Archive for September 2012

Keep Your Identity: Children’s Social Security numbers often more at risk than adults One year ago I wrote a column on children and identity theft. With the school year starting, it’s a good time to revisit that topic. While identity theft for all ages continues to be the No. 1 crime in the U.S., children…

3 held in ID thefts from Apollo Elementary employees Three people suspected of being a part of an organized theft ring in north Brevard County face charges with making thousands of dollars in purchases after investigators said they stole the identities of several current and former employees of Apollo Elementary School in Titusville. Brevard County…

Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office investigates identity theft Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal cautions all Washington Parish residents to be aware of identity thieves who are operating in the parish and surrounding areas. He said that even he and his wife have been victimized. “My wife and I recently received an unwelcome surprise from our bank,”…

Better Business: How to avoid being a victim of medical identity theft A Colorado man was upset when he received a hospital bill for $44,000 for surgery. The problem wasn’t the amount — it was that he’d never had surgery. An investigation determined that an ex-con had checked into the hospital and gotten an operation…

ID Theft Rings Install Card Skimmers Across Florida Florida’s dubious distinction as the number one state in the US for identity theft is unfortunately well-earned. The number of cases of identity theft reported here each year dwarfs the number of reports filed in most other states, and generally has a significant lead over whichever state…

Ex-Woodbury Financial execs enter mediation with former employer Minneapolis / St. Paul -The legal fight over the departure of three top managers from Woodbury Financial Services over allegations that they took confidential documents could wrap up quietly. The Star Tribune reports that the lawsuit filed by Woodbury Financial’s parent, the Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.,…

String of I.D. thefts strikes FL subdivision The Forest Lake Police Department last week used its Code Red system to alert residents in a Forest Lake subdivision of a lengthy string of identity thefts. As of Tuesday, 14 residents of the Summerfield development have reported a combined loss of nearly $100,000. Capt. Greg Weiss said…

Florida Man Sentenced to 34 Months for Identity Theft BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Florida man was sentenced Monday to nearly three years in prison on access device fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. The sentencing follows an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). According to court records, J’Melle Hooks,…

Protecting your identity with a credit freeze FORT MYERS, Fla. – Identity theft is a booming business so what can you do to protect yourself? We take a look at something called a credit freeze to see if it’s worth the extra cost. When Florida Gulf Coast University marketing and advertising professor Doctor Ludmilla Wells…

As ID theft mushrooms here, victims suffer As identity theft has skyrocketed in the last five years, more South Floridians are being plunged into the aggravating and painfully slow process of proving they exist after thieves steal their identity. From thieves installing ATM skimmer devices at Publix Supermarkets to those filing fraudulent tax returns in…