Media Center

Identity Theft News

Syracuse.com , May 19, 2022

Upstate man was tried and convicted for ID theft.

Feds in Syracuse still don’t know his real name

By Douglass Dowty

A Southern Tier man is headed to federal prison for at least two years after a jury convicted him Thursday of multiple counts of aggravated identity theft, prosecutors in Syracuse said. But federal authorities still don’t know the man’s real name. ...read full article

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Compliance Week , May 6, 2022

A look inside USAA’s ‘catastrophically mismanaged’ compliance culture

By Jaclyn Jaeger

At a time when other large banks were stacking their risk and compliance departments amid intensified banking regulatory scrutiny, USAA’s risk and compliance functions remained woefully understaffed in an organization plagued by systemic violations of laws that went unaddressed for years. In exclusive interviews with Compliance Week, former USAA insiders described a culture in which numerous individuals either were given the axe or quit because the problems were so endemic. ...read full article

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Compliance Week , May 6, 2022

Whistleblower to OCC: USAA had 400,000 undisclosed Military Lending Act violations

By Jaclyn Jaeger

USAA Federal Savings Bank (USAA Bank), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of USAA, engaged in an estimated 400,000 violations of the Military Lending Act (MLA), a former director of compliance within the bank reported to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in documents seen by Compliance Week. ...read full article

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CNBC , March 9, 2022

Here’s a list of the top-rated charities to help the Ukraine relief effort

Donations can go along way during the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine.

By Sharon Epperson, Senior Personal Finance Correspondent

Many people around the world want to help Ukrainian refugees, whether by donating money, medical supplies or emergency housing. However, there are just as many scammers trying to capitalize on the geopolitical unrest. To make sure your money gets into the right hands, here is a list of highly rated nonprofits engaged in relief and recovery efforts in Ukraine and the surrounding areas. ...read full article

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WMTV in Madison | NBC15.com , March 7, 2022

Compelled to donate to Ukraine? Beware of scammers

The BBB and state Department of Trade and Consumer protection warn scammers may take advantage of your goodwill.

By Gretchen Gerlach

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - As the crisis in Ukraine intensifies, you may be compelled to aid in relief efforts. But as the Better Business Bureau and State Department of Trade and Consumer protection warn, scammers will take advantage of your goodwill. ...read full article

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Fortune , March 7, 2022

Scammers are pretending to raise money for Ukraine.

Here’s how to make sure your donation goes to the right place.

By Amiah Taylor

When a major crisis like Ukraine causes a surge of charitable donations however, it can also be used by bad actors taking advantage of global goodwill by creating scam charities. ...read full article

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KGMI News / Talk Radio , January 14, 2022

FEMA warning flood victims about fraud and identity theft

Be on the lookout for people impersonating FEMA inspectors.

By A. Smith

...read full article

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CPO Magazine , January 11, 2022

As Synthetic Identity Fraud Grows, Children’s Data Is Increasingly at Risk

Synthetic identity fraud and identity fraud in general were the costliest kinds of fraud that U.S. ecommerce merchants suffered during 2021

By Bruno Farinelli

Here’s what ecommerce sellers need to know about how synthetic identity fraud is changing, what the risks are and how to fight it. ...read full article

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NBC News , January 8, 2022

Pop-up Covid testing sites may be rife for identity theft, experts say

As Covid cases continue to soar, “they're functioning on the fact that people are desperate,” one expert said.

By Safia Samee Ali

Pop-up testing sites have cropped up on street corners, in parking lots and on shopping properties across the country, but health and legal experts say many of these are unregulated and could be rife for nefarious activities like identity theft. ...read full article

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New York State Comptroller , May 2, 2021

Report: The Increasing Threat of Identity Theft

By Office of the Comptroller

Identity theft cases surged in New York State in 2020, inflicting financial losses on individuals and threatening disruption to government programs as well as private financial institutions. ...read full article

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TechRepublic , March 31, 2021

Tax refund phishing scam targets university students and staffers

The IRS is warning of a phishing scam that promises refund information but looks to capture Social Security numbers and other sensitive data.

By Lance Whitney

With tax season in bloom, cybercriminals have launched a series of phishing attacks aimed at university students and employees eager to receive potential tax refunds. ...read full article

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The National Law Review , March 31, 2021

Unemployment Insurance Fraud

U.S. Department of Labor Launches New Online Resource for Victims

Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) fraud has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in billions of dollars’ worth of fraudulent claims being filed across the United States. ...read full article

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WJAR NBC 10 News , February 12, 2021

Consumer Alert: Experts warn pandemic will increase tax ID theft

By Emily Volz

As tax season gets underway, experts are warning that this year, we're more vulnerable than ever to tax identity theft. Fortunately, there's a new way to protect your return. ...read full article

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WWNY News Channel 7 , February 11, 2021

Parents speak out about deployed son’s suspected identity theft

By Keith Benman

It’s a suspected case of identity theft. Parents figured out something was wrong when they got unemployment documents in the mail for their son, who’s deployed with the Air Force. It just didn’t add up and soon they found out they aren’t alone. ...read full article

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New York Times , February 6, 2021

Is Your Vaccine Card Selfie a Gift for Scammers? Maybe

You finally got your vaccine, and you’re excited to share the proof. Here’s why that may not be a good idea, and what you can do instead.

By Christine Hauser

Some experts are warning that the information on your celebratory photo might make you vulnerable to identity theft or scams. ...read full article

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Better Business Bureau , November 25, 2020

BBB Scam Alert: That Zoom invite is really a phishing scam

Thanks to the global pandemic keeping people at home, the popular video conferencing platform Zoom has seen usage grow exponentially in 2020. Naturally, this has attracted the attention of hackers and scammers. With a huge user base to target, con artists are using old tricks in new scams to try to steal your information. ...read full article

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Huffpost , November 18, 2020

7 Charged With Stealing Millions In COVID Aid, Using It To Buy Lamborghini, Porsche

The suspects allegedly laundered the money by writing checks to relatives and fake employees. The checks were then cashed through a defendant’s checking company.

By Nina Golgowski

Seven people in two states have been charged with allegedly stealing millions of dollars in federal coronavirus relief funds, some of which was spent on a Porsche and Lamborghini sports car, authorities said Tuesday. ...read full article

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WBZ Boston (CBS) , November 9, 2020

BBB: Beware Of COVID Vaccine Trial Scams Offering Cash For Participation

BOSTON (CBS) — The Better Business Bureau is warning the public about scams involving coronavirus vaccine studies. The scam often starts as an unsolicited text or social media message saying that you qualify for a clinical trial, which will pay you upwards of $1,000. ...read full article

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13 ABC Action News, Toledo, OH , October 8, 2020

Scammers using e-mail to target personal information

October marks National Cybersecurity Month. With more people online than ever, the Better Business Bureau is warning users about a new kind of attack by hackers.

By Jack Bassett

The President of Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan’s Better Business Bureau is warning about a scam making its way online. ...read full article

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Reuters , October 6, 2020

UK COVID loan scheme could lose 26 billion pounds from fraud, defaults - watchdog

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - Criminals may have made billions of pounds by exploiting a government loan scheme to help British businesses hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, while large losses are expected from firms unable to repay, the country’s spending watchdog has said. ...read full article

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