Media Center

Identity Theft News

The Wabash Valley , August 14, 2019

Visitor to Rockville Correctional Facility arrested on identity theft charges

The Indiana Department of Correction says Tracy West of Chicago provided false identification and identified herself as that person both orally, and by signature, while trying to visit an inmate at the facility ...read full article

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U,S News and World Report , August 8, 2019

Credit Card Fraud vs. Identity Theft: What's the Difference?

The damage inflicted by identity theft versus credit card fraud can be miles apart.

By Ben Luthi

The terms credit card fraud and identity theft are often used interchangeably, but they're not the same. There are distinct differences in how fraud and identity theft are perpetrated, how they affect victims and what the recovery process looks like. ...read full article

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Claims Journal , August 5, 2019

Identity Theft Stings, But Hard to Pin on Specific Attacks

By Anick Jesdanun

Data breaches through hacking attacks are distressingly common these days, and personal details about you can lead to identity theft, such as credit cards and loans in your name. But it’s hard to pin the blame on any specific hack, as the most sophisticated criminals combine data from multiple attacks to better impersonate you. ...read full article

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Kiplinger , August 1, 2019

Capital One Data Breach: 5 Steps to Avoid Identity Theft, Fraud

Be proactive to protect your sensitive personal information from scammers.

By Lisa Grestner

Just as consumers are starting to claim their share of the settlement for the 2017 Equifax data breach, Capital One has announced that the personal information of about 100 million Americans and 6 million Canadians was exposed in a hack that took place last March. Software engineer Paige Thompson has been charged with exploiting a vulnerability in Capital One’s network and gaining access to information on people as of the time they applied for a Capital One credit card, dating back to 2005. The data includes names, birth dates, mailing addresses, zip codes, e-mail addresses, phone numbers and self-reported income. ...read full article

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Chicago Tribune , July 29, 2019

Woman accused of stealing identity of ‘Empire’ star Taraji P. Henson

By William Lee

A pregnant mother of six trembled throughout a court hearing Sunday as prosecutors accused her of stealing the identities of several people, including a star of the Fox television show “Empire,” and collecting thousands of dollars in merchandise mailed to dummy addresses. ...read full article

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Click Orlando , July 24, 2019

Woman arrested in Volusia County identity theft ring

Two people still at large

By Gabrielle Nunez

Daytona Beach Shores police say they have arrested a key suspect behind an identity theft ring targeting people and businesses in Volusia County. The city's criminal investigation division arrested Nicole Yanine Siroky after a 10-month-long investigation. ...read full article

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ABC 30 , July 21, 2019

Four Arrested for Identity Theft Ring in Porterville

Porterville Police arrested four suspects in connection with an identity theft ring. ...read full article

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Q13 Fox , July 19, 2019

Help ID crook seen cashing checks stolen from identity theft victim’s storage unit

By David Rose

Depending on the level of security a storage facility has — they’re prime targets for thieves — and a woman in Mountlake Terrace knows this painfully too well. She’s going through financial hell after crooks stole checks from her storage unit and turned her into an identity theft victim – but Mountlake Terrace Police hope you can help give her some justice — by identifying a crook who cashed one of her checks on May 30th. ...read full article

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Search Engine Roundtable , July 19, 2019

Easy Google Knowledge Panel Identity Theft

By Barry Schwartz

Ari Roth from Five Blocks showed us how he was able to claim the knowledge graph profile of the American theatrical producer Ari Roth. In short, this is an issue with whomever at Google is manually reviewing this verification request of not doing their research and making a mistake. ...read full article

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WHNT News , June 23, 2019

Identity Theft Scammers Target Vacationers

By Elizabeth Garcia and Julia Cherry

As the warmer months approach, the need for a relaxing and rejuvenating vacation increases. According to the U.S. Travel Association, U.S. domestic travel increased 1.9 percent in 2018 to a total of 2.3 billion person-trips. As a vacation approaches, excitement heightens and all focus is dedicated to making sure all the essentials are packed and ready to go but what most people forget to do on vacation is be aware of their security. With an increased use of credit cards, public Wi-Fi, and tagging your location on social media, the risk of identity theft increases. ...read full article

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New York Post , June 21, 2019

Social media star Christian Aaron charged with identity theft

By Lorena Mongelli and Lia Eustachewich June 21, 2019 | 4:46pm | Updated

Christian Aaron, is accused of stealing a woman's identity and racking up $19,000 on an American Express card under her name ...read full article

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22 News - WWLP , June 14, 2019

Have you or anyone you know been a victim of identity theft?

By Syndey Snow

Many people have fallen victim to identity theft or know someone who has. If you suspect your identity has been stolen you need to act fast. Identity theft occurs when criminals gain access to your social security number, financial accounts or other personal information. The article goes over the steps that need to be taken if you feel as though you are a victim of identity theft, and ways that you can prevent future attacks against your personal information. ...read full article

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Fox6 News , June 14, 2019

2 from Michigan accused of identity theft; lost wallet leads to their arrest

By Angelica Sanchez

A man and woman from Michigan are accused of identity theft, but their alleged scheme landed them in custody at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. The accused are Dallal Farha, 38, of Ann Arbor, Michigan and Robert Martin, 35, of Ypsilanti, Michigan. ...read full article

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Now This News , June 13, 2019

How to Avoid Identity Theft

Identity theft can impact your finances, emotional state, and a criminal record for years—here's how you avoid it. This link shows a short clip of the different ways that individuals can avoid becoming a victim of identity theft. ...read full article

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PINAC News , June 12, 2019

Florida Cop Arrested for Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud

By Keith Palmer

A Jasper, Fl police officer has been arrested on theft charges, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced on Wednesday. FDLE says 56-year-old Jasper Police Department Officer Reginald Akins was taken into custody and is facing charges of identity theft, credit card fraud and grand theft. ...read full article

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Daily Herald: Suburban Chicago's Information Source , June 6, 2019

Riverwoods businessman indicted on bank fraud and identity theft charges

By Henry Redman

"A 44-year-old Riverwoods businessman was indicted Wednesday on 11 counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft by a federal grand jury in Chicago, according to the U.S. attorney's office." ...read full article

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Fox 31 , June 5, 2019

Scammers heat up identity theft efforts as summer approaches

By Shaul Turner

Crooks are throwing some heat into their game as the summer season approaches. Rev. Tommy Richardson says he answered a threatening call from a person named “Donald” who said he was from the Social Security Administration. The article shows an interview with Richardson and how he handled the situation. ...read full article

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9to5mac , June 5, 2019

$19 million worth of iPhones stolen in massive identity theft scam

By Ben Lovejoy

Quartz reports that it was a large-scale identity theft operation: Over the past seven years, a New York City-based fraud ring allegedly stole more than $19 million worth of iPhones by posing as cellphone subscribers to get new devices at little or no cost. The six people authorities say ran the ring would then sell the stolen phones on the black market, getting away with the scam for years. As stated by the article, the massive scam has finally been put to rest, as the individuals involved have been caught. ...read full article

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NBC , April 10, 2019

Dark web monitoring: Useful way to fight identity theft or marketing hype?

Many consumers are confused about what ‘dark web monitoring’ can really do, survey finds.

By Herb Weisbaum

Many people are making false assumptions about that, according to a new survey by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA). The survey found that: 36 percent of those who’d seen ads for dark web monitoring incorrectly believed identity theft services can remove their personal information from the dark web. (They can’t.) 37 percent mistakenly believe these services can prevent stolen information sold on the dark web from being used. (They can’t.) The reality is: No one can erase the data that winds up in this underground cyber-marketplace or prevent it from being sold, exchanged or used. ...read full article

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Enterprise Record , April 9, 2019

Stolen mail leads to identity theft | Scam of the Week

By CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD

The Sheriff’s Office warns people to remain vigilant with their personal identifying information. People should gather their mail as soon as possible, and also make sure retailers check identification when using ATM and credit cards, or when writing checks. ...read full article

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