Largest Identity Theft Cases
Reece Block
The Largest Cases
Philip Cummings
he "insider" was Philip Cummings, a help desk employee with a Long Island, NY, company that provided special software to its client companies--like banks and other financial institutions--allowing them to download consumer credit reports from the three major commercial credit reporting agencies.
Cummings had access to his clients' codes and passwords, which meant he could download virtually all the consumer credit reports he wanted. And he did, after being approached by a ring of Nigerian nationals who offered to pay for copies. Even after leaving the company, Cummings continued using his inside knowledge to download and sell credit reports to this identity theft ring for another two years.
What was the damage done? 30,000 victims across the United States and Canada.
Operation Swiss
40 Million Cards Stolen
Personal Experience
"It is believed that the breach affected roughly 40,000 card devices at store registers, which could mean that millions of cardholders could be vulnerable, according to the people familiar with the incident. They also warned that details could change significantly as the investigation proceeds." - Wall Street Journal