Celebrities are not immune to identity theft. In fact, identity thieves often target them because of their perceived wealth and status. Some of the celebrities who have been identity theft victims include New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and actor Will Smith. Learn more and get some identity theft protection tips you can use even if you aren’t a celebrity.
Mayor Bloomberg’s Identity Fraud Disaster
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has fallen victim to celebrity identity fraud. Two identity thieves forged checks on the mayor’s checking account, to the tune of $10,000! The celebrity identity fraud victim’s nightmare ended when the crooks got greedy. They tried to cash checks totaling more than $400,000 and they got busted during identity verification. The two men, Charles Nelson and Odalis Bostic, were charged with grand larceny and Nelson was also charged with identity theft.
Will Smith Becomes a Celebrity Identity Theft Victim
Movie hero Will Smith became a victim of identity theft when a man used Smith’s identity to open more than a dozen credit card accounts in Pittsburgh. The man ran up $33,000 in credit card charges before he was apprehended. At the time of his arrest, the thief was already on probation for identity theft crimes — against another celebrity victim! The man had already spent more than $80,000 on a credit card in basketball player Steve Smith’s name.
Credit Monitoring Prevents Identity Theft
You don’t have to be a celebrity to get world-class identity theft protection. A credit monitoring service provides you with updates and information about your credit history and credit score and immediately notifies you about suspicious behavior on your accounts. Your credit monitoring service will provide you with information about new accounts opened in your name and also will alert you when creditors request information about your credit history, which may indicate potential identity theft.
Lisa Nichols is a freelance writer, website content strategist and marketing and PR strategy consultant. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, Lisa is currently based in Covington, Kentucky (also known as greater Cincinnati, Ohio).
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