"Immigration Benefits" wrote in message
...
http://snarkfood.com/biggest-id-thef...in-us-history-
hits-new-york/312387/

Police busted open the biggest ID theft ring in history this
week with 111 arrest charges against suspects from five criminal
enterprises in Queens, New York. The massive takedown was the
result of a two-year investigation into a huge crime ring with
ties to China, Europe and the Middle East. Police say thousands
were victimized by the identity thieves.

"These weren't holdups at gunpoint, but the impact on victims
was the same," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at a press
conference on Monday. "They were robbed."

According to police authorities, the identity theft ring has
been stealing credit card numbers to fuel an international crime
ring since at least 2010. At least one bank and several
restaurants were allegedly involved in the ID theft ring.

Reports indicate that at least three bank employees, along with
retail workers and restaurant staff, would steal credit card
numbers by 'skimming' them when a customer swiped their card for
payment. Then the stolen numbers would be sold and manufactured
into forged credit cards. 'Shoppers' would tkae the forged
credit cards and buy high-end, expensive items at stores such as
Apple and Macy's. These purchases would then be resold overseas
in China, Europe and the Middle East.

"The schemes and the imagination of these thieves is mind
boggling," said Commissioner Kelly said. "These crimes are
getting more sophisticated and thieves have amazing knowledge of
how to use technology."

Prosecutors say more than $13 million was spent on items to be
resold overseas. In addition, some of those involved in the ID
theft ring used the forged cards to pay for hotels, private jets
and luxury cars.

Several homes were searched by investigators and more than
$650,000 in cash, several weapons, and hundreds of thousands of
dollars in computers and electronics were seized. Charges
against those arrested include enterprise corruption, theft and
grand larceny. Of the 111 people charged in the case, 86 have so
far been arrested and the rest are being tracked down.

I like my Life Lock. They have caught three attempts in about five years
now. And if we go on vacation, every time, they will talk to us before
authorizing anything out of our normal pattern of purchase zip codes.

Steve