IDENTITY THEFT IN THE NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATE

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America.  ID theft victims experience stress and anxiety, but they also experience credit, housing and job denials because of incorrect information on their credit or background reports.  We represent ID theft victims all over the country in federal court under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).  The FCRA provides for a private cause of action against the credit bureaus and creditors for failing to comply with federal law.  The federal law also provides remedies, such as damages for credit denials and mental anguish.

Here are some of the top identity theft stories this past week from around the US:

Identity theft sweep brings attention to tax season security concerns
Plattsmouth Journal
In late January, the federal government conducted a nationwide sweep to crack down on identity theft and tax fraud before the 2012 tax season. The timing of the effort was meant to stem the rising tide of fraudulent tax activity, which involves using …

Identity theft has continued to rise, but Iowa has stayed at the bottom of the …
UI The Daily Iowan
BY JORDYN REILAND | MARCH 05, 2012 6:30 AM Identity theft continues to raise countrywide concern, according to a 2011 Federal Trade Commission report, but Iowa faces less of the crime than other states. Iowa, with 1208 identity theft complaints in 2011 …

Traffic Arrests, ID Theft Top Scarsdale Police Log
The Daily Scarsdale
ID theft: A woman on Church Lane complained Thursday, March 1, that she was a victim of identity theft. The woman said she had been notified by the state that her tax refund had been adjusted for 2011, but, she said, she had not yet filed her taxes for …

Identity theft in Beaufort County rising faster than national average
Hilton Head Island Packet
By ALLISON STICE Find out how to deter, detect and defend against the crime of identity theft with tips from the Federal Trade Commission at 1.usa.gov/gx5. At one time, Rhonda Williams of Bluffton used her credit card to pay for just about everything, …

Member of Large-Scale Identity Theft Ring Sentenced
Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release)
NEWARK—A Bergen County, New Jersey woman who was a member of a large-scale and sophisticated identity theft scheme was sentenced to 41 months in prison today, US Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. Jung-Sook Ko, a/k/a “Grace Lim,” 48, of Ridgefield

Woman sentenced for identity theft
Providence Eyewitness News
By James O’Leary A California woman will spend nearly three years behind bars for defrauding a Rhode Island bank. Nancy Sherman, 42, of Los Angeles pled guilty in federal court last September. She admitted to stealing more than $13000 a bank account.

Fraud, identity theft reports spike in DC region, nation
Washington Examiner
Identity thieves in the DC area are increasingly using victims’ personal information to improperly obtain government documents or benefits, according to new data from the Federal Trade Commission. The total number of fraud, identity theft and other …

Preventing identity theft
Albany Times Union
This unscrupulous practice is known as phishing, and if you bite the bait, visit the site and provide the requested personal information, your reward is likely to be some sort of future identity-theft problem. Although financial institutions such as …

Melbourne company SurePassId adds layer of numbers to fight ID theft
Orlando Sentinel
By Walter Pacheco, Orlando Sentinel A Melbourne company is sandwiching tiny circuits inside credit card-like devices to help everyone from social-media users to high-security businesses combat the rising onslaught of identity theft and fraud.

Schield Family Brands workers victims of identity theft
Wisconsin Rapids Tribune
Dan Young/Wausau Daily Herald The lives of nearly 130 current and former employees of window and door manufacturing companies across Wisconsin are in disarray after a massive identity theft that most learned of when they filed their federal tax returns …

IRS: Beware of identity theft and fraud
Yuma Sun
Yuma taxpayers can take steps to protect themselves against identity theft and fraud, according to IRS officials. “There’s been a lot of fraud. People think they’re getting two, three, four thousand dollars (in a refund) and then they find out the tax …

Victim Discovers ID Theft After Filing Tax Return
Patch.com
Police said someone stole a victim’s identity and use it to file a fraudulent tax return. By Jamie M. Rogers Police and federal authorities are investigating a case of identity theft that was discovered after the victim filed his taxes.

Personal Finance: Kids can be targets of ID theft
Sacramento Bee
Riley’s case is just one example of a stealthy, silent problem known as children’s identity theft. It often goes undetected for years, until a child turns 18 and applies for college, a student loan, an apartment rental, even a job.

Are you an identity theft victim?  Contact us for a free case review 24/7 at 1-800-263-9091.

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