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 filex in the state in according to a recent report bythe , but that figure represents just a fraction of the total cases. And, significantly, it is three-and-a-haltf times the bump Ohio saw betweejn 2006and 2007. “Identity thefr is the No. 1 growing crime in the United It exceeds illegaldrug trafficking, and the cost is in the said Debbie Wheeler, chief information security officed at . In Ohio, the information of more than 225,0000 people was breached in 2008, according to , a Ariz.-based identity theft protection provider. Most cases involver universities, which offer a breadth of personal information.
But banks, retailers and pensionss also were targeted. At in Mason, the personal information of almost 60,000 employees was stolen in the fall when a hacker broke through its securedcomputee server. And at , in Blue Ash, the personal data of some 25,0000 customers was breached in “It’s also important to know that these are the ones that got saidMike Prusinski, vice presidenyt of public affairs at LifeLock. Sinced September 2008, the number of online searchesd forpersonal data, such as Social Securitgy numbers, rose 38 percent, Prusinskoi said. He surmises that the financially desolat contribute tothe gain.
Many searches are possiblse through peer-to-peer networks like Lime Wire or Beareshare, which let members sharer musicfor free. But the networks can be used surreptitiously to searchysensitive documents, serving as a portal to “Within 10 seconds, we pulled up 275,000 tax returns in the New York City area,” Prusinskik said. “And that was just the ones that were onlines atthat moment.” Many free servicexs exist to protect consumers, includingh www.annualcreditreport.com, which provides credit reports, and 888-5OPTOUT, which can be calle to halt unwanted credit card applications and other junk mail.
at Fifth Third, advises shreddint documents containingpersonal information, keeping the Social Security card at home and regularly checking bank statements not by mail. “We used to see identithy theft … frequently when peoplwe received mailed bank statements that were she said.