Identity Theft Soars

"The number of cases of identity fraud has rocketed in the last six years, increasing by almost seven times, it has emerged.

By the end of the year, the UK's fraud prevention service Cifas estimates there will have been 135,000 reported incidents of identity theft in 2005 - compared with just 20,000 in 1999. Most of the victims are ordinary consumers.

The spiralling crime is now thought to cost the UK at least 1.3 billion pounds Sterling a year, but the true figure could be higher.

The huge rise in the number of cases of ID fraud was revealed after it emerged that more than 18 million households could be failing to protect themselves from the fast-growing threat.

A study found that three-quarters of household waste contained sensitive material, such as cheques, utility bills, bank statements or insurance documents.

One leading London councillor estimated that the capital alone could be generating 16,000 tonnes of rubbish a year which contained personal information likely to be of use to fraudsters. "

This article appeared on the ITV News web site.

California Laws to Protect Against Identity Theft

"An April 2002 security breach at California's Stephen P. Teale Data Center triggered public outrage. It eventually led to California's security breach notification law called SB 1386. SB 1386 calls for notification of California residents following some kinds of security breaches.

On January 1, 2005, California legislation called AB 1950 went into effect. It requires businesses to protect certain 'personal information.' A steady wave of security breaches involving the theft or loss of personal information in 2005 underscores the vulnerability of personal information to hackers seeking identity theft targets. It is likely that incident response costs, legal fees, and the losses from tarnished reputations imposed enormous costs on the organizations falling prey to these security breaches."

This article was posted by ZD Net France. It shows the damage done by identity thieves, and the fact that this is an international problem.

Courts Concerned About Identity Theft

"Rhode Island courts will no longer list the dates of birth of defendants in its online database.

A court spokeswoman says the policy change, reached earlier this month, is designed to protect privacy and thwart identity theft.
Full dates of birth will still be available in paper files kept at the state's courthouses.

Federal courts already have policies limiting the use of Social Security numbers, dates of birth, bank accounts and children's' names in court filings."

This article appeared on Eyewitness News WPRI 12.

Safeguards for Identity Theft

"Identity theft is a big concern for everyone. Tips on how to safeguard identity from thieves will be discussed at a presentation from noon to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, Barry Fisher Building, conference room 101.

Edna Abbott, a volunteer with the Lincoln County District Attorney's Office, will present the latest information about identity theft safeguards."

This article appeared in the Newport News Times. It's a good idea to hold these types of community meetings to alert the public about ways to safeguard their identity.

Insurance Companies Selling Policies for Identity Theft

"If someone has stolen your identity, it can take many days and hundreds or thousands of dollars to restore your financial credibility.

Several insurance companies, however, are offering to soften the blow by providing counseling services to help you regain your identity or payments that cover the cost of doing so, or both.

Some people already have this coverage and may not even know it. Some carriers, including Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. and Chubb Corp., include identification theft services in their homeowner's and renter's policies at no additional charge."

This article was written by Tami Luhby at the Orlando Sentinel. This insurance is great if you don't have to pay for it. Otherwise, it may not be cost effective, depending upon what the policy covers.

Phishing for Identity Theft

"Why did you miss jury duty?' the caller asks in a threatening tone. The phone call, according to federal officials, is the latest ploy used by crafty individuals to coerce citizens to provide-over the phone-their Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, and other personal information.

The hoax works like this. Perpetrators, pretending to be court employees, call potential jurors demanding to know why they didn't show up for jury duty. They then inform the individuals about the legal consequences associated with neglecting jury services, such as fines and prosecution.

The bogus phone calls, if convincing to the recipient, will probably lead to the disclosure of personal information, thus setting the stage for identity theft and fraud. The legal penalties, especially when presented in an intimidating fashion 'are used as leverage to obtain personal information,' says Dick Carelli, a spokesman for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the agency assisting the federal court system. In August, the agency issued a public alert on the swindle, stating that most communication between the court and a prospective juror will occur through the U.S. mail and any phone calls to citizens will not ask for private information, such as Social Security numbers and credit card numbers."

This article was written by Lydell C. Bridgeford.

Drug Addicts Steal identities

"Methamphetamine addicts are using the Internet to commit identity theft, law-enforcement officials and medical experts in the USA and Canada say.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., has introduced a bill that asks for an investigation of the link between ID theft and meth use.

Meth is a highly addictive, cheap alternative to cocaine and heroin. Meth addicts -- already adept at stealing personal information from mailboxes to finance drug habits -- now are hacking PCs to steal information, says Bob Gauthier, a detective in the Edmonton, Alberta, Police Service's meth project team.

In the USA, the problem is increasing 'in complexity and size' in the West and Midwest, says Robert Brown, agent-in-charge of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. He says meth addicts also are participating in phishing e-mail scams and selling stolen goods on auction sites."

This article was written by Tim Dillon and Jon Swartz, USA Today. It paints a very grim picture of the safety of personal information.