An identity thief with designer tastes…it’s every consumer’s nightmare.
An even bigger nightmare? A thief who gains access to your credit report and your personal information.
But that’s just the case with Iguosade Osahon, 28, a student born in Nigeria. Osahon has been charged with stealing the identities of 750 victims and using the $500,000 he stole to purchase Rolex watches, Louis Vuitton bags and even jewelry at Tiffany’s.
Osahon stole the information of his victims by trolling online data traffickers for personal information, including names, birth dates and Social Security numbers. Armed with this information, he then went to the Web sites of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Once on the sites, he ordered credit reports using his victims’ information. He perpetrated this scam from November 2007 to February 2010.
Osahon told investigators he focused on wealthy zip codes.
Osahon collected 800 credit reports and used them to gain access to bank and credit card accounts.
He has been charged with 147 counts of computer tampering, grand larceny and identity theft, and could face up to 15 years in jail if convicted.
This case drives home the point that it is crucial to have the proper firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus software on your computer, so that your information cannot be stolen. It is also crucial that you only enter your personal information on sites that are secure; these begin with “https,” rather than just “http.”
You should also inquire when you provide your personal information regarding how your information will be stored and protected.
The best thing you can do, however, in order to protect yourself is to be proactive. Sign up with LifeLock today.
LifeLock is the only proactive identity protection service on the market today, and a small monthly fee for membership will allow LifeLock to search for all credit and non-credit related threats to your information. If any are found, immediate action will be taken. It’s that simple.
Call LifeLock today and rest easy tonight. Receive 30 days free and get a 10 percent discount on enrollment with the LifeLock Promo Code “Defense.”
Tags: credit report, Identity Theft, LifeLock promo code, Osahon
