Identity theft is an increasingly common crime and some audacious thieves even choose to target the most high-profile celebrities on the planet. Yes, you’ve guessed it - Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods and Will Smith have all been victims of identity theft.
As detailed by ESPN Tiger Woods was targeted by a man called Anthony Lemar Taylor. The fraudster got hold of the golfer’s social security number and date of birth. Then, using Tiger’s real name, Eldrick T. Woods, Taylor was able to successfully use all the data he’d collected to get a drivers license. With the licence
The thief then used the cards to fund a shopping spree, splashing out around $17,000 on a luxury car, a 70-inch TV and more. The fraudster was finally caught, and due to California’s three strike law was sentenced to serve the next 200 years or life (whichever comes sooner) in prison.
This story from the BBC describes how Oprah Winfrey was targeted by a 32 year-old New Yorker called Abraham Abdallah. During the day Abdallah worked a low-paid dishwasher in a Brooklyn restaurant, but in his free time he was busy gathering personal data about Oprah and over 200 other high net worth individuals, including Stephen Spielberg and Warren Buffet.
When the fraudster was finally arrested in 2001 he was in possession of over 800 fraudulent credit cards and had access to billions of dollars. Abdallah used the internet, his mobile phone and a Forbes magazine containing a list of the 400 richest people in the world to stalk his victims.
He then used a library computer to withdraw money from brokerage accounts and apply for credit using all the fake identities he’d assumed. In the end greed was Abdallah’s downfall as his attempt to transfer $10 million from the Merrill Lynch account of one of his victims alerted authorities to his activities.
And this article in People describes how rapper turned actor Will Smith had his identity stolen by Carlos Lomax, a 45 year-old man from with a penchant for targeting the rich and famous.
Lomax was already on probation due to an earlier identity-theft conviction involving former Atlanta Hawks basketball player Steve Smith when he decided to target Will Smith. He opened 14 bogus credit accounts in shops in the Pittsburgh
These tales of celebrity identity theft help to demonstrate no matter who you are or how carefully you might protect and manage your money and accounts you can still become a victim. That’s because fraudsters go to great lengths to ensure they keep their activities hidden.
Joining PrivacyGuard gives you a range of options that can help you catch the early signs of identity theft. You’ll have constant online access to your credit report so you can check your details whenever you choose. You’ll also receive alerts via SMS or email to let you know about any credit searches or new accounts appearing on your credit report.