“I have been forced to relocate my family to live at my offices because I can no longer afford to pay rent. We have an infant son and we are being forced to live in an attic without heat. We are selling off our jewelry, liquidating investments and diluting our savings. This is not a situation of my making. I need help. I need it now.” (From Oreste Speciale’s victim-impact statement.)

Linda Lee David, a former employee, used Speciale’s identity to run up more than $209,000 in credit card debt over a two-year period.

David was sentenced this week to four years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and violating supervised release terms. She spent three months in prison for stealing the identity of a coworker and running up $11,669 on fraudulent credit cards. She’d been out of prison for less than a year when she began ripping off Speciale.

She took out credit cards from Wells Fargo, WaMu, American Express, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Exxon Mobil, First Equity and Bill Me Later and used them for everyday expenses like gas, groceries and clothing. Occasionally, she made larger purchases like a 42-inch flat screen television and a mini camcorder. She also treated her family to fun-filled Niagara Falls vacation.

Unfortunately for David, that vacation was recorded on the cool little camcorder and shown in court as evidence against her.

Coworkers and employees are frequently the perpetrators of identity theft. Protect yourself with Life Lock. Visit LifeLock.com and enroll using the LifeLock promotion code RD25 to get the lowest possible price and 30 days of free service.

There are several different types of identity theft, and any one of them could happen to you.

Synthetic Identity Theft

This first term describes the most common type of identity theft. Criminals steal or make up a Social Security number and then build a total identity with name, address, phone numbers, date of birth etc. If these identifiers even come close to matching your personal information, a subfile may be attached to your credit records. Of course the debts accrued by the perpetrators go unpaid and ultimately damage your credit.

Mailbox Identity Theft

Home mailboxes are a gold mine for identity thieves. The raised red flag notifies them that there’s probably a check for an outgoing bill in the box, and all the criminal has to do to reach in and help himself. Incoming mail is also a rich vein of information for thieves. Think of all the pre-approved credit offers you get in the mail every month; everything the thief needs to perpetrate identity theft is right there. If he’s especially lucky, he might even hit your mailbox on the day one of your creditors sends you those convenient blank checks.

Phishing and Identity Theft

You’ve probably already seen an attempt at this type of identity theft in your e-mail’s inbox. The object here is to trick you into divulging personal information by responding to an email purportedly from a credit card company, your bank or ebay. Commonly the email is sent in the guise of a security maintenance check, asking you to verify your account number or other personal information. The trickiest thing about phishing emails is that the phishers can cut and paste graphics from the authentic company website making distinguishing real from fake nearly impossible. Tip offs are spelling errors, poor grammar, or a general salutation, e.g., “Dear Customer.”

Data Breaches and Identity Theft

In the last few years, hundreds of millions of Americans have been compromised when their personal or financial information was lost, stolen or mishandled while in the hands of private, corporate or governmental entities. Very often this is the result of employees losing laptops, or administrators inadvertently placing information on the internet. The largest data breach to date is the TMX incident in which the data on 94 million TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods or Bob’s Stores shoppers was hacked from their network. Though hacking seems to get the most media attention, it actually represents only a small number of data breaches. The largest governmental breach occurred when a data analyst for the US Department of Veterans Affairs took home a laptop containing the records of 26.5 million current and former military members. Unfortunately, his home was robbed and the burglar made off with the laptop.

Visit LifeLock.com and use the Life Lock discount code RD25 for the lowest available price.

Having TransUnion’s cooperation will make it hassle-free for LifeLock to initiate and renew fraud alerts, and obtain credit reports for their clients. The enhanced relationship will also make it easier for LifeLock to place “opt out” orders on their clients’ to keep marketers from calling and sending pre-approved credit offers.

Fraud alerts and credit report reviews are considered the foundation–or bare minimum–of any identity theft protection program, whether it’s implemented by the consumer or  by an identity theft protection service like LifeLock. But accomplishing just those basic efforts hasn’t always been as easy as it should be.

Experian, another credit bureau with a competing credit monitoring product, even blocked LifeLock’s phone calls so they couldn’t place their customers’ fraud alerts there. Then, they filed a lawsuit against LifeLock claiming they were taking advantage of consumers by charging them for fraud alerts, etc.

After an investigation, a federal court has since ruled that much of the Experian complaint is a bunch of hooey.

The irony is that Experian has been reprimanded TWICE by the Federal Trade Commission for misleading consumers by advertising their $79 credit monitoring service with a “freecreditreport.com” website and “free credit report.com” commercials. Experian is being investigated by the Florida Attorney General’s office for their misleading advertisements.

By comparison, the website at LifeLock.com has the following text:

• “Some of what we do, you can do yourself for free. The difference is that the only thing we think about is how to protect your Identity. Think of it this way: all of us can change our own oil, but most of us have it done by specialists. We’d like to think that what we do is more complicated than changing oil, but you get the idea.
• Here’s what we do: First, we ask the credit bureaus to set free fraud alerts on your behalf …
• Second, unless your circumstances change and you tell us not to, every 90 days or so we ask the credit bureaus to do it again. You can do this for free if you’d prefer, but we make sure it gets done and that it gets done right. That’s where the oil change analogy we were talking about kicks in.
• Third, we request that your name be removed from pre-approved credit card and junk mail lists and we keep making the requests as they expire. Statistics show that this is one of the many ways that thieves hijack identities …  Many of our members tell us that this alone is worth the price. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can do this for free, but why not let us do it for you?
• Fourth, we order your free credit reports on your behalf from the major credit bureaus and they are sent directly to you. We do this every year. You can also do this yourself for free (Pennzoil anyone?).”

That’s misleading? Really?

This new agreement between LifeLock and TransUnion means that when LifeLock is ready to place fraud alerts, request credit reporst and “opt out” for their customers, TransUnion will be their go-to credit bureau, and then TransUnion sends the requests on to the other bureaus.

Protecting customers just got A LOT easier.

Visit LifeLock.com to enroll. Use the LifeLock promotion code RD25 and pay only $9 a month for complete identity theft protection including WalletLock™, eRecon™ and TrueAddress™.

Findings on the impact and scope of financial identity theft:
• So far, 15 million Americans have been victims of financial ID theft. With a national population of 300 million, that means 1 in 20 has been hit.

• Personal financial losses average $1,244.

• The estimated loss to businesses and consumers in 2005 was $56.6 billion.

• All branches of the federal government report losses of personal data, only a small percentage of which was caused by hackers. By far the majority of losses is the result of theft of laptops, disks, drives or unauthorized use by employees.

• Corporate and governmental security breeches account for 217,551,182 compromised records.

• 88 percent of all identity theft is the result of synthetic identity theft, rather than the better known true name identity theft.

• It takes an average of 600 hours to resolve issues of identity theft, though a many victims report that even after that time negative financial information remains on their credit report.

• Victims of financial identity theft report a level of emotional impact similar to victims of rape, assault and repeated battering. Some say they felt dirty, defiled or ashamed.

• Family stress, divorce, difficulty in finding employment and obtaining credit are common byproducts of identity theft

• Most financial identity theft is a crime of opportunity and is perpetrated by family members, neighbors or employees.

What can you do to prevent financial identity theft?
Given that your financial ID is almost entirely in the hands of government and corporate entities, there is little you can do to prevent identity theft. There are, however, steps you can take to minimize the risk and resultant damage should identity theft occur.
• Keep all documents with identifying information under lock and key. Carry no more identification or credit cards in your wallet than is absolutely necessary.

• Do not leave incoming or outgoing mail in your mailbox.

• Check your credit report at least every six months.

• Consider subscribing to an identity theft protection service. Service levels vary, but should include credit monitoring, fraud alerts and recovery services. Visit LifeLock.com to learn more about their service. Enroll using the LifeLock promotion code RD25 for the best discount.

Sources for this article and for further information about financial identity theft include:
• US Dept. of Justice (www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html)
• Javelin Strategy and Research (www.javelinstrategy.com)
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (www.privacyrights.org)
• Identity Theft Resource Center (www.idtheftcenter.org)

Reason Number 4: The U.S. Department of Justice considers identity theft to be the single largest crime problem in the nation, surpassing drug trafficking.

Reason Number 3: International crime rings that used to focus primarily on drug trafficking have now turned their attention to high-tech hacking and identity theft, which in turn provides revenue for drug trafficking.

Reason Number 2: There were more data breaches by August 2008 than in all of 2007. Those 449 reported data breaches exposed more than 22 million records. But it’s even worse than that. Surveys show that roughly half of the private and public entities that admitted to having data breaches don’t report them or notify their customers or constituents.

Drum roll, please …

The Number 1 Reason You Need LifeLock: Every year you make a New Years Resolution to get in shape and be more conscientious about your personal finances. But did you place fraud alerts on your credit files and renew them every 90 days?

Did you order your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies and review them? Did you remove your name from junk mail and phone solicitation lists? Did you photocopy the front and back of everything in your wallet and make a comprehensive list of all the contact numbers in case your wallet is stolen? Did you monitor 10,000 websites to make sure your personal information isn’t being bought, sold or traded?

No, you didn’t. But don’t beat yourself up about it. Just go to LifeLock.com, use the LifeLock promotional code RD25, and them take care of all of that and more. That way you’ll have more time to get in shape.

We all have hard to buy for people on our Christmas shopping lists. But choosing a thoughtful gift for an elderly man or woman might be the most challenging.

One of the most thoughtful Christmas gifts for an elderly family member is LifeLock identity theft protection. Seniors are especially vulnerable to identity theft, but Life Lock’s services can protect them.

• WalletLock™: Lost or stolen wallets are the most common source for identity thieves. Only LifeLock offers this service to immediately cancel and replace driver’s licenses, credit cards, Social Security cards … any official or financial documents that were in the wallet.  This service is essential for elderly people who have memory disorders or dementia.
• Junk mail reduction: Less junk mail and pre-approved credit offers means fewer opportunities for identity thieves. Stolen mail is the second most common sources of information for identity thieves.
• TrueAddress™: Identity thieves commonly divert their victims’ mail by submitting a change of address. LifeLock’s TrueAddress™ tool monitors these submissions to make sure your loved one’s identity isn’t threatened.
• Fraud alerts: Anytime a prospective creditor checks customers’ credit file, the customers are called to verify the applicant’s identity. LifeLock will help renew the fraud alert every 90 days so their protection is uninterrupted.
• Credit reports: LifeLock will help the customer get annual credit reports to check for any erroneous or unusual new entries.
• eRecon™: Millions of stolen identities are bought, sold and traded over the Internet every year. eRecon™ monitors the sites used by identity thieves and crime rings for any aspect of a customer’s identity.

The following article illustrates the value of LifeLock’s comprehensive identity theft protection.

Kimberly Foulks joined the legions of criminals caught by law enforcement officials after being pulled over for simple traffic violations. In her case, Fort Wayne, Indiana police found identification, checkbooks and gift cards, all bearing several different names. As if that wasn’t enough, Foulks also had outstanding warrants.

As the investigation against her progressed, police searched storage units rented by Foulks and discovered altered birth certificates and more IDs. They also found DVDs, electronics and jewelry.

County prosecutors charged Foulks with 66 counts of check fraud, theft and forgery.

But then the feds stepped in. Foulks, who also went by the name Kimberly Snyder, was charged in federal court with aggravated identity theft, securities fraud and bank fraud. Federal prosecutors say that over a period of roughly 18 months, she cashed about 900 counterfeit checks and used the money to make purchases worth more than $125,000.

Foulks will be sentenced in January 2009, and has made a plea agreement with the federal prosecutors.

Earlier this year, Ashley Snyder, Foulks’ daughter, admitted to participating in identity theft schemes with her mother. After pleading guilty to three counts of forgery, Snyder was given a suspended prison sentence, but will remain on probation for four years. She is also required to make $541 in restitution.

LifeLock protects their customers’ credit, finances and reputations with a full slate of tools and strategies, including several Life Lock exclusives like WalletLock™, TrueAddress™ and eRecon™.

Visit LifeLock.com to find out how LifeLock can help you. Use the LifeLock promo code RD25 and get their award-winning service for only $9 a month.

Mills, 38, will return to the U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia for sentencing February 20, 2009. If convicted, he could be sentenced to as much as 17 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.

Chesapeake police arrested Mills September 9 after a high-speed chase and his unsuccessful James Bond-like attempt to jump the open Gilmerton Bridge. The failed stunt landed him in the Elizabeth River, where a private boater then rescued him.

When police searched another car Mills had driven, they discovered at least 75 pieces of stolen mail, fake IDs printed with Mills’ photo and the identity theft victims’ personal information, two boxes of stolen checks from another person’s bank account and a .38-caliber Smith and Wesson, according to federal court documents.

Most of the mail was reported as having been stolen from local residents’ mailboxes, but Mills is also known to have burglarized at least one home.

According to Virginia’s online sex offender registry, Mills was convicted in 1993 of carnal knowledge of a child between the ages of 13 and 15.

LifeLock provides comprehensive identity theft protection to more than 1 million Americans. Visit their website at LifeLock.com to learn more about the tools and strategies that have earned them their reputation as the leader in the identity theft protection industry.

Enroll using the LifeLock promotional code RD25 to receive the lowest available price along with 30 days of free protection.

Here’s how it happens:

You’re waiting in line at the register with eight or nine other people. Everyone’s overheated, overburdened, overspending and maybe a wee bit grumpy and impatient. When it’s finally your turn to check out, all you’re thinking of getting it over with and getting out of the store. What you’re not thinking about is the guy behind you who’s reaching inside your open purse.

Or, you’re taking a break from shopping in the mall food court. It’s hot, it’s loud and it takes forever to find an available table. Once you find one, you set your tray down on the table, and set your purse in the empty chair. Then you stash your five bags with 27 pounds of gifts under the table where no one can steal them. While you’re doing that, someone has lifted your purse.

Or, you’re finally able to find the time to get together with friends at a favorite restaurant. You enjoy a long, leisurely dinner with lots of laughter and a little wine. The food was delicious and the waiter was attentive. When you get the check, you hand over your credit card and do a silent calculation of the generous tip you’re going to give him. What you don’t know is that he’s doing a little calculating too. He’s got a matchbox-sized card skimmer in his pocket, and has just discreetly recorded all of your credit card information.

Identity theft is a terrible thing to go through at any time of the year. But becoming an identity theft victim during the holiday is disastrous. Now, more than ever, you need LifeLock identity theft protection.

Visit LifeLock.com today to learn more about WalletLock™, the LifeLock product that protects you if your wallet is ever lost or stolen. Enroll using the Life Lock promo code RD1 and save enough money to buy yourself a little something.

Turner worked with two Citibank employees as accomplices. Andrea Renee Harris and Christianna M. Wright, who worked in Citibank’s customer service and collections department, shared their access to account information with Turner. Turner used that information to receive Visa and MasterCard credit cards and make fraudulent purchases.

Turner pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud in August. Harris was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and ordered to restitution in the amount of $11,812 after her guilty plea to a bank fraud charge. Wright received a 34-month sentence, and must pay $51,312 in restitution.

The case was investigated by the US Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney David Jarvis.

Senior US District Judge A. Joe Fish said before sentencing Turner that she had been involved in ID theft and fraud for many years causing significant pain and stress for her victims.

Car salesman, hospital employees and credit card companies—we give our personal and financial information out all the time to total strangers. We have to.

But how can you protect yourself from identity theft and credit card fraud? Truthfully, there isn’t much you can do, but LifeLock can.

LifeLock is the industry leader in identity theft protection services. Visit their website at LifeLock.com to see why their innovative and comprehensive program has been the choice for nearly 1.5 million consumers.

Enroll using the LifeLock promo code RD25 to get 30 days of free service and the lowest price available.