Costco ID Theft Suspect Dares Capture by Posing for Camera

Brazen identity thief leaves a trail of fraudulent
credit accounts across South Florida is wanted by
by police investigators for a $1,000 reward.

This identity thief is evidently not shy at all.
Using an stolent identity from a California man,
he opened a Costo American Express
account which required his face to be
photographed.










Not exactly what you would suspect
a criminal to do.

But, this bold identity thief then proceeded
to immediately go shopping at Costco,
purchasing almost $8,000 ($7,797)
in merchandise using the stolen
identity of the California man.

Perhaps, emboldened by his fraudulent credit
purchases with Costco, this same identity
thief is also suspected of opening up
accounts with these other retailers
located in South Florida:

• Bloomingdale’s
• Sam’s Club
• The Banana Republic

He even was successful in opening a
Citibank card.

With identity thieves like this one on the
loose, there's evidently no deterrent to
him wrecking the lives of countless innocent
victims unless he's stopped by law enforcement.

So, our tip for today is a public advisory.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime
Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS. Anonymous
information leading to an arrest could be
worth a reward of up to $1,000.

Special End note:

Get more anonymous, free tips like this one
delivered automatically to your browser
or favorite podcast station. Also, make
sure to tell a friend so they may too get
their spam free tips to protect themselves
from identity theft fraud.

7 ID Theft Prevention Tips for Job Boards

When searching on-line for new employment, be aware
you're also increasing your risk of identity theft
unless you follow a few basic, but vital tips.

When utilizing the various on-line resume posting
boards, a few areas to pay attention to protect
yourself from identity theft such as not including:

1. Social Security Number (SSN)
2. Driver's License Number
3. Date of Birth (DOB)
4. Marital Status
5. Age
6. Gender
7. The school & year you graduated from

Did you know Reunion.com and Classmates.com
have affiliations and linkages to other on-line
data providers?

Criminals who specialize in on-line identity theft
know this.

Id thieves can easily use any of the above data to
retrieve your personal identifying information from
on-line reverse search directories.

Plus, some of those data items such as age & gender
are illegal for an employer to request from you in the
first place.

A truly interested prospective employer can always be
provided this information by you in person when you
gain an interview.

The major on-line resume posting & job boards such as
Monster.com allow you to anonymously post your resume.

We urge you to stick with those major sites because
they not only contain the majority of prospective
jobs, but usually are known for tighter screening of
potential employer listings and for following up on
reported scams.

Remember, finding a new job can be a rewarding goal;
especially when you utilize identity theft prevention
tips!

Identity Theft Prevention Tips Most Americans Don't Know

Half of America believes they are unlikely to
become identity theft victims, while even more
(70 percent) would take precautions if aware of
what to do.

These results were recently released from an
Experian, a leading credit bureau, survey
focused on consumer attitudes towards credit
fraud and identity theft.

Surprisingly, 1/3rd of Americans believe there
is "nothing they can do" to prevent identity
theft.

"It won't happen to me"

Think so. Then check out these facts revealed
by the survey:

• 63% had unauthorized purchases against their credit card
• 55% reported had money withdrawn from their checking account
• 39% experienced unauthorized account openings or fraud transactions
• 22% claimed someone obtained a new credit card in their name
• 9% reported someone opened a new bank account in their name

Identity theft victims will spend months, if not years, plus
thousands of dollars attempting to restore a damaged credit
record. In the meantime, you can be refused new loans, job
opportunities or worse as in the case of false arrest.

This is why it's much easier to put a much smaller amount
of energy and financial resources in knowing how identity
theft criminals operate and even better still - how to
increase your odds of preventing identity theft from
even happening to you.

So, our tip for today is to practice safe credit usage.
Enroll in a quality credit and bank account monitoring
service. Plus, now is a great time to get your medical
insurance file and public records profiles checked out
before the holiday season begins.

Remember, identity thieves know this is one of the easiest
times of the year for them to rip you off and to have the
evidence of their crimes be simply lost within the clutter
of holiday shopping fueled by far too available "instant"
credit from retailers eager to make sales.

Identity Theft Victims Testify with Prevention Tips

As a follow on to our recent post requesting
comments from our valuable readers and
subscribers, we offer a brief sampling
of their personal experiences shared
with us for you to utilize in the war
against identity theft.


Identity Theft Victim #1 said....

When I recently got a copy of my credit report,
I learned someone had opened a credit card in
my name 9 years ago. The account had been
closed by the credit card company due to many
late payments.

The only way I found out about it was because
I was rejected from getting a credit card from
my own bank because they told me I was
a "bad" credit risk.

Identity Theft Victim #2 said...

Way back in 2002 we learned my identity had
been stolen and used to run over $800 in
charges on not one, but two of my credit cards.

We subsequently learned there was a mail fraud
ring operating in (city deleted) one of the
major inbound mail processing facilities.

What the identity thieves were doing was stealing
envelopes containing convenience checks mailed to
credit card holders.The thieves were providing the
stolen mail, for a fee,to the actual credit fraudsters
who would then use them just like cash.

By endorsing those unsolicted convenience checks, the
thieves were able to immediately go shopping - in this
instance using our previously unblemished credit.

The only way we noticed it then was weeks later upon
receipt of our monthly account statement.

Fortunately, for us, the identity thieves credit
fraudsters did not process a change of address
for the account. This would have delayed the
timeframe for us to recognize the identity theft
had actually taken place.

This one big reason why we are now firm believers
in getting automatic credit monitoring to alert
you to any new suspicious activity.

That way you still have time on your side to
take action before significant, long term damage
can be done to your credit record.

Identity Theft Victim #3 said...

I've been a victim of identity theft over a
year ago and had I known the things now on
your site, I could have avoided a h-u-g-e
amount of frustration in dealing with credit
bureaus and banks to correct my profile.

Three different identity theft victims with
different circumstances but all with one
common theme shared amongst them.

Identity theft is a crime of opportunity
practiced by ever resourceful criminals
against generally unsuspecting victims
who are simply too busy or pre-occupied
with the daily demands on their time to
notice what has become the familiar
pattern of fraud committed:

• Unauthorized charges suddenly showing up on your credit cards
• Mysterious cash withdrawals from your checking account
• Monthly financial statements suddenly stop arriving in the mail
• Credit issuers rejecting your loan applications for "bad" credit
• Debt collectors start harassing you for unpaid credit bills
• And many more...

So, our tip for today is take to heart the lessons learned
from each of these three identity theft victims. Get enrolled
in a quality credit and bank account monitoring
service to serve as your very own personal fraud
"burgular alarm".

By doing so not only do you help to significantly reduce the
negative financial impact of identity theft, but you also
materially increase your odds of preventing fraud altogether.

Identity Theft from Divorce Records

Your divorce is now final, but you have
just begun the long road ahead with
identity theft?

Imagine enduring the long mental anguish
and financially draining experience of a
divorce which in many states can last for
two or more years.

Finally the legal paper work gets signed and
finalized with the court to dissolve the
marriage putting you once again with the
rest of your life to look forward.

But, wait - you have just entered into
a new danger zone. That's right, identity
theft victim you are now primed to become.

Why?

Because traditionally divorce records have
been considered part of the public
domain thus stripping you of your privacy.

This means all of your more confidential
personal and financial information
pertaining to your divorce proceedings
can be easily read by anyone with
access (or wanting to take advantage of your):

• Social Security number
• Home Addresses
• Bank Account Number
• Bank Account Holder's Name
• Bank Account Balance
• Annual Salary
• Income and Net Worth

As you can see from the list above, everything an
identity thief would need to assume your identity
and commit financial fraud in your name is readily
available.

For identity thieves, it doesn't get any easier
than this to acquire your most sensitive
personal information. The identity thief
doesn't even have to steal your wallet or mail.

Just a simple visit to the local county courthouse
can reap a huge amount of potential identity theft
victims.

Just in the state of California during 2004, over
150,000 petitions for marital dissolution
were filed with the courts.

Given, it's widely believed that overall 1 out of
every 2 marriages end in divorce, identity
thieves have a very deep and widely
distributed base of potential victims to
commit financial fraud against nationwide.

Fortunately, one state, California is once again
leading the country by doing something about
preventing identity theft.

In a recent 12 to 3 vote by the Appropriations
Committee, a bill which would allow judges to
edit out personal and financial information
from divorce records (upon spousal request)
is moving forward to the general assembly.

Should this bill continue to move forward and become
a new law, identity thieves would be dealt a
severe blow to how they harvest the
confidential data of countless numbers
of potential identity theft victims.

So, until this bill becomes law in California or for
those millions of individuals residing in states that
do not have this type of financial privacy coverage,
our tip for today is to seek protection through the
only means we know available.

Conduct an identity fraud sweep through your public
records - particularly for the type of identity theft
which can occur that falls below the radar of
credit bureaus.

Endnote:

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a friend to our website so they may too enjoy their own
free tips, reviews, & resources to fight identity theft fraud.

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formats.

Identity Theft Suspected of Priest

In support of National Consumer Protection Week we
continue our all podcasts focus for prevention tips for
you to reduce your potential to falling victim to identity
theft fraud.

Today's audio article we have an unusual
twist on identity theft that we have
never ever learned of before in all the
years we've been in operation.

A Wisconsin priest is accused by a
fellow priest co-worker of identity
theft leading to unauthorized
purchases of computer and exercise
equipment totallying to $3,600.

There was a time in this country when
you could at least trust your local
priest.

It seems, according to this story, that
time is long past and suggests anyone
now can become an identity thief -or-
id theft victim regardless of how they
may publicly appear.

As we've reported in another of our
recent articles involving a 17 year
old, the face of the typical identity
thief simply mirrors the general
population of America.

Why, because identity theft has become
such a pervasive crime effecting millions
of Americans in every state across all
economic and social groups.

Want to take back control from the
many institutions & people which may
not hold your best interests in mind
regarding your sensitive personal
information?

Our tip for today is place your trust
in proactive monitoring to prevent
detect and limit the financial impact
of identity theft.

Remember - deny and limit identity theft
opportunities from happening to you!

End note:

Like what you've read today - please tell a
friend how they will too recieve Free tips,
resources, & reviews of the best available
ID Theft Secrets conveniently delivered to
their e-mail, RSS reader, or Podcast audio
player.

Five Id Theft Protection Tips for Phony Job Postings

Looking for work can be stressful enough.

Now there's evidence being reported to the national
job boards such as HotJobs, Monster, etc. to make them
cautious enough now to issue identity theft warnings to
would be job seekers responding to their advertisements.

On-line job postings are another weapon identity
thieves use by taking advantage of job seekers' desire
to please potential employers. The identity thief,
masquerading as a legitimate employer, will ask for all
sorts of personal information from you up-front:

• Name
• Birth Date
• Credit Information

Basically, all the crucial pieces of personal
information that's needed to create a phony id under
your name to commit fraud.

Be wary about even the most legitimate-sounding
requests for your personal information as it just may
not be warranted.

So, our tips for today are to:

1. Do not give your social security number unless you are
   confident that the other party is who they claim to
   be. For example, you could ask them for a call-back number
   to use for verification purposes.
2. Be careful when providing credit card or bank
   information, or engaging in any monetary transactions.
   Be sure to verify the legitimacy of the employer with
   whom you are interacting.
3. Do not provide any non-work-related personal
   information (e.g., Social Security Number,
   marital status,Date of Birth) over the phone
   or on line.
4. Be cautious when dealing with contacts outside
   your own country.
5. Be wary of emails that offer an opportunity that
   involves acting as a go-between for money transfers.
   Disregard the email and DO NOT follow through with the
   employment offer being made.

Id Theft Secrets Now available on My AOL

Dear Readers:

For all of those who have requested identity theft secrets
from the major anonymous feeds, we have an important
announcement.

As part of our commitment to providing quality identity theft
news and tips, we also highly value consumer privacy.

So, our site, we now offer two subscription options to our readers.
For those who prefer email, we offer a traditional
email enrollment form to receive spam free updates
to your inbox. For anonymous updates to our blog,
we offer RSS feeds from the leading providers where
we're distributed.

Along with Yahoo, Google, MSN, Feedburner and many
other leading RSS (Really Simply Syndication) providers,
you can now subscribe via My AOL.

For those new to RSS, it's merely a way to receive
updated changes automatically from your favorite
website publishers. It's different from email in that
you're not contending with your internet service
providers anti-spam filters for receipt - plus you
are in full control of the entire subscribe process.

Just click on this icon below to start receiving automatic
updates, anonymously, to our frequent content changes.



For all of our existing subscribers, we "thank you" for
your loyalty and appreciate your feedback to improve
our editorial efforts to continue meeting your needs for
highly relevant identity theft protection tips, reviews,
and resources.

Finally, tell your friends about us as we're growing and
will be very shortly expanding our coverage and offering
new features.

8 No-Cost Tips to Guard against Identity Theft & Credit Card Fraud

Here's eight ways for you to guard against identity theft
while saving yourself time and money:

• Make sure your credit card company has your most
  current phone number (especially your cell phone -or-
  work number) so the card company can call
  you immediately when they spot suspicious charge
  patterns on your account.

• Don't ever use your ATM debit card for Internet
  purchases. Your credit card fraud liability is limited
  to $50 but ATM debit card fraud could drain all of the
  available funds within your checking account.

• Be on the lookout for small but unusual transactions
  such as frequent purchases at gas stations you did not
  make.

• If you get a phone call or an e-mail about
  suspicious activity on your account, give no
  information over the phone or on-line.
  Instead, write the card representative's name down on
  paper and attempt to call them back at the number
  listed on the back of your card.

• Frequently inspect your statements on-line.

• Call your credit card company immediately if a
  monthly statement doesn't appear in the mail on time.

• Shred your statements once you've checked to make
  sure they're correct.

• Shred new card solicitations promptly after
  reading them.

Initial Post

Hello world!

Today the IdTheftSecrets blog was born.

The purpose of this blog is to simply provide
consumers easy and cost effective ways to avoid
the expense, lengthy time, & frustration when their
personal Identity Theft is exposed.

In the coming days, you can expect more content
focused on "how to" tips to protect your credit identity
and preventing personal information from being exposed.

In the interim, I recommend for you to check out this reference
for a complete identity theft prevention kit:

http://www.idtheftsecrets.com

Most consumers find out, using this kit, they may already have
a "hidden" identity theft problem which requires immediate
and corrective action.

Discover the Shocking Truth to Preventing Identity Theft!

Latest Buzz on Id Theft Secrets

For the Buzz from the latest Id Theft Secrets Blog
updates, get the free widget to place on your website
or start page.




Help stop identity thieves from operating from behind the
dark veil of knowledge hidden from the general public.













Provided since 2002 by a former identity theft victim who's
mission is to share the information and resources consumers
can arm themselves to fight back against identity theft and
credit fraud.


Don't have a website - no problem - here's a quick and easy fix.

Simply subscribe to Id Theft Secrets for your free, anonymous
tips that everyone is buzzing about for years on Google, Yahoo,
AOL, MSN, Ask, Delicious, Flickr, iTunes and many other important
areas across the internet for grabbing your iPhone compatible mobile
alerts.

Florida Security Breach Exposes 250,000 Consumer's Social Security Numbers

When a test server was made accessible to the internet for over two
weeks, Google's indexing service inadvertently made available online
the highly sensitive personal data a quarter of a million residents of
the state of Florida.

According to the Agency for Workforce Innovation website's
new release of this past Thursday:

"The security breach occurred on an Agency
test server for 19 days in October 2008 and
resulted in the exposure of the names and
Social Security Numbers of approximately
250,000 customers who received services
through Florida’s One-Stop Career Centers
between January 2002 and November 2007."

Given the worldwide reach of Google's search engine and how
easily would be identity thieves can trade -or- transform a
consumer's social security number (ssn) into revenue, it is
very scary to think about the ramifications of this latest
identity theft security breach coming so close to the major
holiday shopping season.

A time when, due to the sheer volume of billions of transactions,
fraud can easily be obscured within the vast majority of legitimate
commerce.

But, for identity theft fraudsters, having unauthorized access to
a consumer's full name and social security number can make it
all to easy to secure "instant credit" from eager retail store clerks
who get extra incentives during the holidays to open up new lines
of credit to support more impulse shopping.

So, our tip for today is for anyone in Florida that may have utilized
the Florida One-Stop Career Centers between Jan. 2002
and Nov. 2007.

Take immediate action by conducting the following steps:

1) Check if your name's on the list by using the official state
of Florida website.

2) Secure a totally free copy of your credit profile report from the only
source authorized by the (3) major credit bureaus and check for any
suspicious accounts listed under your name and social security number
(ssn)

3) As credit reports will n-o-t show evidence of criminal identity
theft committed against you in the form of medical identity fraud,
property tax fraud, & outstanding arrest warrants all of which
require your social security number, you would be highly
warned to also get an immediate scan of your PIP.

Your personal information profile (pip) is the only way that we
know of to cost effectively and time efficiently scour the
more than 400+ public databases which could contain your
full name, social security number, address, & even in
some instances your authorized signatures.

Finally, be a good friend or family member, give the gift
which keeps on giving beyond this holiday season. Let those
you care about take advantage of these free and
anonymous identity theft prevention tips available
from Id Theft Secrets.

35 Million Data Records Exposed in 2008 to Identity Theft

Last year over 35,000,000 personal data records were exposed via
656 separate security breaches representing a 47% increase from
2007.

According to a recently released study by the ITRC, the overwhelming
majority of those exposed records also did not include encryption nor
password protection to minimize unauthorized access:

"...only 2.4% of all breaches had encryption or other
strong protection methods in use.

Only 8.5% of reported breaches had password protection."

But, even more alarming of this very large number of Americans who
were unnecessarily exposed to potential identity theft, the unreported
number of records exposed could be much higher as not every state
has laws requiring businesses requiring consumer disclosure.

And of those states which do, the laws vary greatly which renders a
great many Americans vulnerable to the often times hidden potential
identity theft has already been perpetrated against their financial
safety but goes unreported solely due to some company avoiding
embarassment:

"Some 15.7 percent of all breaches were attributed to
insider theft, a figure that more than doubled between
2007 and 2008, ITRC said."

So, our tip for today is one New Year's resolution you can easily
achieve. Get protected by following these simple steps:

1) Get a copy of your free credit report to check for any fraudulent
credit accounts listed in your name.

2) Enroll in automatic credit monitoring available through your
bank or credit institutions you currently have accounts with.

3) Get your public information profile (PIP) checked out to really
catch the often times hidden identity theft which can lurk in any of
the over 400 data sources containing your name that are
not covered by your credit report.

* Criminal identity theft here can get your arrested or lose your job
without you even knowing why, when, or who accessed your file.

Finally, make sure to let your friends and family members know about
these alarming growth trends in identity theft which can be minimized
by taking advantage of these free, anonymous tips for identity theft.

ID Theft Via Text Messaging

Ever resourceful in continuing to extend the reach of their
criminal activities, the newest threat now comes from text
messaging by identity thieves.










This alert to our subscribers is part of our continued scanning
of the world's latest fraud developments and represents a major
new identity theft scam technique to use both speed and confusion
to compromise consumer safety.

Here's what happened.

Identity theft criminals, in Colorado where first reported,
send out fake text messages to the cell phones of unsuspecting
potential victims. The messages ask for information about the
recipient's debit or credit cards.

The text asks people to call a 1-877 number to find out why
their card was suspended. To reactivate the card, the caller is
told to enter in the card number, expiration date and PIN code.

By calling the listed phone number and providing the confidential
information requested by the fraudulent criminal, the consumer
essentially is handing over their bank account access privileges.

Armed with that confidential access information, the identity theft
fraudster can very quickly clean out the victim's debit account or
run up a massive amount of fraudulent transactions on their credit
card in less than a day.

Key note, unlike credit cards, debit cards are directly hot linked to
your bank checking or savings accounts which are much harder to
recover lost funds from - especially if you do not catch the criminal
activity within the first week of it happening.

So, our tip for today is to guard well your providing any
confidential access information to an authorized party via
text messaging. Additionally, unless you have specifically
enrolled in your bank or credit card company's fraud
monitoring alerts service, do not respond to these fake
attempts by identity theft criminals determined to ruin
your financial future.

PS: Tell a friend or associate you know of residing in the
Denver, CO area of this important new development in
identity theft to contact their local police department
immediately. Finally, make to check back frequently
for our free, anonymous tips to help you reduce your
potential for identity theft.

Identity Theft Couple Caught

In what has been called the Bonnie & Clyde of identity theft, a Philadelphia area couple faces charges of committing an estimated $100,000 in fraud to fund their rich life style.



According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the couple stands
accused of identity theft, forgery, unlawful use of a computer
among many other offenses.

"Their fraud scheme, estimated at $US100,000 this year alone, paid for jaunts to Paris, London and Hawaii and other luxury perks, including Kirsch's stop at a salon for $US2200 worth of hair extensions, police said."

Police uncovered evidence of their illegal trade
during a search of the couples $3,000 per month
luxury apartment:

"...four computers, two printers, a scanner
and an industrial machine that makes ID cards.
Police also found $US17,500 in cash, dozens of
credit cards and fake drivers' licences, and keys
to unlock many of the apartments and mail
boxes in their upmarket apartment building."

Evidently this Bonnie & Clyde couple really did
plan to ply their illegal practices in the area of
identity theft as the apartment search revealed:

"...turned up a book titled, The Art of Cheating:
A Nasty Little Book for Tricky Little Schemers
and Their Hapless Victims, as well as a newspaper
article on How to Spot Fake IDs."

So, our tip for today is especially for multi-unit
apartment residents.

To prevent from becoming an easy mark for the
next enterprising identity theft Bonnie & Clyde
team, have your mail delivered to a USPS box.

To further thwart identity thieves from intercepting
your bank and credit card statements, have
those stopped altogether from delivery by enrolling in
secure online only access available from your lender.

Remember, identity thieves now represent all facets
of the population and only have one common trait:
to steal your identity and ruin your credit to
fund their greedy lifestyle.

Use these tips to stop them from making you their next
victim and make sure to warn your friends & family members.

5 Million CheckFree Consumers Warned Against Identity Theft Exposure

With the new year's first major security breach, CheckFree issued
a consumer disclosure recently warning more consumers were
negatively impacted than originally thought.

Computer hackers operating in the Ukraine effectively redirected
CheckFree's web traffic to illegal computer servers.

"...because the company lost control of its Web domains, it
doesn't know exactly who was hit. And so it must warn a
much larger number of customers."

While there are indications the exposure could have been much
worse, consumers should be wary as CheckFree holds a significant
reach within the banking community for bill payment services:

"...wouldn't say what banks were affected by the hack, but
the majority of these five million customers were CheckFree's
own users, she said. In total, about 42 million customers
access CheckFree's bill payment site..."

So, our tip for today is to contact your bank immediately if you
are a user of CheckFree's bill payment services. Find out if your
accounts exhibit any potentially fraudulent activity.

Finally, as major identity theft security breaches such as this one
tend to further develop over time, check back with us for updates
as we continue to provide free, anonymous tips to prevent id theft.

Missing Baylor Laptop Exposes Patients to Identity Theft

In Texas, a recently reported laptop theft has resulted in the issuance
of a consumer warning notifying an additional 100,000 patients who
had limited information stored on the computer.

According to the Dallas Business Journal article:

"A laptop stolen from an employee's car in Royse City
has prompted Health Texas Provider Network, a subsidiary
of Baylor Health Care System, to notify 7,400 patients that
their personal information may be at risk. Social security
numbers and a limited amount of patient information was
stored on the laptop."

As an added preventative step, the decision was made
to also notify other patients with less sensitive personal
information stored on the same computer:

"Although law does not require it to do so, the network
said it is taking extra measures to notify an additional
100,000 patients who had limited information stored
on the computer, but not their social security numbers."

So, our tip for today is to let anyone you know of associated
with Baylor Health Care System to contact them immediately
for more more information on the offer of free credit monitoring
services.

A toll free number & special website have been setup to support
information seekers:

800.554.5281

Baylor Healthcare System

PS: Be a good friend, family member or co-worker. Help others to
be on guard against identity theft credit fraud by sharing these free,
safe tips to aid in the prevention of identity theft.

5 Year Old with Bad Debt from Father's Identity Theft

Can you imagine how it must be for a kindergarten aged kid to be
in debt with collections agents harassing him for his milk money
just because his not so dear old dad stole his identity?

Well, a California dad was arrested recently after police found identity
theft associated items at the man's home which also revealed drugs.

Proving again the strong causal connection between identity
theft and meth addiction, the father was booked for identity
theft and possession of a controlled substance.

Evidently, the drugs were a more powerful motivating force in his
life than any decency to not impact his young son's financial future
by committing identity theft against him before he was 5 year's old.

So, our tip for today is to be on guard against identity theft attempts
against your children by unsavory relatives. Investigate your options,
such as Lifelock, which offers limited identity theft protection for
kids under the age of 16 (provided an adult family member is already
a paid member).

Lifelock is one of the only services we know of which specifically
will provide identity theft prevention services for under age minors.

Special End Note:

Not many people know about how to prevent their children's
identity theft. Tell a friend about this podcast or article.
It's anonymous, free, and safe for you to share our tips.

GE Stolen Laptop Exposes 50,000

Adding to this year's list of offenders, General
Electric corporation is the latest to have a
"stolen" laptop containing highly confidential
consumer data of their current and former
employees.

With this exposure, resulting from the theft of
an employee's laptop from a locked hotel room, GE
was forced to notify an estimated 50,000 employees
last week in a letter their personal information
has been compromised.

Even though a GE company spokesman indicated he
believed the theft was simply a random criminal act,
they are offering a year's worth of free identity
theft monitoring to those negatively impacted.

Here's why.

General Electric, with diverse lines of business, is
also one of the leading providers of consumer credit
services through their GE Consumer Finance group.

GE Finance holds many retail clients who actually
open up the credit accounts with consumer. Here's
just a small sampling of their credit clients:

• Home Depot
• Mervyns
• Lowes
• Sam's Club
• Walmart

According to an excerpt from the company's fraud
policy website, they offer tips they themselves
evidently do not take seriously:

"..is committed to helping consumers protect
themselves against identity theft and fraud"


"Will not ask for financial or personal information,
such as user names, passwords, credit card numbers,
social security or bank account numbers, via e-mail"

The data contained on the stolen laptop included
that highly sought by identity thieves for the
ability to quickly open up new credit and
wireless accounts:

1. Names
2. social Security Numbers (ssn)

Once again, an unsecured laptop in a publicly
accessible area - containing unencrypted and
highly confidential consumer data was stolen
due to an errant employee.

According to the GE spokeman the data was
"being used in a project".

What possibly would an employee need the
names and social security numbers of 50,000
people for a project that he had to work on using
a portable laptop with unencrypted data in a
hotel room?

Well, according to General Electric they have
"strict policies in place for laptop and data
security". Evidently those strict policies
do not cover encrypting sensitive
consumer data transported outside
the company premises.

GE did not disclose what hotel nor even the
city the identity theft occurred.

Given, the average time needed by an identity
theft victims to repair the damage is 330
hours (14 days) most of which you can believe
will be away from work, it's prudent to pull
out all stops to prevent this type of fraud
from happening to you.

So, our tip for today is if you or anyone you
know is a GE employee both past and present,
have them contact their employee benefits
coordinator immediately for more information.

Make sure to get the details for how you can
qualify for the year's worth of "free"
credit monitoring services.

Identity Theft Victim Stories Wanted

Identity theft has become the #1 fastest growing crime in America.

Since the Choicepoint data breach scandal in early 2005,
over 90 million Americans have had their confidential
data needlessly exposed through additional security
lapses or outright identity theft.

As Id Theft Secrets has revealed to you every week new tips
for how you can fight back to prevent identity theft, we want
to hear from your own personal stories.















So, our tip for today is please contact us. Share with us your
favorite personal story of identity theft no matter if it's good
or bad as we believe there can be an important learning in
either.

For your convenience in providing your personal identity
theft related story, please take advantage of our comments
section to this article.

It's safe. You can leave your comments anonymously
which is our preference to protect your privacy.

With the volume of feedback we hope to recieve, we will
consolidate your personal stories into a special
episode that we will publish this week for all to
learn from.

Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation
and continued support.

We look forward to hearing from you all.