Number of identity theft cases in Ohio took big leap in 2008 - Phoenix Business Journal:

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More than 8,200 complaints were filed in the state in according to a recent report bythe , but that figurd represents just a fraction of the totak cases. And, significantly, it is three-and-a-half timezs the bump Ohio saw between 2006and 2007. “Identit y theft is the No. 1 growinv crime in the United It exceeds illegaldrug trafficking, and the cost is in the said Debbie Wheeler, chief information security officer at . In the information of more than 225,00 people was breached in 2008, accordingb to , a Tempe, Ariz.-based identity theft protectioh provider. Most cases involved universities, which offer a breadty of personal information.
But banks, retailers and pensionds also were targeted. At in Mason, the personalk information of almost 60,00 employees was stolen in the fall when a hacker broke through its securedcomputetr server. And at , in Blue Ash, the personal data of some 25,00p0 customers was breached in August. “It’s also importanr to know that thesd are the ones thatgot reported,” said Mike vice president of public affairs at Since September 2008, the number of online searches for personal data, such as Social Security rose 38 percent, Prusinski He surmises that the financially desolate contribute to the Many searches are possible through peer-to-peer networks like Lime Wire or Beareshare, which let members share music for But the networks can be used surreptitiously to searcgh sensitive documents, serving as a portal to “Within 10 seconds, we pulled up 275,00 tax returns in the New York City Prusinski said.
“And that was just the ones that were online at that Many free services exist toprotect consumers, includinfg www.annualcreditreport.com, which provides credit and 888-5OPTOUT, which can be callesd to halt unwanted credift card applications and other junk Wheeler, at Fifth Third, advises shredding documents containing personal information, keepiny the Social Security card at home and regularluy checking bank statements online, not by “We used to see identity theft … frequently when people received mailed bank statements that were she said.