ID THEFT STORIES IN THE NEWS: WEEKLY UPDATE

We have been flooded with identity theft stories from all over the country this past week.  Here are a few of the top stories:

Personal Finance: Shredding is still top tip for avoiding identity theft Sacramento Bee

By Claudia Buck Amid all the fears over identity theft, the No. 1 tip on how to avoid getting hit is always the same: Shred it. “One of the best ways to protect your personal information from an ID thief is to shred important documents before you toss …

Identity theft victim aid training is Tuesday  Prescott Daily Courier

The Chino Valley Police Department and the National Organization for Victim Assistance will sponsor an identity theft victim assistance summit from 8:30 am to 4 pm Tuesday, Nov. 8, at Yavapai College’s Prescott campus. The workshop for victim advocates …

Scam watch: Credit cards, weight-loss supplement, chimney sweeps  Los Angeles Times

Stolen credit cards -– A Costa Mesa man has been convicted of identity theft and other federal crimes related to the theft of credit cards from Vietnamese immigrants living in Southern California. A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted Hung Van Tieu, …

DoJ: Stingray cellphone tracking device falls under Fourth Amendment, but don …  Engadget

By Amar Toor posted Nov 6th 2011 2:44PM In 2008, federal authorities arrested David Daniel Rigmaiden on charges of spearheading a massive identity theft ring in Arizona. Rigmaiden allegedly led this operation from January 2005 to April 2008, …

Officers receive training to fight identity theft  St. George Daily Spectrum

To report cases of identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission, call 877-IDTHEFT. ST. GEORGE – Utah law enforcement officers learned about the latest tricks and technology identity thieves use to steal Social Security numbers, …

Govt. shares blame as ID theft worsens Boston Herald

By Dale McFeatters Ina ghoulish new identity theft scam, thieves are cashing in on dead children by stealing their Social Security numbers to fraudulently collect federal tax refunds. And, as Scripps Howard News Service learned, the heartless crooks …

Man shot in home invasion leads to Columbia Co. ID theft ring Northwest Cable News by Reggie Aqui and KGW.com Staff PORTLAND – Columbia County investigators were able to break up an identity theft ring after one of the suspects was shot during a home invasion last month. Reed Vandehey said thieves broke into his home in September and …

ID theft case victimizes Elburn bank, Chicago woman Kane County Chronicle By JONATHAN BILYK – jbilyk@shawmedia.com ELBURN – A Chicago woman seems to have become the victim of identity theft last month after a female suspect allegedly withdrew $6000 from her bank account using a false drivers license and a stolen Social …

UCLA Health System warns of stolen records abc7.com

UCLA sent letters to the 16288 patients affected, warning them of possible identity theft and giving them contact information for a data security company the system has enlisted for help. The documents included birth dates, addresses and medical record …

Man accused of stealing ex-stepfather’s identity Dekalb Daily Chronicle
By KATE SCHOTT – kschott@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – A Malta man has been charged with identity theft after authorities said he used personal information of a former family member to open credit card accounts. Willis W. Yurs, 39, of the 400 block of East …

New York City man arrested in widespread identity theft case  Mid-Hudson News

HUDSON – A New York City man is in the Columbia County Jail after his arrest in Middletown on Friday on an identity theft charge. Secou Toure, 27, was being held in lieu of $25000 bail or $50000 bond. The case involved the theft of debit card numbers …

Greene County Sheriff’s Office Falls Victim to Identity Theft KTTS

Investigators with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office are trying determine how the jail’s bank account information got into the wrong hands. The money is a trust fund set up for inmates so they can buy things while in jail. Checks used to be issued to …

Bank of Canton Holds Shred Day to Help Protect Customer Info Patch.com
The Bank of Canton recently held a shred day to protect customers from identity theft. Photo (lr) Stephen P. Costello, Bank of Canton President and CEO, Kathie Ludecker, Branch Assistant Manager, and John Moriarty of Shred King Corp., Holbrook. …

Identity Thieves ‘Make It Rain’ Cash With Fraudulent Tax Refunds ABC News (blog)
Identity theft involving tax fraud is increasing faster than law enforcement and government officials can deal with it, according to testimony today before a House oversight subcommittee. Identity theft to scam fraudulent tax refunds from the …

2 charged in hotel guest ID theft scam in NYC Wall Street Journal
Lukasz Kruk and Barry Herndon pleaded not guilty to grand larceny, identity theft and other charges Friday. The Manhattan district attorney’s office says 237 accounts were compromised over three years. Prosecutors say Kruk was an auditor for the …

Southwest Ohio, Butler County high on identity theft arrests  kypost.com

HAMILTON, Ohio – Butler County and Southwest Ohio appear to be a hot spot for identity theft arrests by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. In an 18-month period from January of 2010 until last September, troopers made 80 identity theft arrests in Southwest …

 

Sheriff’s Office Victim of Identity Theft KSPR

For the second time in less than two years, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office is a victim of identity theft. Investigators are determining how bank accounts linked to the jail’s commissary fund were compromised. Inmates are given a commissary fund or …

Child Identity Theft on the Rise NewsWest9.com

Identity theft isn’t a new topic to most Americans but a new type of identity theft may surprise you. According to the Better Business Bureau, child identity theft is a growing concern. Trish Powell with the Permian Basin Better Business Bureau, …

Fairbanks man sentenced for identity theft TheNewsTribune.com
A Fairbanks man has been sentenced to more than three years in jail for identity theft. Associated Press FAIRBANKS — A Fairbanks man has been sentenced to more than three years in jail for identity theft. Thirty-five-year-old Jeramy James Frericks …

New IRS tax identity theft prevention program – Delta Farm Press
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes and tax identity theft is no exception. Victims of tax identity theft can experience substantial problems with obtaining a valid refund or with the processing of their returns. …

Schuette Announces Felony Charges for Massive ID Theft Scheme that Defrauded …– Insurance News Net (press release)

Jamaal Cann , 28, of Shelby Township , Kellee Norfleet-Cann , 26, of Shelby Township , and Darnell Bailey , 27, of Dearborn , are accused of coordinating an identity theft scheme to systematically defraud several agencies with the State of Michigan …

Suspected identity thief pictured withdrawing cash from banks – Sun-Sentinel

By Wayne K. Roustan, Sun Sentinel Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies are seeking the public’s help to identify a suspect wanted for identity theft. The unidentified woman, who was recorded by surveillance cameras, is seen using the stolen identity of …

Fake Facebook page ‘identity theft’
Stuff.co.nz
AP A woman accused of impersonating her ex-boyfriend on a fake Facebook page and posting inflammatory comments can be prosecuted for identity theft, a US judge ruled, in a case that could have wider implications for cyber-speech. …
 

Social Security death list enables dead children’s ID theft | The Republic The Republic
A relic of simpler times, the death file was created in 1980 under the new Freedom of Information Act at the request of US businesses seeking a tool against identity theft. In that post-Watergate and pre-Internet era, it seemed like an open-government …

State Launches ID Theft Protection Toolkit WRTV Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — A new state online program focused on preventing identity theft is being touted as a user-friendly way to keep Hoosiers safe. The statewide program was launched in October and has 100 users, RTV6’s Rafael Sanchez reported. …

 Identity theft can happen to you, but you can reduce your chances of becoming … WPTV
Then the female suspect avoided a security camera at a U-Haul, and rented a truck using Stacy’s identity. “She was wearing sunglasses and a hat the entire time, they never asked her to take off the hat, they never checked her driver’s license,” she …

3 charged in $250K Michigan identity theft scam FoxReno.com
AP Three people have been accused of stealing identities and even using the names of prison inmates to get more than $250000 of unemployment payments, welfare benefits and tax refunds from the state of Michigan. Attorney General Bill Schuette announced …

Palmview medical supply company accused of fraud, identity theft-Monitor
McALLEN — The owner and manager of a Palmview medical equipment supplier are under indictment for alleged healthcare fraud and identity theft. A grand jury indicted Ace Medical Equipment and Supplies owner Velma Alaniz on nine counts of conspiracy, …

Celebrated Plantation artist to plead guilty in identity theft case Sun-Sentinel
By Peter Franceschina, Sun Sentinel The celebrated Plantation artist known as Jose Alvarez, who lived and worked under an assumed name stolen more than 20 years ago, will plead guilty either to passport fraud or aggravated identity theft, his attorney …

Former upcounty newspaper delivery man pleads guilty to mail theft-Gazette.Net: Maryland Community News Online
by Danielle E. Gaines, Staff Writer A 42-year-old Germantown man who stole mail as he delivered newspapers in the upcounty pleaded guilty to credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft in federal court. Andre Tyler faces a maximum sentence of 15 …

Woman to Be Prosecuted for Identity Theft After Impersonating Boyfriend on …– Fox News
AP MORRISTOWN, New Jersey – A woman accused of impersonating her boyfriend on a fake Facebook page and posting inflammatory comments can be prosecuted for identity theft, a judge ruled Wednesday in a case that could have wider implications for American …

How Thieves Use Facebook to Steal Your Identity-Fox Business
By Gail Buckner It’s the bane of modern life: the two-headed monster of identity theft and identity fraud. Though the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference. ID theft occurs when someone steals personal information about you- …

Nine indicted in identity theft ring bust-KHON2
Authorities believe they’ve nabbed the nine remaining members of an identity theft ring that has victimized 256 Oahu residents and businesses. The nine suspects were indicted by an Oahu grand jury today on more than 150 counts of identity theft related …

Two charged with identity theft from business-Chippewa Herald
Two people have been charged with multiple counts of identity theft for stealing from Klinger Farm Market in the town of Eagle Point from late August through early September. Tanner R. Berg, 21, and his wife, Mercedes B. Berg (formerly Mercedes Wagner) …

Palmview medical supplier charged with health care fraud, identity theft-Monitor
McALLEN, TEXAS — Two employees of a Palmview-area durable medical equipment business face federal health care fraud and identity theft charges. A grand jury indicted Velma and Valente Alaniz III of Ace Medical Equipment and Supplies on nine counts of …

4 metro Detroiters accused of credit card theft of a different sort-Detroit Free Press
BY TRESA BALDAS Four Metro Detroit men are wanted for running an identity theft ring of a different kind. They’re not actually stealing credit cards – just adding themselves as authorized users, records show. According to an affidavit filed today in US …

Chandler woman sentenced in massive ID theft ring-KYTX
By Cathryn Khalil – email TYLER (KYTX) — A Chandler woman has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for her part in a massive identity theft ring in Henderson and Smith Counties. Elizabeth Pickrell, 25, has also been ordered to pay restitution …

Small department, big case for California City-Bakersfield Californian
BY JASON KOTOWSKI Californian staff writer A small police department did some heavy lifting in a real estate fraud investigation that spanned two and a half years and involved alleged identity theft, multiple properties and more than $1 million in …

Identity theft becoming more common in Southern Utah-Dixie Press Online
GEORGE – According to the Federal Trade Commission, nine million Americans will become victims of identity theft this year. A 42-year-old St. George man was arrested on suspicion of 14 counts of identity fraud on Oct. 17, 2011. Police Captain James Van …

ID theft charged in Jaxport worker credential fraud-Florida Times-Union
By Dana Treen A man taken into federal custody Saturday and charged with identity theft to gain access to secure areas at Jaxport including Blount Island Marine Terminal faces as much as 31 years in federal prison. The man, whose identity has not been …

Four more Bergen-based ID theft ‘superstore’ defendants admit guilt-Cliffviewpilot.com
22, 2012 for Byung Jang, 47, of Fort Lee, NJ, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft. Also being sentenced that day are Dong-Won “Andy” Kim, 50, and of Yoon-Hee Park, 56, both of Flushing, Queens, …

Police asking for help on identity theft case-WKYT
Now, as part of an ongoing investigation, Berea Police are asking for your help to identify the possible victim. “Currently the person that we’re trying to identify is using a profile on Facebook and has identified themselves as being one of the people …

Ex-EMU student charged with identity theft banned from campus-AnnArbor.com
Keonte Manning is charged with two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, three counts of identity theft and three counts of obtaining personal identifying information in order to commit identity theft. The charges stem from an announcement from …

Stamford Man Charged With Forty Counts of Identity Theft-Patch.com
By Jamal Powell Jose A. Velez, 42, 172 Greenwich Ave., Stamford, was arrested Tuesday for second degree larceny and forty counts of identity theft. Police have not released further information. Gary H. Butler, 56, 597 S. Pacific Street, Stamford, …

57-year-old Petoskey man reports identity theft-Petoskey News-Review
The Petoskey Department of Public Safety investigated a case of identity theft involving a 57-year-old Petoskey man whose Social Security number had been compromised, according to a department report. The man discovered a Cable Vision account had been …