News

Actions

Protecting yourself against identity theft

Posted at 11:36 PM, May 04, 2015
and last updated 2015-05-04 23:36:59-04

RICHMOND, Va. — Identity theft — you’ve seen countless news reports about how big a problem it is.

It recently happened to New Jersey governor Chris Christie and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

And the identity thief was as a Virginia man.

If people such as Christie and Holder can fall victim, is there any way for you to truly protect yourself?

This case proves that no matter who you are, you can be a victim of identity theft.

A Chesapeake man named Rickey Bailey, Jr. will be sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Norfolk.

Last year, he was caught by police in possession of a credit card reader and a pile of blank credit-style cards.

Thirty-six cards were associated with specific people, including Christie and Holder.

The names were not attached to any accounts because the cards were gift and debit cards, but investigators said Bailey had the social security numbers of his victims.

The fact that powerful men like Holder and Christie could have had their identity stolen doesn’t surprise Tom Gallagher of the Better Business Bureau.

“In the interest of these two folks, they’re running in so many different directions,” Gallagher explained. “They have other people making decisions for them probably. They have other people making purchases for them probably.

“Looks like it’s a great life, but you know they’re coming home and probably flopping. They dont’ have any time off.”

And this is actually the second time Holder has been targeted for identity theft.

So what can you do to protect yourself from becoming a victim? Gallagher stresses how important it is to change your passwords periodically.

He also suggests getting your annual free credit report to monitor any strange transactions.