A West St. Paul man spent his 56th birthday in Hennepin County jail Thursday after being arrested this week on charges that he was “the boss” of a metrowide identity theft ring.

http://liarcatchers.com/identity_theft_investigation.html

Donald Allen Ellis, arrested Wednesday by Hennepin County sheriff’s detectives, has been charged with identity theft and racketeering in connection with a large-scale crime operation that allegedly involved credit card fraud, theft and counterfeit checks.

The charges emerged as he was out on bail on similar ID theft charges.

Ellis allegedly instructed several accomplices to break into vehicles and steal purses last year. The victims’ stolen credit cards were used to buy gift cards and iPads. Ellis allegedly also had the victims’ names printed on counterfeit checks.

There were at least eight victims in Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington, Dakota, Scott and Carver counties, as well as in Wisconsin.

“Identity theft is devastating for victims because it is extremely time-consuming to resolve the damage to their credit … reputation,” Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said in a prepared statement.

It isn’t the first time Ellis has been accused of stealing.

In 2004, he was arrested in an investigation that described him as kingpin of a crime ring that stole cars, snatched purses and forged checks totaling more than $5 million over 10 years. He pleaded guilty to check forgery and theft by swindle and spent about two years behind bars.

Identity theft charges filed in 2010 and updated last July allege that Ellis was a leader of a group that broke into cars and stole purses in eight metro-area communities between October 2009 and February 2010.

Ellis’ attorney, Ira Whitlock, said the new charges have made his client’s case resemble a witch hunt

Nearly 12 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2011, an increase of 13 percent over 2010, according to a report released Wednesday by the research firm Javelin Strategy & Research.
The rise in the use of smartphones and social media by incautious consumers fueled the increase in identity fraud, and 2011 was a year of several big data breaches too, Javelin said.
With the rise in credit card monitoring and more sophisticated policing by credit card companies, identity thieves are increasingly targeting users of smartphones and social media, where consumers have a tendency to be less cautious, experts say.

http://liarcatchers.com/identity_theft_investigation.html

The number of people whose information was accessed in a data breach increased by 67 percent in 2011, largely due to some very high-profile thefts, such as the attacks on Sony Corp.’s PlayStation network in April.
Someone whose personal information is taken in a data breach is 9.5 times more likely to become a victim of identity fraud, Javelin found.
One heartening finding was that dollar losses by consumers remained stable last year despite the increase in the number of victims. Credit card issuers’ policies on fraudulent transactions — a $50 limit on losses, which is often waived — and quicker detection has limited out-of-pocket costs to consumers, said Javelin founder and president Jim Van Dyke.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The number of identity fraud incidents continues to rise, according to the latest report from Javelin Strategy & Research and co-sponsored by Wells Fargo & Company WFC -0.60% . Identity fraud is the unauthorized use of another person’s personal information to achieve illicit financial gain. Now in its ninth consecutive year, the report surveyed approximately 5,000 U.S. consumers and found that the number of identity fraud incidences increased by 13 percent in 2011, climbing to 11.6 million victims, with mobile device and social media-related fraud accounting for a large percentage of the increase.

http://liarcatchers.com/identity_theft_investigation.html

Recognizing the role that financial institutions play in the solution, Wells Fargo continues to help its customers lower their exposure to fraudulent activity by providing resources and tools that help safeguard their identities and accounts.

“While the threat of identity theft is a top concern for consumers, there is good news,” said Robert Dudacek, senior vice president and Wells Fargo Insurance Direct Response Group manager. “The report found that the out-of-pocket costs to consumers who are victims of identity fraud have been declining. Also, more fraud victims reported that their cases were resolved in 2011, demonstrating that progress has been made in the fight to prevent and reduce fraud.”

The best news for consumers is that they continue to have the power to protect themselves against identity fraud. By working with financial institutions like Wells Fargo, and taking the appropriate steps to safeguard their personal information, they can help avoid being identity fraud victims or recognize it sooner if they happen to be victimized. According to the Javelin report, 43 percent of the victims surveyed detected fraud themselves by monitoring their accounts online at their bank and credit card websites, and setting up alerts that can be sent via e-mail and to a mobile device — proof that it’s worth the effort for consumers to be vigilant in monitoring their accounts. Using the following tips, consumers can help reduce the risk of fraud:

— Use Electronic Monitoring — Consumers can monitor accounts and catch fraudulent activity even faster with available electronic resources. The Javelin report found a growing number of consumers detected fraudulent activity when monitoring their accounts through electronic means like online banking, mobile banking and ATMs, which provide real-time updates on account balances and transactions.

— Consider Eliminating Paper Statements — Bank and credit card statements delivered online reduce the risk of paper mail delivery intercepts and possible fraud and identity theft.

— Stay Alert — Consumers can use transaction and account activity notifications to quickly spot suspicious activity. Wells Fargo customers can set up fraud alerts and receive quick text notifications on their mobile phone or alerts by email 24/7.

— Protect Your Personal Information — Social networking sites often encourage people to share information that could be used by identity thieves. Avoid sharing personal details that are often used with financial accounts and applications, such as your complete birthday, your complete home address and your mother’s maiden name. Keep your mobile and home phone numbers, and email address private. Quickly notify banks of any unauthorized transactions and account profile changes that you did not make yourself.

If a Wells Fargo customer does become a victim of fraud and their account is affected, the bank works with them to quickly resolve the situation.

— Wells Fargo Online Guarantee – Wells Fargo guarantees that its customers will be covered for 100% of the funds in their Wells Fargo account in the unlikely event that someone the customer has not authorized removes those funds through Wells Fargo Online(R) or Wells Fargo Business Online(R). Customers are responsible for protecting their password and account information and for providing prompt notification of an unauthorized transaction or activity. Customers can visit wellsfargo.com for more information about how our guarantee works. Mobile Banking is also covered by our Online Security Guarantee.

— Credit Card Zero Liability — Most Wells Fargo credit cards come with Zero Liability service at no extra cost. This built-in protection means customers won’t be held responsible for any unauthorized purchases or ATM transactions, as long as they are reported promptly.

— Identify Theft Assistance Center (ITAC) – Customers can also access the ITAC. Through its partnership with ITAC, Wells Fargo helps customers assess their situation and provides resources and guidance to resolve cases of identity theft through this ground-breaking resource.

For an additional layer of fraud protection, customers can also enroll in Wells Fargo’s identity theft protection plans. These services provide ongoing monitoring of a customer’s credit information at all three major credit bureaus to help customers manage their credit information. The service also allows customers to set up alerts and provides resolution specialists who can help resolve problems created by unauthorized use of a customer’s private identify information or credit accounts, as well as insurance to help cover costs associated with recovering from identity theft.

“We are encouraged that customers are actively partnering with us in the fight against identity theft and we will continue to provide them with the security, guidance and resources they need to protect their accounts and decrease their chances of fraud,” said Dudacek.