards in Leach’s name. Leach even got a bill from the IRS. Leach said her life has been turned upside-down.

“When the creditors call, they call me at 6, 7, 8, 9, every hour of every day. They will call you because they want their money. It was horrible,” said Leach.Equifax released a statement that said, “We can confirm that an individual posing as Ms. Leach was employed with Equifax for less than a year, beginning in early 2006. There were no indications with the identification information that she provided or through the work history or the credit report that this was a stolen identification.” Again, a spokesman for Equifax told Channel 2 that the employee did not have access to any of their records. The investigation is continuing.

Source: SignOnSanDiego
MURRIETA – A 29-year-old Hemet man and his female co-defendant pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count each of receiving stolen property for their part in an identity theft ring based out of a motel where prostitutes also plied their trade. Shawn Stipati and Chanel Pamela Gray, both 23, entered their pleas before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sherrill Ellsworth, who had been scheduled to preside over a preliminary hearing to determine if there was enough evidence to order them to stand trial. The defendants each were immediately sentenced to two years behind bars. Ellsworth said she would recommend that Stipati be sent to a fire camp and that Gray be referred to the state Department of Corrections’ Mother Infant Care program, which allows incarcerated women to serve out their terms in a halfway house with their children.

According to court records, Gray has an alias of Suzette Lynn Miko. The real Suzette Lynn Miko, who is 29 years old, pleaded guilty last week to identity theft for her part in stealing personal information from her co-workers at the Lake Elsinore Unified School District. Miko, who worked as a custodian for the school district, must serve 82 days in jail on consecutive weekends. [more]

Source: iBerkshires.com
‘They told me I had to get this insurance or pay a penalty, so I got it. But as long as my social security number is printed on this insurance card, I will not use it. What kind of penalty will they hand me for that?’

Thomas is a licensed real estate agent and said she’s very aware of the financial ruin that often follows cases of identity theft. It’s access to social security numbers that most often paves the way to emptied bank accounts and unpaid, fraudulent credit card charges, Thomas said. She noted that identity theft prevention experts instruct people to avoid carrying their social security cards or other documents that host the one-of-a-kind number.

When she received her mandated state health insurance identification card in February, she said she was stunned to see her social security number emblazoned in dark ink across the top. “I was appalled,” she said during a May 10 interview at her home. “With identity theft as rampant as it is, that this state would mandate something requiring the prominent use of a social security number was appalling to me.”

“Identity theft is no joke,” she said. “It is happening and people can spend the rest of their lives trying to repair the damage. You can lose your credit rating, your credit cards, your financial freedom. People have been wiped out and we all know that once your identity has been stolen, it is a nightmare. There is no easy fix.”

Source: Payson Roundup
The Payson Police Department has arrested Donald D. Schendel of Payson on nine counts of taking the identity of another, three counts of forgery, nine counts of theft and one count of harassment. The case was originally initiated June 10, 2005. The suspect had allegedly been harassing a Payson Police officer by mail, as well as a Pro Tem Gila County Municipal judge. Police Commander Don Engler said the suspect was ordering books and magazines through the mail and having them delivered to the officer’s address, for collection on delivery. After working the case for more than a year, it successfully culminated with a search warrant issued in the 600 block of North Blue Spruce Road in Payson on May 4. Schendel was booked into the Gila County Jail.

Source: Channel 4
More than 20,000 staff at Marks & Spencer have been told they may be at risk of identity crime after a laptop computer was stolen, it has been reported. The retailer has written to 26,000 present employees in its final salary pension scheme warning they are at risk if the data is accessed by criminals. BBC Radio 4 said salary details, addresses, dates of birth, national insurance and phone numbers were on the machine, which was stolen from a printing firm.

The laptop was stolen on April 18 in a burglary on a printing firm that had been given the computer so it could process letters to M&S employees about pension changes. It is believed the machine was taken in an opportunist theft and stolen for its own value rather than the information on it. Two days after the burglary the company wrote to all staff whose details were on the laptop warning them they could be at risk. The firm is offering free credit checks to the people affected.

NEW YORK (AP) — A day trader stole the identities of four people, made off with $1 million from their bank accounts, and then used the funds in a stock scheme, according to an indictment Friday in state Supreme Court.

Alexis Ampudia Jr., 22, of Brooklyn, opened online stock trading accounts in the victims’ names, Manhattan prosecutors charged. He also opened online trading accounts in his own name and bought lightly traded, low-value securities, prosecutors said. Ampudia then used accounts he had opened in his victims’ names to buy the same stocks, which inflated the price by artificially creating demand, prosecutors said. After the stock prices rose due to his manipulations of the market, Ampudia dumped the stock at a profit, according to prosecutors. Accounts in the victims’ names held nearly worthless stocks, after the artificially inflated prices fell, the indictment claims.

Ampudia is charged with stealing $730,750, attempting to steal an additional $100,000 and illegally transferring, through identity theft, another $184,000, prosecutors said. He is charged with second-degree grand larceny, second-degree attempted grand larceny and first-degree identity theft. The grand larceny charge, the top count in the indictment, is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Ampudia, who was jailed in Newark, N.J., April 5 as he returned from his native Panama, is expected to be arraigned June 6 in Manhattan’s state Supreme Court. His lawyer, Stephen Drummond, said his client will plead not guilty when he is arraigned. Drummond said Ampudia, a day trader since 2003, was asked by the alleged victims to trade securities for them. The lawyer said the alleged victims, all of whom had identification, were sent by another man he believes should be investigated. “I absolutely believe this young man is not guilty,” the lawyer said of his client. “I believe he was manipulated by someone who is much cleverer.”

Source: The Hutchinson News
Formal charges were filed Friday against a man accused of obtaining a $12,000 loan using the identity of a local attorney. Jason Vetter, 27, is charged with identity theft, false writing and felony theft for the April incident in which he allegedly used the identity of Gerald Green to obtain a loan from Capital One, and then used the money to buy a motorcycle. Police allege Vetter’s sister, Jessica Vetter, obtained personal information on Green from a local insurance company where she was a temporary worker. That information was then used to obtain the loan.

Source: CBS News
No one is safe from identity thieves, the Mayor of McClellanville included. Rutledge Leland’s identity was stolen and although he knew how common identity theft was, he never thought it could happen to him. Leland is the mayor of McClellanville and he owns the Carolina Seafood Company. He was surprised when a few Dell computers arrived at his place of business.

Then, he received a bill for 11-thousand dollars worth of computers and that’s when he realized something wasn’t right. He contacted Dell and after lots of disputes with the company, they refunded him his money and he returned the merchandise. But Leland wasn’t in the clear just yet. A new account appeared in his name for a cell phone he didn’t order. The mayor called the cell phone carrier who quickly closed the account.

Identity theft experts say that no one is safe, especially on the Internet. There are some tips to protect yourself from becoming the next victim. First, always check your bank statements to track your activity. Look out for emails that pose as your bank or other financial institutions, like credit cards. Be weary of who you give your information to on the Internet. Leland didn’t lose any money and he’s keeping a close watch on his personal information.

Source: Media Newswire
Portland, Ore. - Carol Crane, 43, has been indicted on new identity theft, bank fraud and conspiracy charges. Crane is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Dennis J. Hubel in Portland today at 1:00 p.m. for an arraignment and remains in custody pending a detention hearing.

Last December Crane pleaded guilty to Bank Fraud in connection with the investigation of an identity theft ring which operated in the Portland metropolitan area during 2004 and 2005. Bank Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a $l,000,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. The defendant has agreed to serve a sentence of 100 months in prison on the previous charges. During her December plea hearing, Crane admitted that she, and a group of individuals working with her, defrauded various banks and other financial institutions and obtained money from these institutions by stealing identification and other documents from various individuals, and then using the stolen documents to get money from the victim banks.

Crane admitted that she and her accomplices stole purses, wallets, personal identification, checks, credit cards and other items belonging to individuals and businesses from public and private premises in and around the Portland, Oregon area. They used stolen checks by creating forgeries made payable to persons whose identification she and others had stolen. Crane directed others to use the stolen identifications and to pose as the payees and cash forged checks at various financial institutions. They also use stolen credit cards and stolen debit cards to get cash advances at various financial institutions, or to make purchases. During Crane’s plea hearing, she acknowledged that her involvement in identity theft resulted in theft of identification from more than 50 individuals and caused losses to various financial institutions totaling $151,542.

The new indictment alleges that Crane committed bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in the Portland area and in Washington along the I-5 corridor during 2006, and even in 2007 after her guilty plea in December, 2006. Crane is charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with two specific transactions at US Bank branches in Portland in December, 2006. The indictment alleges that Crane, and two other individuals, traveled to Federal Way and Tumwater, Washington, during January and February 2007, as part of a conspiracy to commit bank fraud and identity theft.

Bank fraud, a violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344, has a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and up to five years supervised release. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory penalty of 24 months in prison consecutive to the related fraud sentence, plus up to a $250,000 fine and one year supervised release. Conspiracy has a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.

This investigation is being handled by the Washington County Fraud Identity Theft Enforcement (FITE) Team, assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local law enforcement agencies in Oregon and Washington. An indictment is only an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lance Caldwell. Anyone who has information relating to identity theft in the Portland metropolitan area should contact their local police or sheriff’s department, or the FBI.

Source: North Country Gazette
MANHATTAN—Four JetBlue employees and a New York City Department of Corrections Officer have been arrested for the unauthorized use of credit cards from JetBlue customers. Alex Yegoryan has been a JetBlue Customer Service Agent for two-and-a-half years, Georgia Malamis has been an agent for four years, and Ricquevil (Ricky) Santana has been an agent for three years. Monique Robles has been a JetBlue flight attendant for three years and Jacqueline Miranda has been a NYC Corrections Officer for two years.

Read all about how the identity theft took place in June Maxam’s excellent article.

Source: WBCS
(CBS) NEW YORK Identity theft is America’s fastest-growing crime. Last year alone, nearly 10 million people lost roughly $5 billion to it. And as CBS 2’s Kirstin Cole tells us, the latest form of this fraud, will not only hurt your credit record but can get you a criminal record. She joins us now with a warning in tonight’s Consumer Watch. New mom, Kristin Cavalli, was arrested at 3:00 AM, on January 8, with the police charging her with drug possession.

“I was seven months pregnant at the time,” said Kristin. Yet she and her parent’s say she was at home, sound asleep. So how could this be? Kristin is the victim of criminal identity theft. Her friend gave Kristin’s personal information to trick cops when she was arrested for drug possession. “She used my social security number, my driver’s license number, gave my date of birth,” explained Kristin. Police wouldn’t compare fingerprints for Kristin’s impersonator, never demanded ID to prove who she was. Authorities say criminals typically use a brother, cousin or in Kristin’s case, a friend’s name.

And while victims of identity theft are often left to clean up their credit reports, criminal id theft victims find clearing their good name can be an impossible process. “In addition to maybe not being able to get credit or a job, worst case is an arrest warrant is issued in your name because the thief didn’t show up for a court date,” said Tom Cohn with the Federal Trade Commission. Kristin’s friend, who is currently behind bars, has acknowledged stealing her identity and even wrote her a letter of apology. But the pair are now forever linked in the legal system.

“Basically it says you get arrested, give someone else’s name,” said Kristin’s mom, Jayn. She says she’s spent hours calling and writing to clear this bureaucratic mess, finally resorting to shelling out big bucks for an attorney. And she’s outraged her daughter could still be picked up by police for crimes she didn’t commit. Kristin’s friend refused an on camera interview with us. But the Chief Prosecutor told us the charges are no longer on Kristin’s record. But Kristin’s name will always remain on her friend’s record as an alias. That means if the friend fails to show for a court appearance and a warrant is issued, Kristin could be brought in for fingerprinting. The Cavalli’s have now filed criminal charges of identity theft against the friend.

Source: Press Connects
A 22-year-old Norwich woman is in the Broome County Jail awaiting grand jury action after being charged with five felonies in the theft of stolen credit cards and the use of at least one of them, according to Johnson City Police Department detective Lt. David A. Smith. April G. Collar, of Norwich, was charged Monday with two counts of second-degree forgery, two counts of second-degree identity theft, and one count of tampering with physical evidence, all felonies.

Collar was arraigned in Village of Johnson City Court and sent to the Broome County Jail. No bail was set, said arresting officer detective Gregory Saroka. Collar is charged with stealing credit cards and using one of the stolen cards Monday at Macy’s Department Store in the Oakdale Mall. The card was used three times and in each instance Collar signed the receipts identifying herself as the owner of the credit card, police said. The stolen cards and property were later recovered by Johnson City police, detective Saroka said.

Source: eWeek
The new federal identity theft proposal accomplishes virtually nothing, other than to give a photo-op for officials to say “identity theft” and frown. When U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales held a news conference on Monday to discuss the new identity theft guidelines, he seemed to have two clear goals. First, to be asked questions that have nothing to do with fired U.S. Attorneys. (He looked as though he was fighting the urge to paraphrase Henny Youngman. “Take my identity….please!”) But the more important goal was to be photographed looking concerned about this terrible identity theft situation. “Just awful. Really bad. Please write down the concerned look on my face.”

It’s a shame that the report doesn’t accomplish much. It encouraged fewer uses of Social Security Numbers for non-Social Security purposes. Two problems with that. That has already been U.S. government policy for many years. The second problem is that the numbers are very difficult to change once they’re issued, and they are being widely used by banks, businesses, schools and tons of other entities outside the U.S. government. Unlike a credit card that can be easily reissued when its number get stolen, SS Numbers are more or less permanent. Clamping down on SS usage after the vast majority of Americans have had their numbers used extensively for a huge list of forms won’t do much good. Fear not. There’s no indication the government is serious about cracking down.

The report addressed the lack of security that many businesses use when supposedly protecting consumer data. But the guidelines suggest nothing to change that situation. Helpful moves would be more serious crackdowns on retail security or perhaps making Social Security numbers easier to change. There’s a bigger problem behind retail security, though. Retail security guidelines today—including PCI—are simply not being taken seriously. Visa has conceded that most (64 percent) of its largest retailers are not compliant (at least when they last revealed such stats, back in December).

There are no retail IT execs who actively oppose PCI, but the lack of compliance usually involves a handful of specific regs that a particular retailer can’t meet. To say that PCI is imperfect security is like saying that, at Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government delivered imperfect crowd control. If the retail industry cannot get compliant with its own security rules, it’s silly to think that federal rules have much of a chance of having an impact. But for a photo opp, they work quite nicely.

Source: Komo 1000
SEATTLE - The state calls it a failure and something that never should have happened. A worker broke the rules and took files home of 19 clients of the Department of Social and Health Services. The files - full of personal information - were stolen. And now those 19 clients could become victims of identity thieves. Dennis Nelson found out he is one of the 19 when he got a letter in the mail. “I opened it up and I dropped my jaw,” he said.

DSHS wrote to tell him how sorry they are. “Somebody knows my address, my birthdate, my Social Security number, my criminal background, my credit score, my credit rating,” he said. “That’s, that’s everything.” Nelson expects there’s a good chance it’ll wind up in the hands of identity thieves.

A DSHS employee had the paper files on 19 clients in a briefcase in his car. That violates the agency rules. Then, the briefcase was stolen. The agency told the victims it’s now up to them to take steps to protect themselves. “We’re not in the business of helping people to protect themselves. What we’re in the business of doing is protecting their confidential information,” said Steve Williams of DSHS. “Here was a failure. We don’t like failures. We’re very upset about the failure. We apologize profusely to those who have been a part of this.”

The apology does little for Dennis Nelson. He feels a nightmare starting that he’s lived before. Nelson was a victim of identity theft in 1994 - and it’s taken years to recover. “I’m angry. I’m devastated. As we talk I want to cry,” he said. “I’ve worked so hard to reestablish myself and put things back together so I can maintain a normal financial lifestyle.” DSHS says the worker who broke the rules could get anything from a verbal reprimand to a being fired.

Source: Caledon Citizen
David Tilson, MP for Dufferin-Caledon, submitted a motion to the clerk of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI), April 20, requesting that the committee prepare a comprehensive study and report to the House of Commons on the increasing crime of identity theft.

Tilson defined identity theft as the unauthorized collection and use of personal information that is used for criminal purposes. In 2005, PhoneBusters reported 11,231 identity theft complaints in Canada, resulting in $8,575,593.98 in losses, making this crime the fastest growing form of consumer fraud in North America. An individual’s name, date of birth, address, credit card, Social Insurance Number (SIN), and other personal identification numbers can be fraudulently used to open credit card and bank accounts, redirect mail, establish cellular phone service, rent vehicles, equipment, or accommodation, and even to secure employment.

“Identity theft can happen to anyone and knows no geographic boundaries. The problem has been raised by my constituents as an increasing concern for them, and therefore, I believe it’s important for our committee to study it and to report our findings to the House of Commons, to see how we can best prevent Canadians from this despicable form of crime,” Tilson said.

Source: Daily Times
Dr. David Christopher Winkler, a 35-year-old Kerrville doctor charged Friday with possession of child pornography, is innocent and may have been a victim of identity theft or a computer virus, said his attorney Richard Ellison.

More than 200 still images and eight videos of boys and girls in sexual acts were found on Winkler’s private office computer when it was seized late Thursday by agents with the Cyber Crimes Unit of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in San Antonio. But there have been a number of break-ins in Winkler’s office building, Ellison said via e-mail. “Dr. Winkler may have been a victim of identity theft and computer hacking, or a computer virus,” Ellison said. “What is certain is that he did not do it and did not even know it was there. This could happen to anybody who owns a computer.”

Winkler was arrested Thursday and released on bond Friday after he appeared in federal court in San Antonio. The internal medicine doctor, who is in private practice and on staff at Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital, could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

ICE agents obtained a warrant to search computers in Winkler’s home in the 700 block of Cardinal Drive, but didn’t find any child pornography. A second warrant was issued after Winkler reportedly refused to let agents look at computers in his office at 1331 Bandera Highway. That’s where agents discovered known images and videos of pre-pubescent children engaged in sexual acts. Ellison said Winkler hadn’t refused agents’ search request. Instead, on advice of legal counsel, Winkler asked agents to show a valid search warrant, a Constitutional requirement, Ellison said.

Winkler’s charge is part of a larger inter-state investigation. In February, ICE received information that Winkler and others had purchased access to child pornography Web sites. It is not certain whether Winkler will lose his medical license or privileges to see patients at Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital. He was not in his office on Friday, and another doctor had been assigned to care for his hospital patients. Winkler graduated in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Texas at Austin and earned a medical degree in 1999 from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He is married and has two young children.

Ellison, who with local attorney Brett Ferguson will represent Winkler, said the charge against the respected Kerrville doctor is a mistake. “He is innocent, and we will fight these charges and he will be completely exonerated,” Ellison said. “This is a nightmare for him and his family. They know he is innocent, and they are standing by him through this ordeal.”

Source: Times Online
A Beaver Falls woman was charged with identity theft, forgery, unsworn falsification to police, making false reports to law enforcement and giving false identification to law enforcement following a traffic stop along the Beaver Valley Expressway in Brighton Township on Sept. 3. According to a state police complaint, Sayeeida S. Polite, 29, whose last known address was 2004 Fifth Ave., apparently took the identity of former neighbor Joey M. Seay when the two lived in Aliquippa several years ago. State police said they have been unable to locate Polite.

Source: UPI
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) — U.S. government officials warn of possible identity theft after the Social Security numbers of 63,000 people were posted on a public Web site.

The officials said Friday the U.S. Census Bureau posted the Social Security numbers thousands of recipients of federal farm loans in an apparent violation of federal law, The Washington Post reported Saturday. ‘We take full responsibility for this and offer no excuses for it,’ said Terri Teuber, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ‘We absolutely do not think it was appropriate.’ The data, which was posted as part of a U.S. Census Bureau loans database, was removed from the Web site April 13 after an Illinois farmer stumbled on it while searching the Internet and alerted officials. However, the issue was not revealed to the public until Friday because, officials said, information security officials needed time to wipe the information from mirror sites and contact people whose numbers were posted.

However, a watchdog group said the delay was the result of the government attempting to cover up its error. ‘The bottom line is the government screwed up,’ said Gary Bass, executive director of OMB Watch. ‘What`s really important is that they now try to rectify the problem. Thousands of research groups have copies of this site.’

Source: Network World
The Texas Attorney General has taken legal action against CVS Pharmacy for exposing customers to identity theft the old-fashioned way. According to a press release issued by Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office on Tuesday, employees at a CVS store in Liberty, Texas, chucked hundreds of customer records into a dumpster behind the storefront. Left in the trash were documents including customers’ names, addresses, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, prescriptions and doctors, according to the release.

Many of the credit and debit card numbers were still active when found, the release says, as expiration dates were included in the information. While CVS’s actions won’t likely end up exposing as many customers’ to the risk of identity theft as other recent breaches, such as the colossal TJX network break-in, the Attorney General’s office is warning customers of that CVS location to monitor their finances for suspicious activity. Such action on CVS’s part violates the 2005 Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, a Texas state law that requires businesses to protect customer records that contain sensitive information, the release says. The law allows for prosecutors to seek up to $50,000 per violation. In addition, CVS is charged with violating Chapter 35 of Texas’ Business and Commerce Code that requires businesses to practice appropriate retention and disposal procedures for personal information they store about their customers. This code allows for up to $500 in fines per unprotected record.

The Texas Attorney’s General has been busy chasing violators of identity theft protections lately, this action against CVS being the fourth of its kind in recent weeks. Earlier this month Abbott’s office took action against RadioShack, based in Fort Worth, for improper dumping of customer receipts containing personal information; in March the Attorney General took action against Jones Beauty College of Dallas for improperly disposing of students’ financial aid forms and also against talent agency On Track Modeling, based in North Carolina, for shutting down a Grand Prairie office and leaving behind more than 60 boxes full of client records.

Source: LawFuel
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, William T. Simms, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, Julie Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced the April 13, 2007 sentencing of defendant Dwight E. Moss, 39, following his conviction of two counts of credit card fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Ursula Ungaro-Benages sentenced Dwight Moss to 222 months (18.5 years) in prison, followed by a three year term of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay $255,445.61 in restitution to the more than fifty victims of his fraud.

This case was a result of the cooperative investigative efforts of the Secret Service, FBI, and ATF. The evidence at trial showed that Dwight Moss either created credit card accounts in victims’ names and added himself as an authorized user, or added himself as an authorized user to various victims’ existing accounts. These compromised accounts were from various retailers, including Home Depot, Sears, Dillard’s, Lowe’s, Sam’s Club, and JC Penney. Evidence at trial included surveillance video of Moss shopping at these various stores, receipts corroborating the purchases, and a detailed ledger found in his residence containing personal identifying information of many individuals. The search of Moss’ residence also led to the discovery of a .25 caliber weapon, ammunition, and ballistics vest.

Source: AMNY
There’s something about Emerick and Donna Martin and real estate deals that leads to trouble, officials say. The Brooklyn couple was arrested Friday on charges they stole the identity of a Queens man and then used over $1 million in ill-gotten gains to purchase a Dix Hills home on Long Island. Investigators with the Queens District Attorney’s Office said the pair, who are married and both 42 years old, also used multiple credit cards and a forged drivers license in their victim’s name to make purchases.

They tried to get a $90,000 loan to buy a late model Mercedes-Benz S550 but were thwarted when they couldn’t produce a valid license for the bank, said investigators. Emerick Martin was arrested Thursday on his way to his federal parole officer in Central Islip, said a law enforcement source. He was sentenced to five years probation in June 2005. The federal case stemmed from a wider series of charges in 2002 against Martin, his wife and others involving allegations of the filing of false mortgage applications.

Donna Martin pleaded guilty in 2006 to a mail fraud charges in that case and is awaiting sentencing, said her attorney Anthony La Pinta of Hauppauge. She was also arrested Thursday. In the new Queens case, investigators charged that the Martin’s took over the identity of David Clarke of Rosedale, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement. The Martins used Clarke’s identity to get a $1.1 million in mortgages to buy the Dix Hills home.

But after the Martins and an unnamed accomplice tried to take out an additional $180,000 mortgage on Clarke’s home in Rosedale, the plan backfired, said Brown. Clarke got suspicious after he received papers related to the mortgage in the mail and went to authorities. The Martins were ordered held on $250,000 bail Friday by Queens Criminal Court Judge William Harrington after pleading not guilty. Along with second-degree attempted grand larceny, the Martins were charged with first-degree identity theft, scheme to defraud and other charges. If convicted they face up to seven years in prison, said Brown. The couple is due back in court May 1.

Source: Action News
A Mid-South doctor claims the nurse charged with stealing patient information stole his identity too. Gary Lamar Holt is in jail at 201 Poplar. Holt was a fugitive on the run. He was a nurse accused of stealing patient information while working at a hospital in Florida. But, a local doctor says the scam started here in Memphis.

Dr. Meng Vang is still in shock over what happened. He trusted Gary Lamar Holt while Holt was a nurse at the MED last year. He trusted him enough to give Holt more than $100,000 to be a primary investor in a new business, a temporay nursing agency. But, a few months later, Dr. Vang got a phone call from a credit card company and found out what really happened with his money. “Mr. Holt used my personal information without my knowledge and applied for 5 different credit cards,” says Vang. On those five credit cards bills totaled almost $60,000. Vang says Holt bought a four wheeler, a diamond ring, hunting gear and thousands of dollars in cash advances.

“I obtained these credit card applications from the credit card companies. I looked through them and none of them has my signature on it. So my signature on them were forged,” says Vang. Vang filed two charges against Holt. One for embezzlement. The other for fraud. Police in Florida charged Holt for stealing patient information while working there as a nurse, saying he bought two vehicles and got a credit card.

Memphis police arrested Holt at St.Francis Hospital where he was working the last two months. Meanwhile, Vang is still working on clearing up this mess. Vang adds, “I have to deal with credit card companies and clear my name and clear my credit.” A Memphis Police spokesperson says they found no reports of identity theft involving patients at St. Francis during the time Holt was working there.

Source: Information Week
A former Social Security Administration employee surrendered to federal authorities Wednesday to face charges of illegally disclosing personal information she took off a government computer that was then used in an identity theft scheme that racked up $2.5 million in credit card charges.

Jennifer Batiste, 45, of Leimert Park, Calif., made her initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. She was released on $5,000 bond. Batiste is charged with conspiracy, accessing a protected computer to conduct fraud, and disclosure of a Social Security number. If she is convicted of the three counts in the indictment, Batiste faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

The indictment alleges that Batiste conspired with her cohort Craig Harris and others by agreeing to access the Social Security Administration’s computer system to run search queries for Harris. Harris, a 50-year-old Los Angeles resident, pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy and unlawful possession of a means of identification. Harris, who faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17.

The government contends that Harris would give Batiste some identifying piece of information about someone — either a name or Social Security number — and Batiste would then query the government system to pull up enough other identifying information to put the person’s identity at risk. According to a government report, Bastiste allegedly was paid $20 for every search query she ran on the government computer system to obtain information for Harris. The indictment goes on to allege that Harris and his co-conspirators used the information to make approximately $2.5 million worth of unauthorized charges to credit card accounts.

“The Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, is committed to aggressively pursuing fraud perpetrated by SSA employees,” said David F. Butler, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. The American public not only deserves, but demands, the highest standards of integrity from government employees that are paid with their tax dollars.”

The cases against Batiste and Harris are part of an ongoing investigation by the Los Angeles Identity Theft Economic Crimes Task Force, which includes the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General.

Source: 10 News
A South Bay couple was arrested on charges of allegedly stealing someone’s identity to pay for phone, cable and Internet service over a three-month period, authorities said Wednesday. LaManuel and Shawnte Williams were arrested about 8 a.m. Tuesday at their Imperial Beach home in the 5400 block of Imperial Avenue, and their four young children were placed in protective custody, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

Detectives determined the suspects stole the victim’s name, Social Security number, driver’s license number and date of birth by “unknown means,” Detective Sgt. Pete Meza said. sing the purloined information, the couple purchased Cox Communications services — phone, cable television and Internet lines, as well as a modem for their computer, he said.

The bill for the services exceeded $1,500 over three months until Cox stopped the services and began to charge the victim’s bank account, according to Meza. A search of the Williams’ apartment netted documentation of the victim’s identification, and the modem and cable box purchased with the stolen information, Meza said.

LaManuel Williams, 28, admitted to the identity theft, and his 29-year-old wife told investigators she knew the information was used to buy the Cox services, Meza said. They were arrested on suspicion of several identity theft counts, and LaManuel Williams was booked on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia at the time of the arrest, authorities said. Under the Drug Endangered Children program, a social worker took custody of the couple’s four children.

Source: EA Courier
There is a 100 percent probability that a child who uses the Internet has been approached by an online predator, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said.

“They (children) know about stranger danger in person,” but many do not appear to grasp the danger on the Internet, Goddard said to a group of about 20 people at the Graham County Historical Society Museum in Thatcher on April 4. Goddard was in Graham County to speak at the annual Meth Awareness Conference. In addition to the museum, he visited the Graham County Senior Citizens Center and the Mt. Graham Safe House. At the museum, Goddard, a Democrat, was greeted by Democrats and elected officials from Graham and Greenlee counties. He said 167 million kids have their information posted on MySpace.com “The predators appreciate it,” Goddard said.

The Attorney General touched on several topics, including the methamphetamine epidemic, abuse of the elderly and illegal immigration. At the Senior Center, Goddard talked about fraud and identity theft. “We work in consumer protection issues. It’s part of our mandate,” Goddard told a group of about 15 seniors. He said his office takes crimes against the elderly seriously. Elder abuse is under-reported because the abuser is often a family member. He also told the seniors to keep their personal information safe from identity thieves by either destroying documents or keeping them in a safe place.

“Destroy, destroy, destroy. I hate to promote a product, but buy a shredder,” he said regarding the disposal of old documents. He also announced the opening of an Attorney General’s office satellite center in Safford. It will be aimed at helping victims of scams. He asked that seniors volunteer for training so they can staff the center. Goddard also encouraged seniors to obtain the one free credit report per year that they are entitled to receive. These reports will help seniors find out if they are victims of identity theft.

Source: CBS5
The number one consumer concern in California for the seventh year now is identity theft. A million of us will become victims this year – a number that included Susie Wyshak.

“I was completely shocked. I had no idea how they got it and how it ended up in Las Vegas,” she said. Wyshak only found out her identity was stolen when she got a call about a bounced check — in Nevada. “One of my theories with my identity theft was that someone who stole a bag of my recyclables before I even had a shredder,” she told us.

Experts at the California Identity Theft Summit, said most consumers may be concerned about security, but they’re not doing enough to protect themselves. “They’re saying ‘Even though I’m worrying about it, I’m not going to let it inconvenience me’,” said privacy expert Larry Ponemon. “‘I’m going to use the website even though they collect my information, I’m not going to shred my papers and I’m not going to tear up applications for credit cards.’”

And despite recent high profile security breaches, most identity theft is still the old-fashioned kind — from bills stolen out of your mail, to a lost wallet. “You need to monitor your accounts as frequently as you can, turn off the paper records in favor of the internet, don’t give up your information to anybody,” advises James Van Dyke of Javelin Strategy & Research. That includes online. So make sure your computer has anti-virus and anti-spyware protection. “But there’s some pieces of software out there that masquerade as anti-spyware software,” warned Ron Gabrielson of the Geek Squad. “So you have to be very careful what you’re using.”

Wyshak offers this acronym for preventing identity theft: SCUM. That includes:

• Shred everything including mailing labels
• Cancel unwanted mail
• Update computer security software
• Monitor your credit

“I recommend taking steps in advance rather than waiting for that call from the bill collector,” Wyshak said with a laugh.

Source: LawFuel
SAN FRANCISCO — LAWFUEL - US Law Newswire - United States Attorney Scott N. Schools announced that Christina Kyeonghee Kim pleaded guilty today to 48 counts of fraud in connection with an identity-theft scheme that caused more than $1 million in losses, which the defendant admitted she spent on luxury items.

Ms. Kim, 43, of McKinleyville, California, pleaded guilty to 47 counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344, and one count of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. The plea occurred before U.S. District Judge William H. Alsup.

“This crime involved exploiting the Social Security numbers and other very personal information of people who trusted the defendant, including her relatives and college students who worked at her restaurant,” USA Schools said. “Abusing other people’s identities is a very serious offense, as is the defrauding of financial institutions. This Office will prosecute these crimes—and all other white-collar offenses—to the fullest extent of the law.”

As part of her guilty plea, Ms. Kim admitted that beginning in January 2001, she executed a scheme to defraud individuals and financial institutions by creating false identities and opening accounts with financial institutions using personal identifying information of individuals whom she knew. Ms. Kim admitted that she created or otherwise used at least 12 false identities that were created from information she obtained or stole from Korean exchange students attending Humboldt State University, employees that worked in her restaurant, and her family members. Once she obtained the personal information, Ms. Kim used the information to create false drivers licenses, Social Security cards, and other documents.

In total, Ms. Kim admitted that she opened at least 50 separate accounts, including credit card and bank accounts, in the name of real and fictitious individuals by forging signatures on bank and credit card applications, checks, and other documents submitted to obtain lines of credit. Once the financial institutions extended the lines of credit to Ms. Kim, she obtained more than $1.1 million that she never repaid. Ms. Kim further admitted that she used the money to pay for luxury items and personal expenses. According to the Information filed in the case, Ms. Kim spent the ill-gotten gains on designer clothes, expensive shoes and handbags, jewelry and other personal expenses.

In addition, Ms. Kim admitted to orchestrating a 2003 insurance fraud scheme in which she obtained $90,000 from her insurance company. After an alleged robbery, Ms. Kim submitted numerous false receipts for items allegedly stolen and created a fictitious receipt for a painting, purportedly valued at one million dollars, that she never owned. Judge William Alsup scheduled the sentencing of Ms. Kim for July 24, 2007 at 2:00 pm in San Francisco. The maximum statutory penalty for each violation of the bank and mail fraud charges is 30 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $1 million, plus restitution. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Prosecuting this case are Stacey Luck, Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Fraud Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Stacey Geis. The prosecution is the result of a lengthy investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Source: The Enquirer
Federal courthouses in Cincinnati and Dayton are getting complaints about an identity theft scam involving phony orders to appear for jury duty.

Court officials say the scam begins with a phone call from someone who demands personal information, such as a Social Security number and date of birth, as part of a requirement for jury duty. If the targets of the calls balk at the demand, the caller threatens them with arrest. “This is just an ugly stain on the whole system,” said U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith, the chief federal judge in Cincinnati.

Beckwith said the FBI has been notified of the scam, but a spokesman said there is no active investigation in the Cincinnati area. The scam is not unique to southern Ohio and has come up from time to time across the country. FBI spokesman Mike Brooks said many calls apparently originate far from the hometown of the people receiving the calls and often from overseas. “It’s not just here in Cincinnati,” he said.

He said sometimes the scam involves phone calls and sometimes e-mails. “It must still work because people are still getting them,” Brooks said. Susan Bridges, division manager of U.S. District Court in Cincinnati, said none of the complaints she has received were from people who actually provided their personal information.

But she and other court officials fear those who have fallen for the scam may not realize it or may be too embarrassed to report the call. “They’re scaring them and telling them they need personal information,” Bridges said. “Some people are giving it to them.” She said it’s easy to know the difference between a scam artist and the real thing: An actual notice about jury duty is done by letter, not phone. A call could be made if someone fails to show up for jury duty, but courthouse officials say all initial notices are sent via mail. At no time, they say, is personal information solicited by phone.

Source: WTAE TV
Some customers are asking questions but aren’t getting answers about their bank accounts being compromised by thieves who got their information, so Call 4 Action reporter Aaron Saykin did some digging.

Identity theft is the nation’s fastest-growing crime. Some studies show 19 people per minute are victimized. Ruth Yahr’s recently received a new credit card from National City Bank, along with a letter stating her old card might have been compromised. “I became very worried, because my sister-in-law recently had a similar problem, and it has been a nightmare for her,” said Yahr. Her sister had a problem with identity theft, which now happens to an estimated 10 million Americans per year.

A new report from a leading computer security software company found more and more compromised information is being bought and sold in a black market online. The report said identity thieves could purchase credit card numbers from secret networks for just $1 to $6. More detailed information like Social Security numbers can be purchased for $14 to $18. Yahr said it is her second scare this year.

She said she’s a frequent customer of Marshalls and TJ Maxx, which in January reported a massive breech of customer personal information. “It just causes hours and hours of time being spent trying to establish a good name and good credit that I’ve worked years to establish on my own,” said Yahr. In this case, National City said only a small percentage of cardholders were affected, and that it would cover any fraudulent charges.

But the bank, which called this a precaution, would not reveal how or where the accounts were compromised, saying it’s against policy. “They told me it was merchant privacy, but what about my privacy?” said Yahr. “I mean, I think I have a right to know what’s happened to my name and my account.” In fact, when your information is compromised, state law requires only that the bank or the merchant notify you and offer a general explanation.

Source: Cleveland
Rhonda Turpin is back in prison for running a massive identity-theft scam as audacious as it was sophisticated. Turpin, of Shaker Heights, led a ring of characters who could have come from a street hustler’s version of “Ocean’s 11.” There was the friend at a mortgage company who provided credit reports. There’s a mysterious computer whiz, still at large, who created the best fake IDs that investigators have seen.

And then there are a few crackheads who, after Turpin gave them a shower, shave and sharp suit, stole identities from office workers in Independence, Beachwood and downtown Cleveland. Before the scam unraveled in 2005, Turpin used the stolen identities to get nearly $300,000 in fraudulent bank loans, checks and tax returns. Turpin, 48, even ran the ring from prison for nearly a year.

Turpin now is serving a 15-year prison sentence. The last of 10 people found guilty for their roles in the identity-theft ring was sentenced last week. Kathy Davie, 45, Turpin’s partner in crime and in life, was sentenced to five years in prison by U.S. District Judge John Adams. Davie got a reduced sentence because she cooperated with investigators and provided crucial testimony against Turpin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Kern, who prosecuted the case against Turpin, said she ran the identity-theft ring as if it were a full-time job.

Source: Lake County Daily Herald
A North Carolina woman accused of using the identities of four Lincolnshire residents to steal more than $100,000 was ordered held on $10 million bond Saturday by a Lake County judge. Lincolnshire police said Germaine Aretha Elcock, 32, who apparently goes by many aliases, was swindling hundreds of people nationwide and called 35 numbers in Lincolnshire alone.

Focusing on nursing homes and retirement communities, police said Elcock used the telephone and Internet to get elderly people to reveal their financial information. She then set up false credit card accounts, looted victim’s bank accounts and retirement funds and arranged for wire transfers of money to her home in Carlisle, authorities said.

Lincolnshire police subpoenaed her telephone records and discovered she had called more than 30 people in the village, many of whom called police to report their suspicions. She is charged with aggravated identity theft and theft over $100,000 and faces a mandatory prison sentence of up to 30 years if convicted. Elcock waived her right to an extradition hearing in North Carolina on March 14 and was transferred to Lake County late Friday. She appeared before Associate Judge Daniel Shanes Saturday morning. A court date is pending, police said.

Source: Presstelegram
Hundreds of thousands of Californians’ Social Security numbers were vulnerable to abuse by identity thieves because they were made publicly available through the Secretary of State’s Web site over the last three years, officials said Thursday. The personal data was removed from Secretary of State Debra Bowen’s Web site earlier this week after a state legislator notified her office of the possible vulnerability.

The data was available in Uniform Commercial Code filings - documents lenders file relating to collateral securing a loan. About one-third of the 2 million UCC documents on file had the borrower’s name, address, Social Security number and signature. The other two-thirds of the documents were for loans to businesses, rather than individuals.

“We should take every step we can to make sure government is not fostering this (identity theft) behavior,” said Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, who alerted Bowen’s office to the breach. “Public records should be a window into the operation of the people’s government. But they should not be the basis for an identity theft starter kit.” He said the records were available for sale over the Internet for $6 each from 2004 until earlier this week, “making this potentially the longest running government Internet breach in California’s history.” [more]

Source: Smoky Mountain Sentinel
The rate of identity fraud might be down, but there’s a new game in town: medical identity theft. Instead of worrying about whether someone is getting a new credit card in our name, now we have to worry about whether someone has had an operation in our name, running up astronomical medical bills and compromising our medical history.

You could be a victim of medical identity theft and not even know it. The first indication might be a bill for services you didn’t receive, or an explanation of benefits from your insurance company. You might not discover the problem for years, until you don’t get a job because of a background check that turns up a medical problem that you don’t have, or you are denied insurance — or an incorrect blood type in your chart leads to a catastrophe. Think about that: If you’re rushed to the hospital, you could be treated based on inaccurate information in your records. Perhaps the blood type has been changed, or the list of allergies altered, when someone else has been a patient using your name.

Because of privacy laws, it can be extremely difficult to have corrections made. If someone changes your medical records enough, the only thing left of “you” might be your name, Social Security number and insurance number. The signature on medical forms might not even be yours, and you might be denied access to those records. Ask your medical providers what steps they take to ensure that “you” are really you.

Keep a copy of all of your medical records. If you’re ever a victim of medical identity theft, those records could go a long way toward establishing your identity and correcting your medical history.

Source: The Eagle Tribune
Daryl A. Landry and Darryl M. Landry are two different people with the same criminal record. Daryl A. Landry, 41, said he thinks Darryl M. Landry, 39, has been using his identity for nearly a decade - and building a significant criminal record. After nine years of fighting arrest warrants, angry phone calls and police searches, Daryl A. Landry thinks an end may be in sight. Kingston police arrested Darryl M. Landry on identity theft charges on March 6. But the criminal record he allegedly created using Daryl A. Landry’s Social Security number and date of birth could stay with his victim forever.

In 1998, Daryl A. Landry of Barrington went to the Division of Motor Vehicles to renew his license. When he finally got to the front of a very long line, the clerk told him there was a warrant out for his arrest for assault on a state trooper. It got worse. Whoever had assaulted the police officer and used his name also was abducting children and allowing them to call home and give his name. Then came the angry calls from parents and a police search of his home. [more]

Source: Pennlive.com
READING, Pa. (AP) — A passport clerk was accused of using the names and Social Security numbers of customers at the post office where she worked to unlawfully obtain 18 credit cards, police said. The names on the cards obtained by Kim McKnight Jimenez, 48, matched those of people whose passport applications she handled from January to March, authorities said.

Jimenez, a 27-year postal employee, did not actually use any of the cards, because they were seized when they showed up at her post office box at the Gus Yatron General Mail Facility, investigators said. She surrendered to authorities Wednesday and was charged with 18 counts of identity theft. Investigators said there could be other victims who have not yet discovered their names were used to open accounts.

“I want to stress to people who over the last six to eight months applied for a passport at this facility to check their credit history and make sure nothing is suspicious,” Muhlenberg Township Detective Sgt. Erik P. Grunzig said.

A telephone listing for Jimenez could not immediately be located by The Associated Press. The investigation started when a mail clerk alerted a supervisor that credit cards in other people’s names were being mailed to three post office boxes and Jimenez’s home address. The supervisor seized the credit card envelopes and turned them over to authorities.

Source: PR Leap
Since the housing market slowed down, the mortgage industry has seen an increase in a new type of fraud. Some are turning a blind eye to the issue, instead focusing exclusively on profit. But other companies, like America’s Lending Partners (ALP), are working hard to ensure their applicants did apply for a loan.

ALP works with both lenders and applicants to ensure customers information isn’t being carelessly distributed to untrustworthy organizations. According to Joseph McGinnis, a Marketing Manager at ALP, “Every business wants to make money. But respect for the customer must be the top priority. America’s Lending Partners uses rigorous practices to verify our customer’s interest and protect them from unwanted solicitations, and we urge others in the industry to join us in fighting for consumer privacy.” ALPs’ applicants are welcome to call 1-866-426-5221 or visit www.lendingpartners.com if they have questions.

Some of the problem lies with a proportionally small number of dishonest affiliate websites. Many mortgage companies pay other websites a small fee for each lead they generate. They then sell this information to lead aggregators, rather than distributing them to mortgage lenders directly. While many of these websites are reputable and conscientious, a small but active minority have no intention of providing good service to their customers. In some cases loan applicant details are sold and then resold among some of these affiliate websites in an effort to make more money. In other cases information pertaining to people who never even applied for a mortgage is sold. Such information can be obtained from a number of sources, including simply opening the telephone book, randomly picking a name, and then augmenting it with false financial information.

Often this type of fraud can result in twenty or more loan companies calling a single consumer’s house in a matter of a few days! Some argue that more calls equate to better loan deals. But this argument ignores the inconvenience to the consumer, the uncertainty as to the legitimacy of the offers, and the fundamental lack of respect for consumer privacy. Here are some helpful pointers that will prevent you from becoming entangled in this unsavory and inconvenient world.

1. Check with the state banking departments to ensure you are working with a licensed entity.
2. Apply to only one reputable mortgage company, preferably one who can provide you with multiple loan offers.
3. Work with that company throughout the entire loan process.
4. Make sure the company is in good standing with the Better Business Bureau.
5. Read their Privacy Policy and their Terms of Service.
6. Make sure you have heard of the company you are applying to, or that they have an established track record and media presence.
7. Use your best judgment. If the website looks unprofessional, doesn’t provide specific state licensing numbers, or their customer service department is difficult to reach, you are probably not working with a reputable company.

Privacy is gaining increasing importance in today’s society. But more attention must be given to protect those taking the first steps toward a new mortgage. Failure could jeopardize the legitimacy of the entire mortgage process.

Source: University Chronicle
Identity thieves do not steal money, they steal information and use it for financial gain, according to Office of Inspector General (OIG). Students are also vulnerable to identity theft. Francis Schreiber, SCSU professor in the criminal justice department, said students are not aware they can be a target of identity theft. “Students generally come from very trusting, safe living homes and most parents aren’t aware either of the risk,” he said.

Around 3.6 million households, representing 3 percent of the households in the United States, reported they had been the victim of identity theft during the previous six months in 2004, according to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). “It’s not a huge number, certainly the share of households that have been involved in some types of crime. There will be theft or robbery, and the results are much bigger than that. But, it can be an enormous hassle,” Schreiber said. Students, however, can protect themselves and their information. Schreiber said there are many ways to protect information.

The ways include shredding financial documents before tossing them directly into trash bins, having confidential records sent to post office boxes rather than to a mailbox that cannot be attended to right away and keeping track of credit card and financial accounts regularly. “Sadly, there are some opportunities there,” he said. “People around will take advantage of those situations, and afterward of course, after being the victim of any crime, people said ‘Oh, now I see this was a risk that I should have recognized.’”

For students who live in an apartment with other roommates, keeping doors locked when gone is always a good idea, Schreiber said. He said even trusted roommates may bring other people over who are strangers. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) publication showed those in the highest income range, above $75,000, were the most likely to experience identity theft. The victimization also did not differ by race or ethnicity. In education records, SCSU follows the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. The Act states specific information that can be available to the public as a directory. Students also have full control of their information.

“The non-disclosure form will make students’ data not in the system. So, it will not allow anyone to access it. Do not release means if there is a third party call, the response will be ‘We have no information on this individual,’” said Susan Bayerl, registrar from Office of Records and Registration. Bayerl said less than 1 percent of students enrolled completed the non-disclosure form. However, Social Security numbers (SSN) seem to be the real concern, she said.

“In general, our office is really aware of this issue and we are really trying to not have information be disclosed that really shouldn’t be,” she said. “And the main thing was, we used to have students come in and they would say their SSN out loud. We don’t do that anymore.”

In the Office of Records and Registration, there are keypads on the counter that serve some purposes. Bayerl said the keypads eliminate the need for students to say their ID number and SSN aloud. Students are able to type their number, and no one in the office hears the number.

Students need to submit a written or signed paper document to say “please remove,” or students can only ask to release their information to certain people. “The student is controlling their information; they tell us what to do,” Bayerl said. Another concern is web “phishing.” Online data makes it possible to be “phished,” said Schreiber. “Phishing” is when an e-mail is created similarly to a legitimate financial institution, and asks the users to surrender their financial information.

“You have to have a healthy suspicion about giving your personal financial information to anyone,” Schreiber said. “People have been cheated forever, as soon as money was invented. It’s important to recognize that always, 24 hours a day, there are some people out there who are trying to steal your money, or to steal your credit, or to steal your good reputation as a consumer or a borrower,” he said.

However, a little preparation and knowledge can decrease the chances and hassle of identity theft. “A little anticipation of where the risks are, we can suppress problems; there are procedures making claims to clear your credit history, but it involves a lot of anxiety, involves time and students don’t need more of either.”

“Your goal is to try to set-up some barriers to make it more difficult for them to get to your information.”

Source: The Local
A full 15 percent of the world’s underground economy servers are located in Sweden, according to infrastructure software company Symantec. The company’s latest Internet Security Threat Report identifies Sweden as a haven for digital identity theft, second only to the USA - where 51 percent of the world’s criminal servers are located.

“Underground economy servers are used by criminals and criminal organizations to sell stolen information, typically for subsequent use in identity theft. This data can include government-issued identity numbers, credit cards, bank cards and personal identification numbers (PINs), user accounts, and email address lists,” according to the Symantec report.

When taken on a per capita basis, the figures mean that Sweden has the highest concentration of online criminal activity in the world. “Sweden has a well developed infrastructure and we are seeing that many of