Alabama Consumer Law Blog

Our friend Denise Richardson of givembackmycredit.com has posted an interesting article on how college students are especially at risk for becoming victims of identity theft. Since July 2009 there have been more than 70 successful data breaches in 30 states; in 88% of these breaches an individual's or student's Social Security Number was shown.

One reason college students are more vulnerable to identity theft is because of the number of times they are asked to give out personal information. Some universities even use students' SSNs for student identification numbers, which is then sometimes shown on a student ID card. It's estimated that over a million students, alumni and faculty have been affected by a data loss or breach that exposed their personal information.

Personal information can be illegally accessed several different ways, such as outside hackers or even unhappy university employees who obtain the information to sell to identity thieves.

LifeLock recommends individuals who have been informed of a potential breach of personally identifiable information should;

* Do your research - find out what information has been compromised. This will help you identify the risks associated and the best next steps

* Consider utilizing an ID theft protection service - Services such as the advanced LifeLock Command Center protection suite offers members LifeLock Personal Breach Detection service, which actively monitors unregulated global networks for your identity information. If they find you are at risk, they will alert you by e-mail and help protect you against accidental personal information disclosures, not just from your personal computer, but many other computers that may store your personal information and participate in peer-to-peer file-sharing

* Place a fraud alert - Contact one of the three credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit. You will only need to contact one, and then that bureau will contact the other two on your behalf. With a fraud alert in place, creditors should be notified that you are concerned about identity theft when they receive a new application, helping to stop the extension of credit in your name to a thief

* Repeat as needed - You can renew your fraud alert every 90 days. It is important to note that you will need to renew in order for it to stay in effect. (You may also remove a fraud alert at any time.)

* Request your free credit report - Do this as soon as possible so that you are able to see evidence of an identity theft appear on your credit report, should one exist.

The fastest growing group of identity theft victims is young adults age 18-29. Colleges and universities are working with LifeLock's educational programs to teach students and faculty on how to avoid having their personal information taken in the event of a breach.

If you have had problems with identity theft and have further questions or concerns, feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

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Associated Press has posted an article about a new form of identity theft that targets children's social security numbers. Hundreds of businesses are using computer searching to locate dormant social security numbers, which belong to children who don't use them. The businesses then sell the numbers under a different name to people who can then earn phony credit and rack up huge debts they have no intention of ever paying off.

This scheme is a new threat to the nation's credit system because it falls in a legal gray area in that federal investigators have not yet figured out how to prosecute those involved.

"If people are obtaining enough credit by fraud, we're back to another financial collapse," said Linda Marshall, an assistant U.S. attorney in Kansas City. "We tend to talk about it as the next wave."

A Kansas City FBI agent accidentally uncovered the scheme while investigating a mortgage fraud case. The sellers avoid dealing with the law by not referring to them as social security numbers. Instead they call them CPNs, which can stand for credit profile, credit protection, or credit privacy numbers. Because of this, this form of identity theft is difficult to detect and it remains unclear exactly how much damage is being done.

The scheme works like this:

Online companies use computers and publicly available information to find random Social Security numbers. The numbers are run through public databases to determine whether anyone is using them to obtain credit. If not, they are offered for sale for a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

Because the numbers often come from young children who have no money of their own, they carry no spending history and offer a chance to open a new, unblemished line of credit. People who buy the numbers can then quickly build their credit rating in a process called "piggybacking," which involves linking to someone else's credit file.

The businesses also instruct customers to provide false information when using the number to apply for credit. Customers are told to use their real name and date of birth, but to avoid listing any addresses or phone numbers they've used in the past. They're also told to avoid any other information that connects the new, clean credit profile with the old, damaged one.

Children's social security numbers are more in demand than other unused numbers, such as a deceased person's. Children's numbers offer the identity thief a "clean" chance of acquiring fake credit from a number no one else is using and that won't be detected until several years later when the child applies for a loan or seeks credit for the first time. Credit bureaus can quickly identify a deceased person's social security number being used fraudulently by consulting the Social Security Administration's death index. There is no such index for dormant/ unused numbers.

If you have had problems with identity theft and have further questions or concerns, feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

You can join our Facebook Fan Page - Alabama Consumer Protection Attorneys where we share useful information about the same types of issues that we cover in this blog.

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Our friend Denise Richardson of givemebackmycredit.com has posted an article about one man's struggle with identity theft. Dan Wheeler's wallet was stolen from his truck about fifteen years ago and has been dealing with identity theft issues ever since. If that wasn't bad enough, because of the identity theft, he has also been wrongfully branded as a sex offender...possibly forever. Trying to correct identity theft can be very expensive, and being labeled a sex offender makes it nearly impossible for him to get any job that requires a background check.

Identity theft continues to be a growing problem, whether it's medical, criminal, employment, reputation or financial. Once your information is compromised and/or stolen, you can't predict or control what the consequences will be. A recent study by Ponemon Institute has shown that organizations are being bombarded by at least one successful data attack per week, which carries a cost of anywhere between $1million to $53 million annually.

This study found that among the 2,807 publicly disclosed data breaches worldwide during the past five years, the cost to the victim firms as well as those whose information was exposed came to whopping $139 billion. Another stunning figure.

The study found that social security numbers were the most commonly compromised, followed by credit card numbers. "Remember, once that SSN lands in the wrong hands -it's irretrievable."

No one is immune to data breach or an identity theft -no one should minimize the risk or the many effects either. Identity theft is serious business, and I'm worried that if those who continue to write about identity theft in a manner that minimizes the effects it carries and in a way that doesn't take identity theft seriously, then the public won't take it seriously, either. And that's not good for business or consumers.

If you have had issues with identity theft and have further questions or concerns, feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

You can join our Facebook Fan Page - Alabama Consumer Protection Attorneys where we share useful information about the same types of issues that we cover in this blog.

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Good morning,

I hope your week is going well. I received a lot of good feedback on the video last week - everyone that wrote in said they liked it. One person said my head was too big which reminded me of the Seinfeld episode (the "Andrea Doria" episode) where everyone kept saying Elaine's head was so large.

I don't think my head is too out of whack with my body - but I have taken the good advice and moved the camera a bit further away. :)

Speaking of video, here is this week's video.

So I took this negative - having the camera too close - and turned it into (hopefully!) a positive. Let's talk about this today for a moment . . .

We all face adversity in life but I read a quote years ago that has stayed with me and really has been helpful as I go through difficult times. It's from Napoleon Hill and it goes like this:

"Within every adversity, there is a seed of an equal or greater benefit."

The idea is that in every tragedy or difficult time, somewhere (and sometimes its hidden really well!) is something that will turn out for our benefit.

It can be something major - loss of a job or a broken relationship . . . this is bad but it leads to a better job or better relationship. You know the expression - we look back and say "Wow, that was a blessing in disguise."

Or it can be a more minor issue.

I'm not saying it is always true or easy - I understand from years of representing families who have lost loved ones through some company's negligence how tough some situations can be . . . but . . . we have to go through these difficult times anyway and if we have the asumption there is some hidden benefit, then we very often will find it.

OK - what in the world does this have to do with our newsletter on consumer issues?

Well, it applies to most situations our clients find themselves in . . . Facing some difficulty and having the choice to make - do we just wallow in self pity or do we find some way to turn this bad situation into a good one?

You are dealing with an abusive debt collector. One that calls your family members. Calls your neighbors. "Blows up your cell phone" with multiple calls a day. It's affecting your job - your mood - your work.

Bad situation? Absolutely. Is there a hidden benefit? Perhaps.

Maybe you reach the threshold and say "Never again will I be put in this situation where I have collectors calling."

Maybe you can sue the collector and receive compensation. That compensation allows you to pay off some debt.

Or like one client I had who owed no-one in the world but had a collector that would not take him off an auto dialer (robo calls) after he repeatedly told the collection agency they had the wrong person.

He finally sued because it was the only way to make the calls stop. He didn't need the money but I mentioned that obviously that collection agency wanted to give him money and he could take a vaction on them or donate it to charity. The point is - very annoying what he faced but he was able to turn this around and get a benefit out of it.

We have represented over a 100 clients who have been sued by debt buyers. Debt buyers who could not prove they owned the debt or that our clients owed the debt.

Bad situation being sued? Of course. But we won those trials. Now - but not before being sued - now we have a court order that we did not owe the debt buyer any money.

Ahhh.... now we have a benefit "greater than" the adversity.

We take that court order and tell the credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union) that we do not owe the debt and to get the debt buyer's account off of our credit report.

Sometimes they would not remove it. Bad? Sure.

But then we sued the debt buyer and the credit reporting agencies. We generally received compensation and we had it removed from our credit reports.

All because of this bad situation of getting sued by a debt buyer and a bad situation of the credit reporting agencies not following the law.

One last example. We get behind on our mortgage payments. We are facing foreclosure. The mortgage company lies to you about what it will take to stop the foreclosure. You believe the lie (who else would know better than the mortgage company?) and because of that you end up with your home foreclosed.

Bad situation - adversity? Absolutely.

But because of the fraud and arrogance of the mortgage company you sue the mortgage company . . . and now facing a fraud jury trial the mortgage company decides to finally treat you with respect and honor.

Now the mortgage company agrees to modify the loan and compensate you for lying to you.

Bad situation you were in? Sure. But now you are in a better situation and you know better how to protect yourself in the future.

I'm not saying every situation turns out like I described above. Sometimes we lose if we are sued. Sometimes we lose when we sue the bad guys. Sometimes our health problems don't change for the better overnight.

That's life. But we have to look at the bad situation we are in and say "That stinks . . . but . . . what is the benefit I will find?"

Maybe its simply the life experience.

Maybe it prompts changes in how we handle our money or our health or whatever the case may be but my suggestion to all of us (talking to myself certainly!) is to have the assumption - to suppose - that somewhere we will find that benefit. . . and that benefit will be equal to or even greater than the adversity we are going through.

Or we could just say life is terrible.

Nah - let's not do that. :)

This reminds me of something my father told me when I was a kid - he said "Remember the 50:20 principle."

"What's that?"

"Genesis 50:20 -- when Joseph was sold into slavery. Then he became a ruler in Egypt and saved his family - who had sold him into slavery. He said to them 'You meant it for evil but God meant it for good.'"

A pretty good assumption to have don't you think?

Have a great weekend and next week I'll have a shorter newsletter (smile) - this one just kind of grew on me....

Best wishes . . .

John Watts

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The Western Mass Women Magazine has posted an article that gives helpful information about identity theft. There are several types of identity theft: medical, business/commercial (used to gain credit in the name of the person's business), criminal (used by identity thieves to avoid being caught and prosecuted), and financial (when a thief uses a false identity to receive products or money in your name). 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2008 and the numbers are still growing.

There are three common techniques that identity thieves readily use: phishing, smishing, and vishing.

All of which attempt to contact the potential identity theft victim through email, voice messaging and texting (respectively) in order to collect as much personal information as possible. These forms of communication re usually sent from a seemingly legitimate source, such as one’s bank or credit card company, and often state that an immediate response is required to resolve an “urgent matter” regarding one’s account.

The identity thief counts on people to respond to such messages and provide details about their account as well as personal information. After obtaining that, it becomes very easy for them to set up fake accounts in the victim's name.

Still, there are more "traditional" methods. Shoulder surfing (listening in on conversations and piecing together personal information), dumpster diving (obtaining information through discarded bills and paperwork), and mail theft.

Mail theft relates to dumpster diving in the sense that the identity thief equates discarded mail items to a goldmine in terms of uncovering information. Mail thieves, however, do not limit themselves to merely picking through another’s trash, for they will pilfer directly from the ultimate source: the mailboxes themselves.

There is no guaranteed way to prevent being a victim of identity theft, but there are measures you can take to decrease the likelihood. You need to be familiar with your credit report so you will notice if anything unexpected changes. Be careful to check the URL on any website where you enter personal information to make sure it's the actual site you think it is. Also, be wary of phone scams and if a strange number calls you claiming to need information because of problems with your account, you should research the number for yourself. Your Caller ID can be fooled by identity thieves.

Some of the advice in this article comes from our friend Denise Richardson, of givemebackmycredit.com, who was also a victim of identity theft. In 2001, her credit card was charged $9,000 for plane tickets that weren't hers. And again, in December 2009, her credit card was charged by a cable company she doesn't use.

Despite her ill-fated circumstances, Richardson finds a silver lining and now takes a proactive approach to protecting her credit history and identity by currently focusing on advocacy and education in relation to identity theft and fraud. In addition to running a very successful blog (www.givemebackmycredit.com), she also published a book, Give Me Back My Credit!, in 2006 that shares the details of her personal story as well as advice.

If you have questions or concerns on this issue, feel free to
contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

You can join our Facebook Fan Page - Alabama Consumer Protection Attorneys where we share useful information about the same types of issues that we cover in this blog.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

The New York Times has posted an article that discusses how lenders are adding to the problem of identity theft by still giving someone credit even if there are indicators of fraud. About 10 million Americans are victims of identity theft annually, partly because personal information (like Social Security numbers) is so easily accessible.

Chris Jay Hoofnagle, a lecturer at the University of California at Berkley, put out a report in which...

the Fair Credit Reporting Act that allows victims of ID theft to ask creditors for the fraudulent applications submitted in their names, Mr. Hoofnagle worked with a small sample of six ID theft victims and delved into how they were defrauded.

Of 16 applications presented by imposters to obtain credit or medical services, almost all were rife with errors that should have suggested fraud. Yet in all 16 cases, credit or services were granted anyway.

One victim found that out of the fake applications submitted in her name, four of the six had listed the wrong address, two had the wrong phone number and one had the wrong birthday. Another victim found that an identity thief had obtained a copy of his driver's license and was using the photo for identification, even though the two didn't look similar. Another man found that a Kohl's credit card was opened in his name, even though on the application his name was spelled wrong.

Increasing the penalties for imposters and identity thieves would certainly help curb the problem, but for that to be effective lenders also have to pay more attention and be willing not to give credit when there are blatant errors on an application that indicate fraud.

If you have had problems with identity theft and have questions or concerns, feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

You can join our Facebook Fan Page - Alabama Consumer Protection Attorneys where we share useful information about the same types of issues that we cover in this blog.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

Waaytv.com has posted an article with some good pointers for avoiding identity theft and good news about identity theft and homeowners insurance. About 9 million Americans are victims of identity theft annually. The big problem is that people usually don't even know they're victims of it until they are contacted about bills or other expenses that the thief is responsible for. Normally, victims of identity theft spend about $1,200 of their own money and 175 hours to reverse the damage. If you suspect your identity has been stolen, contact your bank and credit card companies immediately.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said: "Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country... It can happen to anybody... it doesn't matter how big you are, how little you are, how famous you are, how unknown you are..."

The good news is that several homeowners insurance companies cover identity theft as part of their policies. The coverage can cover things such as reimbursement for "expenses lost during the process," phone bills, mailing costs, lost wages and legal fees. It costs between $25-50 to add identity theft coverage to a homeowners/renters insurance policy.

Here are some tips to help protect your identity:

Never give personal information to anyone over the telephone.

Keep non-essential cards (medical card, identification badges, social security, credit cards) at home.

Invest in a locking mailbox. Never send outgoing mail through non-secure mailboxes.

Shred all documents that include your name, birth date, or other sensitive information, including junk mail. Determined identity thieves will often rummage through garbage cans to obtain discarded mail.

Make sure you have firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus programs installed on your computer.

Check your credit report periodically. Consumers are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit bureaus-Equifax (http://www.equifax.com), Experian (http://www.experian.com), and TransUnion (http://www.transunion.com/).

Consider investing in a homeowners insurance policy. A number of homeowners insurance companies offer identity theft protection as a part of their insurance policy.

If you have been a victim of identity theft and have further questions or concerns, feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

You can sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

You can also join our Facebook Fan Page - Alabama Consumer Protection Attorneys where we share useful information about the same types of issues that we cover in this blog.

NPR.org has posted an article that discusses the dangers of medical identity theft and how you can better prevent it. Medical identity theft can not only affect consumers' credit scores, but also puts their personal safety at risk. The identity thief can provide false information, like blood type and medications, that can later affect the actual insurance holder

."We've had people who, all of a sudden, their health care record has different blood types," Dixon says. "They have health care records with different genders and ages. Different medications. There are people we've talked with who, their imposter went in and had a hospital stay and put down that they were allergic to one drug, and then the real person is not allergic to that drug, but they're allergic to other drugs."

Health care workers have found that asking patients to tell them their medical history can help throw and identity thief off. Often times, they will stumble over or mess up information on the patient's medical chart.

Nearly all cases of this kind of identity theft are "insider jobs." Employees like accountants and receptionists have easy access to patient records. It's a good idea to get a hardcopy of your medical chart, even if a fee is charged, so there is a way to prove what the chart used to look like should it be falsely altered later on.

If you have further questions or concerns about identity theft, feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

Silive.com has posted an article about the a warning from the IRS concerning scams during the tax filing season. Scam artists are using the IRS logo, name and other devices to impersonate the agency and thus obtain your personal information for the purpose of identity theft. Scammers usually try to contact people through Twitter, emails or other online messaging services. Others use faxes or phone calls or set up their own websites.

The IRS rarely sends unsolicited emails to people, and if it does, information about tax accounts isn't discussed, nor will they ask for personal information or sensitive financial information such as bank accounts or PIN numbers.

Anyone with a computer, phone or fax machine could receive a scam message or unknowingly visit a phony or misleading Web site. Individuals, businesses, educators, charities and others have been targeted by e-mails that claim to come from the IRS or Treasury Department. Scam e-mails are generally sent out in bulk, based on e-mail addresses (urls), similar to spam.

If you have questions or concerns about identity theft, feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

Yahoo!Finance has posted an article that discusses traits that victims of identity theft have in common. Experian, a credit bureau, has conducted a study that indicates identity thieves go for "affluent suburban consumers" who often live in higher-income neighborhoods with few renters and own one or more new or luxury vehicles. Of twelve categorizations of people, three were most highly sought after my identity thieves: "affluent suburbia," "upscale American" and the more middle-class "American diversity."

Experian says these consumers live in and around metropolitan areas, favor leisure activities, have college diplomas or advanced degrees and more often tend to be married.

Experian identifies the common activities of those most often victimized by ID theft:

• Tennis
• Politics
• Foreign travel
• Charities/volunteering
• Cultural/arts
• Skiing

Where consumers live is also important to an identity thief. For example, it's easier to steal a discarded document in a suburban area. Also, these affluent households "may have domestic help and service people who may have the opportunity to steal personal info from the home that can be used to acquire credit."

Lenders also target these groups of people. Because of this, thieves have an easier time getting services and credit in the victim's name.

How to protect yourself can be tricky because you can't control where your information goes after it leaves your hands. Banks and other financial institutions have an obligation to guard your information. However, this article says that lenders need to strike a balance between guarding consumers' information and still making it possible to get a loan or credit without major hassles.

If you should be a victim of identity theft, consider a credit freeze even though it might be a bit more work on your end. Credit Monitoring alerts you when changes are made to your credit score.

If you have been a victim of identity theft or have questions or concerns on the subject, feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

BusinessWeek.com has posted an article about a recent identity theft case. Leonardo Darnell Zanders was convicted for helping to lead a ring of identity theft that caused $1.5 million in losses to financial institutions, including Ben S. Bernanke, a Federal Reserve Board Chairman, and his wife among the victims. Zanders must also repay $1.4 million in reimbursements.

Zanders pled guilty for...

conspiring to commit bank fraud. He helped direct the scheme to use the IDs and stolen bank information to impersonate victims and make “split” transactions, depositing a check drawn on the bank account of another victim, and then siphoning the money out of the falsely inflated account, court records show.

Darrell Earl Price, a co defendant in the trial, testified that Zanders gave him checks belonging to the Bernankes. Mr. Bernanke said that his family was just one of about 500 families affected by Zanders' crime ring. Zanders acquired the Bernanke's bank information after Mrs. Bernanke's purse was stolen.

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States, victimizing about 700,000 people a year. Consumers should certainly be taking extra precautions to protect themselves from becoming identity theft victims themselves.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 205-879-2447.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

Our friend Denise Richards, of givemebackmycredit.com, has posted an article about Sidejacking. Sidejacking is a threat that is not really new, but many people still don't know about the risk that can lead to identity theft.
Sidejacking occurs when a person hacks into a wireless internet connection and steals your personal information. Websites like Facebook, Myspace and various emails through search engines are at risk of being hacked if you login on wireless connections at public locations such as airports, coffeeshops, hotels, etc.

The sidejacker does not gain access to your specific username and password, but he does obtain the unencrypted session ID that is transmitted over the wireless connection from the website back to you. If the hacker gains access to the session ID, then he can enter the session and gain access to most of the information in your account.

However, sidejacking doesn't attack your computer like a virus or spyware, therefore, the hacker doesn't have access to every piece of your information. You can protect yourself from being a victim of sidejacking by avoiding the wireless internet provided in public places while you're out. If you must use the internet on a public connection, try to avoid checking your bank account and other important accounts. You can check the security settings on your router at home to further protect yourself.

If you have had problems with identity theft, feel free to contact us.

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The Associated Press has posted an article about a man from Miami, Albert Gonzalez, who has reportedly tried to steal 130 million credit card numbers. "The one-time government informant" is being charged with the largest case of credit and debit card data theft in the nation's history...on top of another 40 million numbers that he previously stole.

Gonzalez used to work for the US Secret Service as an informant responsible for tracking hackers, which is ironic because

...the agency later found out that he had also been working with criminals and feeding them information on ongoing investigations, even warning off at least one individual, according to authorities.

Two Russian co-conspirators also joined Gonzalez in attempting to hack into corporate computer networks to leave malware that would give them access to steal data. They targeting major companies such as 7-Eleven Inc, the grocery store chain Hannaford Brothers, Co. Inc, as well as a New Jersey based card-payment processor named Heartland Payment Systems.

He is already in jail on other hacking charges and could face up to 20 years for this particular sentence. Other charges against him include hacking into the servers of Barnes and Noble, TJ Maxx, Office Max, Sports Authority and the restaurant chain Dave and Buster's.

If convicted, Gonzalez could face a life sentence for those charges as well as 20 years for the recent charges.

If you have had problems with identity theft or stolen credit card numbers, feel free to contact us.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

Our friend Denise Richardson has posted an article about the growing concern of medical identity theft. In 2007 more than 250,000 people reported being victims of medical identity theft, which is even harder to correct than kinds of financial identity theft.

Richardson links to a New York Times Article that discusses how medical identity theft happens.

...someone can use stolen insurance information, like the basic member ID and group policy number found on insurance cards, to impersonate you — and receive everything from a routine physical to major surgery under your coverage. This is surprisingly easy to do, because many doctors and hospitals do not ask for identification beyond insurance information.

Even more common, however, are cases where medical information is stolen by insiders at a medical office. Thieves download vital personal insurance data and related information from the operation’s computerized medical records, then sell it on the black market or use it themselves to make fraudulent billing claims.

Sometimes employees in a medical office stealing information will sell it or use it themselves and file fraudulent claims.

In a widely reported case in 2006, a clerk at a Cleveland Clinic branch office in Weston, Fla., downloaded the records of more than 1,100 Medicare patients and gave the information to her cousin, who in turn, made $2.8 million in bogus claims.

Fraudulent claims can result in an exponential amount of unpaid balances, but can also be physically dangerous. The victim's medical information may have been amended to list different allergies, surgeries and medications that are not the victim's. This can be especially dangerous because it impacts future medical treatments.

Privacy laws work against the victim once the theft is discovered, in that the thief's medical records are also considered to be confidential, even though they are intermingled with the victim's. This makes the problem exceptionally hard to fix, since the victim is not technically supposed to see the other person's records.

If you have had problems with identity theft, feel free to contact us.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

Denise Richardson of GiveMeBackMyCredit.com has posted an article about the problem of children being the victims of identity theft. Often, the theft isn't discovered until years later when...

a young adult is denied a student loan, credit or employment, all because of a destroyed credit rating.

Stolen Social Security Numbers and birth certificates are available to be purchased with relative ease, and thieves are able to manipulate children's identities to their advantage. The Social Security Administration doesn't have a "check and balance" system yet that can put names, ages, and genders with Social Security Numbers.

If you, or your child, have been victims of identity theft, feel free to contact us.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

Another resource for you is to join our Facebook Fan Page - Alabama Consumer Protection Attorneys where we share useful information about the same types of issues that we cover in this blog.

Denise Richardson of Give Me Back My Credit.com has posted an article in which she discusses "caller ID spoofing." Caller ID Spoofing is when the number displayed on your caller ID isn't the number actually calling.

Scammers can use this method of spoofing to pose as hospitals or banks (or any other place), and then trick you into telling them personal information. This can be as simple as a prank, or lead to identity theft .

Still, precautions should be taken. Richardson advises never giving personal information out to anyone who calls your landline phone. She suggests looking up the company that called you and see if it's a legitimate number and then call them back.

If you have been a victim of identity theft, feel free to contact us.

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Denise Richardson has reported on the data breach at the University of Alabama:

University of Alabama campus officials sent letters out to 37,000 people whose personal information may have been stolen by computer hackers.

The school revealed Friday that in November, seventeen of their four-hundred databases were tapped by hackers. One of those computers contained lab results for people tested at the campus Medical Center. However, school officials say campus computer technicians quickly caught the hackers before they likely retrieved any confidential information.

Still, the school is suggesting people whose information was compromised check their credit records for any potential identity theft. A letter addressed to all of those with information on the servers were advised to place a fraud alert on their credit files and check bank accounts for unusual activity.

For more information on how to protect yourself if your data has been stolen read Denise's informative website here.

If you are a victim of Identity Theft, here are some additional steps you can take as well as contacting us for a free consultation on your rights.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

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Our friend Denise Richardson who runs the site Give Me Back My Credit was down for a bit due to attacks but is now back up and running better than before. This site is a wonderful resource for identity theft issues, collection agency abuse, and credit reporting errors. Please make sure you subscribe to her site or visit there often.

Keep up the good work Denise!

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

Another resource for you is to join our Facebook Fan Page - Alabama Consumer Protection Attorneys where we share useful information about the same types of issues that we cover in this blog.

One of our favorite blogs (and bloggers) is Denise Richardson who has a wealth of helpful information about identity theft and other consumer issues. Her personal story is impressive and the content of her site reveals her dedication to consumers. She has recently redesigned her website and blog - check them out and if you don't subsribe by RSS to her blog we recommend you do so in order to make sure you get to read all of her posts.

Keep up the great work Denise!

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

Another resource for you is to join our Facebook Fan Page - Alabama Consumer Protection Attorneys where we share useful information about the same types of issues that we cover in this blog.

In these turbulent economic times, it is more important than ever to keep your credit reports clean and free of errors. Having an error could lead to your credit card limits being reduced. Your credit card rates being increased. Losing a security clearance which could lead to losing your job. Our friend Denise Richards has an excellent post on this subject. Read the entire article (as it also has links that will be helpful) but here are the ten steps she suggests:

Here are the 10 quick tips that can help you avoid fraud -(or errors) that can be costly;

1. Monitor bank, credit card and loan statements. If you are expecting a bill that doesn't come, contact your account holder immediately. If you see any unexpected spikes in your interest rates, contact your creditor. Unexpected interest rate spikes can be a tip off that erroneous information is contaminating your credit report. Watch for withdrawals or charges you did not make!

2. Beware of people lurking nearby while using ATM, credit cards, checks and your laptop or community computer. Thieves will often hover near you to steal account and PIN numbers; they are trained to memorize credit card and account numbers.

3. Delete any personal information and passwords you may have entered into a shared computer. You never know who is going to be using it next and you never know if the computer is already infected with key-logging spy ware that collects bits of information on you with every stroke you make on the keyboard.

4. Examine all correspondence mailed to you to ensure it has your correct name and address. If there are name variations, contact the sender and ask why you are receiving it. When throwing out documents that contain personal information...SHRED them into small pieces.

5. Safeguard your laptop and Smart Phones. Many of the recent data breaches have involved the theft of laptops. Always make sure that your laptop is password protected, and armed with a firewall and up-to-date virus protection software -at all times. If you password protect your Smart Phone it will buy you some time to close accounts and change passwords if stolen. Also be sure to check that you have activated your firewall.

6. Monitor your credit reports. Look for any name, address or open accounts that are not yours. Dispute all inaccuracies via certified mail. Place fraud alerts on your credit reports. Remember, they fall off every 90 days or so. (Credit freezes are now available but you need to determine if you will be seeking credit in the near future as you will have to pay to freeze it and then pay again to unfreeze it). Determine which safety measure is best for your particular situation. The official toll free automated number to call in order to order your free annual credit reports is 877-322-8228.

7. Recognize that unfortunately profiles and posts are never private. Current and prospective employers often Google your name in order to see what your interests are, what is on your personal page and what others have to say about you.

8. Keep you Social Security number, passwords and PIN's safeguarded -and never carry them in your wallet. If your wallet was lost or stolen today...would you know who to call and what steps to immediately take?

9. Beware of scams. Never provide any personal information such as your Social Security number, bank account numbers or credit card data to anyone who contacts you via telephone solicitation, email or through social networking sites. Oftentimes, scam emails and phone calls will appear authentic and urgent -but they are not! If you receive a notice from someone instructing you to dial an 800 number (or any number), first check your statement or legitimate documentation for the valid phone number. Fake websites and bogus phone numbers are often included in "phishing" email scams, which are designed to appear urgent -don't fall for them. They only want information from you that they can sell or trade, to multiple thieves in the thriving underground chat rooms. Remember...legitimate companies will not ask for personal information through email.(see video here)

10. Prevent thieves from cracking passwords. Pick Passwords and profiles carefully. Pet names, birth dates, hometown and interests such as favorite sport team or band, favorite hangouts, hobbies, as well as spouses and children's names are often compiled in passwords and thieves know this. They use these bits of information to crack your password and then get into your email, bank accounts or other online sites you frequent such as Amazon, Itunes -or anywhere you utilize your private password.

Please contact us if you have any questions about your credit reports, identity theft, or any other consumer issues.

You can also sign up for our free email newsletter sent out every Thursday morning - we cover topics such as the one in this post. We would love to include you! Just fill out the form below:

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