Medical ID Theft On The Rise, Could Put Lives In Danger

We’ve all heard of identity theft and having our financial information stolen. But now there’s a new, scary twist on this crime.
Thieves are stealing medical identities, and that’s leaving victims with big bills and the potential for medical catastrophes.
Lisa is on the hook for $50,000 for services and drugs obtained in half-dozen states.


http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/09/27/i-team-medical-id-theft-on-the-rise-could-put-lives-in-danger/

'Packed house' for ID theft protection in Forest Lake, MN

FOREST LAKE, Minn. - Meetings at the library aren't usually sell outs but on Thursday night in Forest lake, the line went out the door to get in.
That's because folks are concerned and they wanted to hear from police about what is being done to investigate a recent rash of identity thefts.
Identity theft hit this community with a bang when ten women, who all live in the same neighborhood, most on the same street had their identities stolen in the last few weeks.
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Infant to senior: How identity theft is affecting every generation

An infant’s Social Security number is used in a credit card application. A 10-year-old’s identification information is used to apply for a car loan. Grandpa gets an email claiming that he won the lottery and needs to provide information to collect the winnings. Today, identity theft can occur to anyone, not just middle-aged adults. Savvy thieves are targeting every generation, from child to adult to senior. It’s important to stay alert so every member of your family is better protected.
Child ID theft
Think you don’t have to worry about identity theft for your kids? The fact is more than 19,000 cases of child identity theft were reported in 2011, up from about 6,000 in 2003, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

  How does this occur to children, who typically don’t even have a bank account? Every day many parents send their children to school and child care with personal information in their backpacks. Backpacks are typically hung out of sight for hours or information can end up in desks for days, providing ample opportunity for identity thieves.

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94 Million Exposed: The Government's Epic Fail on Privacy

When you hear a number like "94 million" in the news, it's usually because somebody won the lottery. This time around, no such luck. This 94 million is the number of Americans' files in which personal information has been exposed, since 2009, to potential identity theft through data breaches at government agencies. Go ahead, count the zeroes: 94,000,000. That's like releasing the personal data of every man, woman and child in California, Texas, New York, and Ohio.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-levin/government-data-security_b_1897229.html

Learn how to fight identity theft

By bringing electronic communications and banking to our computers and now our smart phones, technology certainly has made life easier in so many ways.

Want to pay a bill? Just go online and do it. Want to order some clothes or books? That’s just a click away. Need some gas for the car? Pop the credit card in the slot at the service station.


With such convenience has come a horrifying problem, and it’s unfortunately one that more people become familiar with each year. Identity theft is on the rise, and every day people in our area are discovering that someone has made purchases with a fake credit card based on a stolen ID.


Identity theft is often called the fastest growing crime in the nation. No one, even the most Internet-savvy person or someone who is exceptionally cautious, is immune to having their identity stolen. The crooks devote much time and research to staying ahead of efforts to stop this crime, and they are most imaginative.

Read more here:  Learn how to fight identity theft

 Get protection TODAY