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A man pretending to be Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has been arrested on credit card fraud, and experts say there is no reason to assume that a public figure like Allen is any less susceptible to identity theft. Read More
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emailThe Government’s New Consumer Privacy ‘Bill of Rights’ a Positive Step Forward
Posted on Monday, March 19th, 2012 by Kent Lawson
The Obama Administration recently unveiled plans for a consumer privacy “bill of rights” that, at first glance, looks very promising.
The plan would give citizens more control over how their personal information is collected and used by online companies. It also sets standards regarding individual control, transparency, and accountability.
In a nutshell, this plan gives people the ability to opt out of having their personal data collected as well as forcing companies to adhere to clear and accessible privacy policies. Read More
Identity Theft Tax Fraud: Is Facebook Putting Your Refund at Risk?
Posted on Wednesday, February 29th, 2012 by Elaine Rigoli
We all want to prevent tax-time identity fraud, but as it’s the no. 1 scam on the IRS Dirty Dozen list for 2012, it’s pretty clear this may take some effort.
One of the best tips is to safeguard your Social Security number. After all, in order to file a phony tax return, a thief simply needs a taxpayer’s name, Social Security number, and birth date.
What is less apparent is that your social networking pages could be helping an identity thief. Read More
‘Identity Theft Awareness Week’ Includes Free Consumer Privacy Event in Downtown Chicago
Posted on Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 by Elaine Rigoli
On Monday, September 26, residents of downtown Chicago are invited to attend a free summit at Chicago Police headquarters. The meeting — held from 8am-4pm at 3510 S. Michigan Avenue — will highlight the various risks of identity fraud, online safety, and how to avoid becoming a victim of a crime that is costing Americans $37 billion annually. Read More
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‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Actress a Real-Life Identity Theft Victim
Posted on Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 by Elaine Rigoli
Popular Grey’s Anatomy star Sandra Oh has told the Los Angeles police she is the victim of an apparent identity theft. She told the police that someone has fraudulently used her Social Security number in order to get a job at a hotel, causing the Internal Revenue Service to come after Oh for unpaid taxes from 2009. It was not immediately clear how the identity thief accessed the Social Security number, nor was it clear whether Oh’s financial information was also stolen. Read More
Hustler’s Larry Flynt on the Illusion of Online Privacy
Posted on Thursday, August 25th, 2011 by Elaine Rigoli
Hustler publisher Larry Flynt has written a short essay on The Huffington Post about the illusions of online privacy. The article is worth a read before you breeze over the Terms & Conditions in order to join a social media site, or eagerly sign away your online privacy in order to play a game like Farmville. Click the headline above to read more insights from his article. Read More
Is the Federal ‘Cyber Security Proposal’ a Step Backwards?
Posted on Monday, July 11th, 2011
An article on ABCNews.com reports on a recent federal proposal to standardize how the public is notified of a data breach. After all, since 2005, the credit-card data and personal identifying information contained in more than 500-million files have been accessed by countless unauthorized persons. However, as the article notes, this proposal “is a step backwards, not forwards, [because] the disclosure provisions are problematic. First of all, for the most part they preempt state laws, which are often more stringent than this federal law.” The author of the article — the cofounder of Identity Theft 911 — also points out that “if more than 500-million files (that we know about) have been breached and about 17% of the individuals in those databases have suffered personal compromises, what happened to the other 83%? There is no Identity Fairy. There is no magic trunk into which all uncompromised identities are swept.” Read More
What They Know About You
Posted on Friday, July 1st, 2011 by Jared Howe
Do you know that when you visit any website, the website collects personal, identifiable information about you? Did you know that advertisers that post ads on those websites can use that information to track you as you surf the Internet? Most of us don’t really have any idea what information is being collected about us and what websites are doing with this information. What you don’t know may surprise and frighten you, because websites can identify you in many different ways, even if you take steps to protect your identity. Read More
Protecting Yourself While Filing Your Taxes Online
Posted on Thursday, April 7th, 2011 by Nikki Junker
There are actually four “tax times” throughout the year, but for most people April 15th is “THE tax time.” It can be a very stressful time of year and the last thing you need to worry about is identity theft. While figuring out if that new pair of shoes could be a “business expense” may have you pulling your hair out, taking some simple precautions can help you avoid having your identity stolen. Follow these precautions to help ensure that finishing your taxes is a time to celebrate, not a time to start worrying. Read More
Unsuspecting Taxpayers Scammed by Identity Thieves E-Filing False Returns
Posted on Friday, April 1st, 2011
New Mexico’s Tax Secretary has warned against criminal enterprises that are targeting taxpayers and filing false income tax returns by using stolen personal information. The suspects in this ongoing scheme – who managed to steal nearly $139,000 from 73 fraudulent returns — stole personal information like “name, address, and Social Security number — and then filed false personal income tax returns using that information. All these returns were filed electronically,” according to an official statement released by New Mexico’s Taxation and Revenue Department.
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