Georgia ranked second in identity theft complaints Identify theft is on the rise in Georgia and the use of social media may be partly blamed for the spike. A recently released study by a group that researches consumer behavior and financial trends reports that unsafe use of social media has played a role in the…

California parks officials probe possible document destruction The California Department of Parks and Recreation is investigating whether crucial records were destroyed by officials at Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area, an off-roading park in the desert east of San Diego. Richard Stapler, a spokesman for the California Natural Resources Agency, which oversees the state parks…

Feds charge tech consultant with fraud, ID theft An information technology consultant accused of applying for credit cards and using stolen identities faces 29 counts of fraud and identity theft. A federal grand jury handed down an indictment against Michael Morton, formerly of Tampa and now living in Clearwater, according to the U.S. Attorney for…

Victims of identity theft get little help from IRS TAMPA — When Donna and James Miller tried to file their income tax return earlier this year, they learned they were part of a growing number of taxpayers whose identities were stolen for tax fraud. Someone had already used Donna Miller’s Social Security number to file…

Marine pleads guilty to federal identity theft fraud A 23-year-old U.S. Marine is looking at up to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal fraud charges in an identity theft case that victimized fellow Marines stationed with him in Afghanistan, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer announced Wednesday in Miami. Jobson Cenor, of North…

Identity Thief Assumes Florida Man’s Life For 22 Years When Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Richard Blanco—a member of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Jacksonville—interviewed an individual suspected of driver’s license fraud in 2011, he wasn’t initially sure if the man was the victim or the perpetrator of identity theft. That’s because the…

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…