Id Theft Alerts


December 17, 2009
Las Vegas Hospital has a Mole

Someone at University Medical Center has been selling the hospital's daily registration forms for accident patients. The forms include names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and injuries. It is unclear what the information was being bought for. It could be for attorneys looking for leads or to identity theft rings. Officials believe the leak has been going on for several months [source]
ChiocePoint Faces a Second Fine

In 2004 data broker ChoicePoint was the victim of a data breach affecting more than 160,000 people.  The paid a fine and agreed to clean up their act.  Apparently the second part was never done because they had another data breach in 2008.  In the latest breach a hacker gained access to the information for 13,750 people.  ChoicePoint has agreed to pay a fine of $275,000 for the latest incident.  [source]

I don't know about you but I don't believe this is the last time ChoicePoint makes it into ID Theft Alerts.
The Smart Grid and your Privacy

Many people are touting the new "smart grid." the Department of Energy has awarded $3.4 billion in stimulus money to 100 smart-grid projects. But no one is questioning the impact on personal privacy. A smart grid is designed to record the power usage for every household by outlet. Lets hope someone takes a look at how the data will be used and shared. [source]
Identity Theft from the Inside

Everyone worries about a thief taking your information but it is often family members you need to worry about. An estranged spouse has all the data they need to steal your identity. What about a house guest that later is not on good terms with you? Here is an interesting story of one woman's struggle with identity theft.
A Season to Give
Don't forget those less fortunate than yourself in the season of giving. Give to the Salvation Army.
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