ID theives steal identity of 5-month old - October 15, 2004
Identity theft has reached an all time low. Criminals recently stole the identity of a 5-month old, according to recent news reports. Apparently, the five-month old was able to drive himself to the doctor’s office, get treatment and buy medicines. The child’s parents received the bill, and quickly sent a letter back to the doctor’s office explaining the situation. Nothing was done about the mistake for a while, and the doctor’s office even planned to turn it over to a collections agency. Now, with all of the media attention, the authorities have investigated the matter and they have a suspect. Turns out the child’s identity was stolen when he was just 21 days old. So, it could have been someone working in the hospital or dealing with the child’s records. ID theft has become so active that anyone is at risk. Be skeptical and be careful with your documents. Shred anything you don’t keep inside your files.

Criminal identity theft on the rise - September 21, 2004
Have you heard of criminal identity theft? When a criminal is arrested and booked at a jail, they hand over someone else’s driver’s license and other I.D. Then, when they are released and jump bail, the police come looking for the other person – not the real criminal. It’s happened to one woman in the San Francisco area six times, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. The last time it happened, the woman showed police a story in the Chronicle about her mistaken arrests. It even had a picture of her. But the cops still arrested her. You can’t really blame them. They’re just doing their jobs. But hopefully law enforcement will start going after the real criminals. These people aren’t just stealing our identities to swipe money from our accounts anymore. They assuming our identities so they can commit violent crimes other serious crimes. If criminals are going to do this, the police need to develop better methods of verification. They hopefully have fingerprints on these people. Run the fingerprints on the suspect if there is a question. If there is no match, authorities need to do some more work!

Web sites/phone numbers mentioned: - July 8, 2004
• fastweb.com - college grants

New act will make it easier to prosecute id thiefs - June 29, 2004
About 10 million Americans had their identities stolen last year. There has been an abysmal failure on the part of the banking industry, retailers and, of course, the credit bureaus. The bureaus have an uncaring attitude in regard to identity theft they belong in the “Hall of Shame.” As a result of all of this apathy, prosecutors have a very tough time putting away identity thieves. It’s very hard to get the level of proof required to send someone to prison. But that is about to change. The House and Senate have passed the “Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act.” Now it goes to President Bush, and there is no reason why he would not sign this bill into law. What it does is allow prosecutors to send someone to prison just for having information about you or your identity. Currently, prosecutors had to prove that someone actively used your information in the commission of a crime. Now, simply being in possession of the information is enough to send someone away. ID theft has been able to grow so much because cases are very time consuming and it’s very confusing to present the case in court. Yes, we need more legislation, but this is a big help. One of the biggest perpetuators of identity theft is the retail industry. Retailers continue to issue instant credit, which is one of the easiest ways to steal someone else’s identity. If someone steals your identity, the first place he or she will go is to a store that sells merchandise that is easy to fence. That includes computers and electronics. So, the thief goes to that store acting as you, gets credit and buys up the store on your bill. So, the retail sector needs to be reigned in. How? Consumers should try to prevent instant credit by writing to their representatives in Congress. If people had to wait a day or two for their identities to be verified, it would prevent identity thieves from racking up huge debts in your name. But it would also stop people from “impulse buying,” which scares retailers to death.

"National Fraud Alert System" in the works - June 16, 2004
ID theft has become such a vicious crime in terms of how badly it can mess up your life. And preventing identity theft has been sort of haphazard so far. There is no sure way to clean up credit or get your name clear. Well, good news is on the way. About a year ago, a Congressional initiative called the National Fraud Alert System was established.  Instead of having to call all kinds of companies and people, this system will be a one stop shop to clear your good name. In addition, credit bureaus will no longer be able to list you as at fault for a debt that wasn’t yours. The system is set to launch in December, and it’s all part of the National Alert Provision. That means it will have teeth and should really work. There are also specific rules about what can be done with your social security number, which is great. We’ll see how well it works.

The FACT Act coming our way - February 9, 2004
Over the next few months, you will see a phase in of the controversial new law called “The FACT Act.” It will basically serve to protect your identity better than it ever has been. Changes in the law are coming. At restaurants, for example, your full credit card number cannot appear on you receipt. Instead, it’s usually the last five digits showing or the type of card. Many times, thieves get our credit card number and they’re immediately off spending our money, which is known as “account takeover fraud.” You will also be able to get your credit report for free, starting around December 1. Another requirement of the law is that retailer or finance company involved will monitor your account for fraud alerts. Up until now, the retailer or company has not monitored your account. Another very positive change is that people are going to be able to contact their creditors directly about false information on your report. The report will have more detailed information about each creditor. The credit reporting industry is incredibly sloppy and terribly inefficient. Right now, it’s very difficult for people to deal with lies – or errors, as the bureaus like to call them – on their reports. Insurers will also no longer be allowed to deny coverage for medical reasons and conditions. The Federal Reserve is supposed to offer people help on this topic if they want basic financial knowledge. Why is this law controversial? A lot of states have passed more stringent rules to give you more rights with your credit reports. But Congress chose to outlaw any state laws that offer consumers more protection than the federal government is giving you.

Protecting yourself against ID theft - January 27, 2004
Recent National Poll “How common do you think identity theft is?” About 75 percent of respondents said ID theft is either extremely common or fairly common. Also asked how likely you think it is that ID theft could happen to you. Almost half of you think you “definitely” could be a victim, and another 40 percent think you “probably” could be a victim. These numbers are much higher than the typical public response.   We need to be concerned. Only about 10 percent are not concerned at all. So, what should you do to avoid being a victim? The first thing is to buy a paper shredder. Identity thieves have no qualms about going through your trash and filling out pre-approvals for credit cards in your name. Another thing you can do is to call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT, which tells the Direct Marketing Association that you don’t want pre-approvals from credit cards in your mailbox. You’ll stop about 93 percent of credit card offers with this option. And if you carry a checkbook, don’t. If someone steals your checks and writes checks as if they are you, you could wind up in jail. It doesn’t matter if you will be cleared later, you will suffer massively if a thief gets a hold of your checkbook. So, keep your checkbook at home, and pay cash or credit instead.

Justin gets help from the ID Theft Resource Center - January 22, 2004
Five years ago, a Georgia man's credit was ruined by an identity thief. The man who stole Justin’s identity went to prison for four years and is already out, but Justin is still trying to get his life back. Justin is trying to get married in May, but he’s having trouble even booking a wedding hall. Clark asked Jay Foley, founder of the Identity Theft Resource Center, to talk with Justin about how he want get his life back. Foley suggested that Justin stop trying to contact the three credit report agencies because that won’t help. Just get the credit reports and then contact each company that has a fraudulent account. Send each one a return receipt requested letter telling them to close each account. And ask each company to send back a letter affirming he was the victim of identity theft. If the companies don’t respond within 21 days, Justin will need to send a second letter. If the company fails to respond in another 14 days, Justin should talk to attorneys and threaten legal action under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Foley said Justin has the opportunity to clean up his credit by May, but it will require a lot of focus and work.

Identity theft laws change for good and bad - December 3, 2003
Identity theft has been a terrible problem for Americans for the past seven years. The latest data shows that 10 million Americans will have their identities stolen this year. ID theft has several levels of complexity and aggravation. The simplest form is someone who gets his or her hands on your account number. You have no liability as long as you know it’s happening and complain. The bigger issues come along when someone steals your information and starts spending money as if he or she is you. The good news is that Congress has passed a new ID theft law that will lead to a number of changes. Some of these changes are good and some are bad. One negative change is that all of the state laws that protect the consumer and were stricter than the federal government’s laws are now null and avoid. One of the good ones is that citizens of all 50 states can now get a free credit report every year. Up until now, only six states offered free reports. So, if you put it on your calendar, you can get a free report from all of the bureaus every four months. They are Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. Now, that won’t give you your credit score, which often determines what kind of rate you’ll get. But it’s still great news. Another change involves the behavior of collection agencies. Let’s say you’ve gotten your credit report and you’ve corrected the mistakes but you’re still getting calls from collection agencies six months later. Under the new law, the collector will have to make sure the debt is valid before he or she calls you. Another dinger is that banks will be able to sell your personal information more easily and without any restrictions. So, it really is good and bad.

ID theft center to open this spring - October 29, 2003
Identity theft has been on the radar screen for about seven years. The number of ID theft calls has steadily increased, but consumers  don’t hear the half of it. The biggest problem has been that banks, credit card companies and retailers don’t care and haven’t made ID theft a priority. So, consumers have been helpless to stop it. But now, under enormous pressure from the FBI, something is finally happening. The financial services industry is setting up the Identity Theft Assistance Center. They are hiring staff members now and it will be operating in the spring. The center will act as a one-call-does it-all system, when your identity is stolen. Right now, when your identity is stolen, you – the victim – must contact everyone to get your identity back. Now, it will take just one phone call and the center will handle all of those contacts. We still have a long way to go, but this is a huge step in the right direction.  There should be a national standard for how to deal with identity theft, and the financial industry is taking the first step. Retailers need to step up to the plate next. Then we’ll really be getting somewhere with this problem.

Banks must notify you if someone steals your identity - August 14, 2003
Identity theft is a crime that is growing by leaps and bounds, yet those charged with combating it are far behind in the game. Seven million Americans had their identities stolen last year, but the banking and credit card companies would like to pretend it’s not a problem. They prefer to sweep the crime under the rug, and, when it happens, retailers and banks just write it off as an aggravation. But for the individual whose been had, it’s a huge burden to recover his or her identity and deal with the financial implications. The good news is that federal banking regulators are going to require financial institutions to do something to prevent your identity from being stolen and to take steps to contain the problem if it does happen. Under the new rules, if the bank knows something has happened they won’t be able to keep it secret. They now have to notify you by e-mail or in some other way. And if your account has been compromised, the bank will have to monitor your account to look for unusual activity.  A story in the Washington Post showed that violent criminals are now committing crimes with stolen identities. So, when they’re locked up and they skip out on bail, police go knocking on innocent peoples’ doors. It’s basically so easy to swipe someone’s identity that it’s giving criminals a get-out-of-jail-free card. And the sad news is that we’re still very early in the game. Law enforcement officials, banks and credit cards and retailers themselves need to get more involved in preventing identity theft before any progress can be made.

States and feds finally working to stop ID theft - July 15, 2003
Identity theft is something that sounds like noise until it happens to you, friend or family member, and it can come in all shapes and sizes. Basically it’s when someone steals your credit or name and has a field day buying stuff in your name. Sometimes it happens to celebrities. Actress Lara Flynn Boyle’s home was recently burglarized and the criminal took her personal information, her business ID number and has created tons of accounts in her name. Now, she’s had to hire an attorney and is fighting to get her name, her money and her life back. So, it doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re a victim of identity theft, you’re the one left holding the bag. The financial industry and some retailers are realizing that if they don’t get it together, they’re going to face a lot of legislation that will restrict how they do business because of the way they’ve handled it so far. So, the nation’s 100 top financial institutions have come up with some steps to help stop identity theft. Each company will have a single point of contact for you as a consumer to report identity theft, and you’re going to use one uniform affidavit to report the crime to them and to law enforcement. All of the institutions that choose to join these 100 top financial institutions will have this one form on hand and you won’t have to worry about the incredible hassle people go through each year.

Identity theft prevention a must - April 22, 2003
Clark saw a statistic recently showing that people are more concerned today about becoming a victim of identity theft than they are about getting laid off. USA Today reports that the number of people suffering from identity theft doubled again over the past 12 months. It’s simply exploded as a crime because banks and credit reporting agencies don’t have any decent system in place to verify people’s identification. On the one hand, banks have grown so much that they no longer know their customers. People don’t even go into their bank branch anymore because everything can be done online or through the mail. So, people have so much anonymity and that allows other people to become you. Identity theft is not only a hassle, but it’s undermining our faith in the banking industry. The company is rolling out “free identity theft insurance” for cardholders. The coverage provides you up to $15,000 in reimbursement for lost wages, time you have to be away from work and legal fees, among other things. The bad news is that it’s up to each individual bank that issues Visa cards to decide whether they offer the insurance. It’s another way to deal with a problem already in existence. But the real responsibility is with banks, credit reporting agencies and retailers. All three are asleep at the wheel when it comes to ID theft because, to them, it’s just part of the cost of doing business. It hasn’t really affected them financially. They want it to be as easy as possible for you to borrow money, so they’re doing as little as possible to screen people.

Hi-tech crime a warning to monitor your money - February 18, 2003
While the Internet offers us great opportunities it also presents challenges. Recently a computer hacker, probably an insider at an outfit processing cards for financial institutions with access to the database, stole six to eight million credit card numbers. Three million Visa and two million Mastercard accounts are affected. Even though banks have been notified which cards have been affected we haven’t. If someone has swiped your card your liability is zero. But your responsibility is to carefully check your statement each month and challenge any discrepancy within 60 days or you will be legally responsible. This zero responsibility was adopted by Visa and Mastercard to ease fears using credit cards on the Internet. If your debit card was stolen your bank account is in jeopardy and could be emptied out. But again the banks are currently doing what they should do in this area and restoring your balance within five days. If this happens to you just go to your bank to sort it out. Remember, theft can happen any where at any time and these numbers were probably taken by the crook when a merchant transmitted them from a retail store. You must check those statements each and every month.

I.D. theft ring opens eyes - December 3, 2002
There was a huge amount of publicity attached to the identity theft bust that happened a few weeks ago. It seemed as though people didn’t know it was a crime before the story came out. The problem still is that the victims are treated like the bad guy when identity theft occurs. If someone uses your name to buy a car, the dealership comes to you looking for payment. In the recent story, it was an inside job. The crooks were able to get access to people’s credit reports through an intermediary at a bank. And about 30,000 people had their identities stolen. But they were all left to clean up the mess. The banks and the credit card companies don’t care about you, so you have to take care of yourself. The first thing to do is to request copies of your credit reports from the credit bureaus at least once a year. Secondly, stop the “pre-approves” that thieves often steal out of your mailbox by calling 888-5-OPT-OUT. Lastly, remember that if a criminal steals checks out of your mailbox and uses them, you can go to jail. So, if you order checks from your bank, go to the bank to pick them up. Don’t have them mailed to you. And, in the meantime, let’s hope the retailers and credit card companies start to care a little more about this crime.

Merchants finally care about Internet theft - October 24, 2002
The head of trade association for merchants said ID Theft wasn’t costing members of the association any money, so he didn’t care. Now, all of a sudden, merchants are starting to change their minds. They’ve realized that there is a tremendous risk to them and have established the “Internet Merchant Fraud Roundtable.” They’re worried because there is no imprint of the customer’s card when a purchase is made over the Web. So, the credit card companies are now hitting up the merchants for payback. Merchants are getting hit with huge losses, so they are now working with consumer groups to alert a store if a stolen credit card is used. So, for their own self- interest, merchants are now helping to crack down on all of the fraudulent cards being used. The fact is that until the banks and retailers care, consumers will have to deal with the problem and clean up the mess. The bigger risk, of course, is among those who use fake Visa or Mastercards, also known as “debit cards.” The good news is that Visa is now working on a “voice-recognition” software that will verify the identity of the buyer before a purchase is made. It’s an early development, but it’s a promising one in the arena of identity theft.

Paying with fingerprints; lo-jack for kids - August 13, 2002
A new technology is being tried in California, according to a USA Today story, that allows consumers to pay with their fingerprints. They register their finger digitally with a retailer or restaurant and, by using biometric technology, they pay by just putting their fingerprint on the bill. Then, the amount of the sale is automatically deducted from a designated account, and the person's driver's license is automatically checked for verification. So far, it's reduced the number of fraudulent checks where it's in use. More store clerks areasking for his identification and actually comparing signatures when he uses credit cards, which is a great trend.

Identity theft laws get tougher - May 3, 2002
A Georgia woman spent five years trying to clear her name after one of her tenants stole her identity and charged thousands in her name. Up until now, identity theft has been a crime without punishment because it’s not a violent crime. But Georgia Governor Roy Barnes has just signed a bill, creating stiff penalties for those who steal your identity. One of the problems with this crime is that no one has been going to jail for committing this crime. Now, there is a deterrent. And, at the federal level, U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft has said he wants “severe consequences” for identity thie ves. Finally, some tough laws for this insidious crime.

ID theft form created - February 4, 2002
When someone steals your identity and starts breaking laws in your name, authorities are not likely to exclude you - the victim - from the list of suspects. One woman spent 18 months in jail because someone stole her identity and wrote checks in her name and no one bothered to investigate the case as identity theft. But there is good news on this front. The Federal Trade Commission has worked out a deal with Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and General Electric (also a little-known private label credit company) to create a standard form for identity theft. It's called the "ID Fraud Affidavit." The form is seven pages long, and must be photocopied and mailed to all three credit bureaus. This will add to the work of victims who already spend an average of 175 hours and $808 recovering their identity. Do you believe that? You are the victim and must spend money to get this corrected. One of the ways people get access to your personal information is through your Social Security Number, which often is used as an identifying number on accounts and forms. The state of California is ahead of the game in outlawing the use of SSNs to track people. One of the major abusers of this is the health care industry, which identifies people by their SSN. This new form is a step in the right direction. But there things you can do on your own such as stopping solicitations you receive in the mail for credit cards. Call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT to stop these solicitations. Yes, they will ask for your SSN but it's ok. They need it to delete you from the database.

Identity theft precautions - January 16, 2002
When a California couple whose identity had been stolen first reported it to police , and the authorities were doing nothing to catch the culprit. Well, at least one state is doing something about the growing problem of identity theft. Police in California are encouraging you to put your registration in your trunk instead of your glove compartment, because thieves now use this information to steal your identity. In addition, putting a lock on your mailbox prevents thieves from stealing your mail and, therefore, your identity. With these gadgets, letter carriers have a slot to put the mail in and you have a key to get the mail out. One other way to prevent being a victim is to shred your documents and stop the credit card mailings by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT. Hopefully, credit companies will find a way to crack down on this crime. But, for now, the burden falls on you and me.

National I.D. system moves ahead - January 14, 2002
Various states are going to Congress right now, asking for $100 million to create a national identification system using high-tech driver’s licenses and a coordinated network of driver information. The push for the national system stems from the fact that some September 11 hijackers used false identities to get driver’s licenses. Some are questioning what freedoms we will be giving up if we adopt this enhanced security system. How easy is it for people to get fake driver’s licenses? And how do you track crooks down if they steal your identity?

Fingerprinting faux pas - January 9, 2002
Have you had to replace your driver's license recently or open a bank account and you've been fingerprinted? It's understandable when identity theft so prevalent. But what about when you rent a car? Last year, Dollar Rent-A-Car started fingerprinting people who came in to rent a car. The idea was that it would cut down on theft and fraud. So, your fingerprint showed up on your contract. Guess what? It didn't work. The company has stopped taking fingerprints.  Not only does it show an assumption that customers are not honest, it's downright creepy.

National I.D. card for you and me - December 17, 2001
How would you like to be recognized by a fingerprint or identified by a “Smart Card,” which holds all of the information about you and all of your accounts. The military has started using these "National ID Cards" to protect against intruders and terrorists, and soon they could extend to you and I. These cards may help us feel safer and allow us to guard our information closer. The national identification system will link all driver license facilities across the country and will include biometric technologies. For example, your face or fingerprint is scanned to determine if you are who you say you are. One of advantages is that it will be harder for people to steal your identity. One wonders who will get the data and how it will be used. We have an issue with privacy and have lived under the idea of "live and let live." We need to make sure we get it right from the start so we don't lose our autonomy.

Identity theft law not favorable for consumers - November 13, 2001
The Supreme Court has ruled that victims of identity theft or credit fraud have two years - and no longer - to sue companies that spread bad credit information about them. So, if people find out after the two-year limit that they have been had, they have no recourse. The main thing to remember in this era of identity theft is to CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORTS OFTEN! You get one free credit report each year from the three credit bureaus, so use them. For info on contacting the bureaus, go to our Credit: Rolodex page.

E-mail - October 23, 2001
Are you nervous about opening up your mail? Sending and receiving e-mail is up 25 percent or more since anthrax has become a worldwide health threat.
The chances of receiving a paper letter laced with anthrax spores is close to zero.
It's great if you're making the transition from paper to e-mail.
The San Francisco Cronicle reports that Charles Schwab, the investment brokerage house, once flooded their customers with 3 million pieces of mail each month. Customers told Schwab that this wasn't necessary. The house will make financial statements available online via secured sites. This not only saves money, but forests. Vanguard has already made a big shift to electronic financial statements.
Make a paper copy of your online statements or save them to a computer file for reference in the event that you detect an error or discrepancy in your account.

Identity theft - September 5, 2001
Identity theft continues to be the fastest growing crime in the U.S. It's easy for a thief to steal our identities and go off to purchase goods in our names. Victims can experience jail time and court judgements against them for crimes they didn't commit. Banks, retailers and credit card issuers have been asleep at the switch and have failed to protect customers from this theft.
But two opposing U.S. Senators, Richard Shelby of Alabama and California's Dianne Feinstein, have become united in their frustrations and plan to introduce law to protect victims. The two want to require credit card issuers to verify address and identity of applicants. Another measure would prevent retailers from printing the full credit card number used for a purchase on store receipts.
Currently, a credit card company will issue a new card based solely on a Social Security number. In fact, a man can apply for a new card using a Social Security number stolen from a woman. The company will even send the new card to a mail drop location rather than a valid street address.
We need a law.

Identity theft and opting out - July 23, 2001
Identity theft, the number one crime in the U.S., continues to a rise. The most common way a thief obtains our identities is by opening our mailboxes and getting personal and financial data.
Consumers can opt out of receiving pre-approved credit card offers with a simple toll-free phone call. The call can stop the flood of these offers to our mailboxes for up to two years.
Call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT.
There is an identity theft ring operating on the west coast named the "Circulation". In one technique, members jog behind mail trucks and lift out freshly delivered financial info from home mailboxes to create a separate identity for spending, open checking accounts or credit card accounts. Over 100 members have been arrested, but new members continue to join and the thefts continue.
Mailbox inserts are another way to prevent this crime from your home. Inserts slide inside of traditional home boxes and contain a slot. The mail carrier inserts the mail through the slot and we unlock the separate box with a key. These locking systems cost from $20 to $30.

Identity theft - May 23, 2001
Every day nearly 1,400 Americans have their identity stolen. It can take from two to four years to re-establish credit and the number of problems that come with ID theft. The financial system in place today is at best uncooperative to help those with stolen identity restore their life quicker.
It's easy for a thief to steal an identity. James Hughes, the Social Security Administration Inspector General, showed members of Congress how simple it was when he purchase a complete i.d. package via the Internet on his laptop for just $39.95 during his testimony.
It's possible that the system to assign Social Security numbers be changed to prevent i.d. fraud. Remember what we all went through to prepare computers for Y2K? Remember cell phone cloning? Identity theft won't be stopped until it affects either someone influential, or when an entire industry such as banks, credit bureaus or merchants decide it's time. But it's way too late already.
This crime is growing every day and it's another crime that it's not being stopped or even prevented with the largest financial institutions.