Legal Bugle ? Famous Cases of Identity Theft

In the modern world, where legal and financial transactions can be conducted over the Internet, and where most personal financial transactions are conducted by credit or other cashless methods, identity theft has become a greater concern than ever.

A case of identity theft can not only cost vast amounts of money, but the victims can be left with ruined credit ratings and may have to spend years restoring their financial status and reputation.

The Neighbors From Hell
Among the most famous of these cases was that of the so-called ?neighbors from hell.? Lara Love and David Jackson victimized over 30 of their neighbors with a massive identity theft scheme, taking advantage of the trusting nature of their friends in order to steal their identities using unsecured wireless networks, the documents found in the trash and even by stealing their wallets.

One of the most important factors was how easily they were able to steal credit and gift cards, making use of them to continue their illegal activities. When they were arrested, deputies found over 50 pre-paid credit and gift cards, worth thousands of dollars in their home. Identity theft involving such pre-paid cards can be especially damaging as once the cards are activated, it can be difficult or impossible to return the money.

The Case of the New York City Steakhouse
Another case, this one involving a group of steakhouse waiters in New York City, involved the stealing of credit card numbers and information from patrons, which were then used to make fraudulent charges on the victims? accounts. Just as in the earlier case, the fraud happened in a setting and way that few people associate with identity theft.

In both cases, the victims found their credit cards, gift cards and other information used without their permission or knowledge. In addition to the monetary loss, they suffered the great psychological toll from the loss of confidence and security in their day-to-day life.

How do you Protect Yourself?
When protecting against identity theft, in addition to securing non-physical items like bank account numbers and computer passwords, it is important for individuals to protect their credit cards, gift cards and debit cards. One possible way to do this is to work with companies that use Smart cards enabled with RFID chips with printed identifiers. Smart cards can make it more difficult for the criminal to use them, especially if they include biometric personal identity information embedded in the card.

Modern ID printers can also cheaply print the picture of the user on the card, which makes it harder for an identity thief to easily use the card. This photo-identification makes it easier to demonstrate that the theft occurred due to the negligence of the individuals who accepted it without verifying the identity of the user should a dispute about charges arise.

While identity theft remains a danger, by taking steps to ensure that credit cards and debit cards are secured, the wise consumer can protect himself or herself. Smart cards with printed photo identification are an effective way to defeat those who would engage in identity theft.

Steve Stoltz is a Sales Representative for CardPrinter.com, an online retailer that sells a variety of Card Printers. Visit our site for the best deals on Fargo Dual Sided Card Printers today! This article was written by a guest author. Would you like to, submit a guest blog post?

Source: http://www.legalbugle.com/famous-cases-of-identity-theft

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