Twenty-five-year-old Rogelio Hackett has pleaded guilty to counterfeit credit card trafficking and identity theft, which caused $36 million in losses, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Hackett had been trafficking in credit card information since 202, gleaning the information by hacking into business computer networks and downloading credit card databases, or by purchasing the information from others through Internet discussion groups known as “carding forums.”

Hackett sold the information, made and sold fake plastic cards, and used the credit card information to accumulate gift cards and merchandise.

When the Secret Service raided Hackett’s home, they retrieved more than 675,000 stolen credit card numbers and related information on his computers and in e-mail accounts. Credit card companies identified tens of thousands of fraudulent transactions using the card numbers found in his possession.

Hackett was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine in addition to his prison sentence.

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Hackers are getting more and more knowledgeable on how to get into systems and steal customer and patient information. With just a few key pieces of info, like Social Security numbers, addresses and full names, a thief can do major damage – often ruining a person’s credit and good name. This damage can take years to repair, as well as thousands of dollars.

Companies are becoming more sensitive to the fact that they must step up their response to this growing problem. And LifeLock is leading the pack by providing them a way to protect their customers and employees.

LifeLock Breach Services can prove invaluable in helping businesses quickly restore public confidence and avoid unnecessary costs in the event of a breach. LifeLock’s services will help lessen potential fallout by:

• Initiating a rapid response.
• Communicating to people at risk.
• Establishing identity theft protection for those affected persons.
• Tracking results, providing reports and ongoing information about enrollments and fraud incidents.

LifeLock will also work with companies, providing support to stay ahead of any future complications.

Interested in protecting your business? Call LifeLock today at 1-877-511-7906.

Seacoast Radiology, based in New Hampshire warned its clientele after its server was hacked and an “unseen vulnerability” was exploited, allowing possible access to a server containing sensitive personal information. The server in question contained details like names, addresses, Social Security numbers and the medical histories of nearly a quarter of a million patients.

Clients of the firm have been reassured that no credit card details were contained in the records, and not every record had a Social Security number attached. Experts brought in to examine the breach believe the hackers only used the server to play games.

Even so, Seacoast warns that those affected should remain vigilant and keep an eye on their credit report, bank and credit card statements.

It’s not known how long the games used the server, and the vulnerability that was discovered as a result of the breach has been repaired. Investigators believe those responsible for the breach could be based somewhere in Scandinavia.

This incident is yet another example of how your information just being “out there” could lead to identity theft, despite your efforts to protect it. So how can you be sure you’re safe?

You can get proactive. While there is no 100 percent guarantee that you’ll never fall victim to identity theft, as a LifeLock customer, you’ll know that if anyone does try to use your personal information, you’ll know about it immediately. LifeLock proactively monitors for both credit and non-credit related threats to your identifying information, and notifies you as soon as any threat is discovered, so that any attempt to steal your identity can be stopped before the damage can be done.

And if you ever do fall victim to identity theft while a LifeLock customer, you can be reassured by LifeLock’s $1 million guarantee – LifeLock will spend up to $1 million to make things right and you’ll have a LifeLock representative to help you every step of the way. You won’t have to face it alone.

And if your information is ever part of a data breach such as the one at Seacoast, LifeLock Personal Breach Detection™ Services will make a difference in the outcome. As a part of LifeLock’s Command Center, breach detection services will actively monitor the unregulated Internet and file sharing networks for your personal information. If any risks are found, you’ll be alerted by e-mail immediately, so that you’re protected against any accidental personal information disclosures.

So don’t wait until it happens to you – get proactive and call LifeLock today. Receive 30 days free and get a 10 percent discount on enrollment with the LifeLock Promo Code “Defense.”

Emergency room employee Natashi Orr was among four people arrested as part of an investigation that begin prior to June of this year. After federal agents uncovered the scheme, hospital technicians spent months tracking Orr’s computer activity, but were unsure which 1,500 patients she compromised during her employment period of April to September 2009, when she was fired.

The hospital notified 44,000 patients who visited the emergency room during that period as a precaution, so patients could take action to be sure their identities were not compromised.

This breach is the second in a South Florida Hospital. In 2007, a front desk coordinator at Cleveland Clinic in Weston was arrested for printing personal details of 1,130 patients to be used on fraudulent medical bills.

At Holy Cross, technicians discovered that Orr had printed basic computerized forms in patient files containing names, addresses, birth dates, diagnoses and other details. Raushanah Bowleg in Opa-locka, did the same at his job at an Aventura physician’s office.

Both were paid for the information they retrieved by Mildred Alexis of Miramar, who sold the information to Albert Anthony Andrulonis of Davie, and Jimmy Lee Theodore of Pembroke Pines. The men used the data to obtain credit cards and bank debit cards to steal money.

The breach came to light when postal inspectors recovered paper records bearing the personal details of 38 patients. Hospital technicians tracked the employee’s computer activity, and found Orr had accessed 1,500 files. The breach only affected the files of patients in the emergency room.

Breaches in medical settings have become more common, and many are not reported. How can consumers protect themselves?

The best thing you can do is to be proactive. Don’t wait to see if identity theft will happen to you…assume it will and take action. Your best mode of defense is to sign up with LifeLock.

LifeLock monitors for all credit and non-credit related threats to your personal information, and notifies you the moment any such threat is detected. This renders your personal information useless to anyone but you, so that if a breach occurs involving your personal information, you won’t have to worry about the safety of your identity.

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The online state registry has no security protection, so thieves have been targeting businesses on the site in recent months. The site lists companies’ registered agents and offices, and the information is available by logging onto the Web site.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation says criminals are hijacking the companies’ information and later using it to obtain large credit lines. So far, more than 60 companies in Colorado have been victimized, and the list is growing.

With the lines of credit obtained, the thieves have been able to purchase a myriad of products, such as gift cards and items that are easily sold for cash. It’s done in a way that is difficult to trace, because the thieves “layer” themselves, say CBI investigators, who add they are on top of this new type of identity theft.

CBI investigators arrested five people for stealing the identities of more than 30 Colorado corporations.

The thieves in this instance stole the information, then let it sit dormant for several months before using it. The fake information was also posted on Dun & Bradstreet, a business equivalent of the consumer credit reporting agency. Investigators believe the criminal works with Dun & Bradstreet to alter their company’s viability, changing the earnings and showing more employees, in order to obtain larger lines of credit.

Investigators say the thefts may not have been reported in other states, but they believe other instances have happened, saying this is “not a random thing. This is a very organized effort. These are very carefully plotted thefts.”

As for the Web site, security solutions are being explored, although it is apparent that password-protecting it is both expensive and not practical for the 900,000 businesses registered with the state. For the time being, businesses are encouraged to sign up for e-mail alerts from the state. But only about 170,000 have done so to date. The alerts are designed to let business owners know immediately if any changes or unusual activity occurs with their registered information.

Jasmine Amber Smith, 25, of Nottingham, stole the information and then provided it to friends, who have also been arrested. The group used the information to obtain credit from stores and purchase more than $600,000 in merchandise.

At least 50 stores and people were victimized, including banks, Sears, ManoSwartz, Best Buy, Boscov and Toys R Us.

Also indicted and charged with fraud and aggravated identity theft are Michael Allen, 34, Tyrell Douglas McCormick, 22, Ayanna Devon Johnson, 38, and Gloria Canada, 54, all of Baltimore.

According to the indictment, during her employment at the hospital from August 2007 to March 2009, Smith improperly accessed records of hospital patients to obtain their personal information, as well as the parents and guardians of minor patients. She then gave the information to Johnson and Canada. From May 2008 to June 2009, Allen and McCormick used the stolen information to apply for instant credit at stores in Maryland, and make purchases on that credit before the fraudulently-obtained credit cards were received by the victims.

The defendants face a maximum of 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence for aggravated identity theft. In addition, McCormick and Allen face a maximum sentence of 30 years for bank fraud and 15 years for access device fraud.

On your own, you can’t prevent this type of thing from happening to you. And on your own, you’d spend months, maybe even years cleaning up the mess left behind by identity thieves like these. But the fact is, you don’t have to handle it alone, and you can take a proactive stance when it comes to protecting your personal information.

LifeLock can help protect you not just against credit fraud, but can also alert you whenever your personal information is being used to apply for wireless service, retail credit, utilities, check orders/re-orders, mortgage loans or payday loans.

When you or a loved one is sick or in the hospital, the last thing you want to worry about is whether the information you’ve provided the facility is safe. With LifeLock, you don’t have to worry…LifeLock’s got your back.

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The scam was uncovered when a Winter Garden businessman said he received multiple calls from people interested in applying for jobs they saw posted on his company’s Web site. There were no such job postings.

After investigating the calls, the company found the Internet trail of a global identity theft scheme which used stolen corporate information in order to scam job seekers. The complex scheme used bogus Web sites, bulk e-mails, fake job applications and bank fraud to steal victim’s money and personal data.

No thieves have been identified to date, but the business owner has taken the unusual step of suing the perpetrators in court. He hopes to draw attention to the problem while repairing any damage to his company’s reputation.

The business name, Design 2 Keys, was misappropriated by thieves who also stole corporate information and used it to build fake Web sites for coaxing personal data from job applicants.

The scheme also has international connections, including Russian and Police e-mail addresses, a Polish e-mail company, and some telephone and fax numbers in Washington state. The only valid e-mail address located thus far has been linked to a person in Moscow identified as Leonid Kotenko. The scammers appear to be targeting Florida companies with the word “Design” as part of their company names. The information may have been taken from online records kept by the Florida Department of State’s Division of Corporations.

It is not known how the thieves obtained corporate data about Design 2 Keys, including its federal tax number, although mail theft is suspected.

Identity theft investigators say that scams targeting job seekers have increased in the past three years, since the jobless rate has also increased. Small companies have also been targeted, since small business owners often don’t have the time or resources to increase security measures.

As a savvy consumer, you should assess those businesses and organizations that you do business with to see what kind of risk is posed for identity theft. Do the businesses you frequent:

• Conduct criminal or civil background checks before hiring employees who will have access to personal identity information.
• Provide cross-cut paper shredders at each workstation or cash register area, or use a locked wastebasket and shredding company for the disposal of credit card receipts, unwanted applications or documents, sensitive data or prescription forms.
• Use an alternate number instead of Social Security numbers for employees, clients and customers.
• Never send out mail that includes the complete Social Security numbers of customers.
• Require that their health insurance providers use an alternate number, instead of the SSN for membership numbers on health insurance cards.
• Have trained designated staff about security procedures in sending sensitive personal data by fax, e-mail or telephone.
• Keep sensitive information of consumers or employees on timecards or badges out of view in public areas.
• Notify affected individuals in a timely manner in the event of a computer data breach.
• Not require any items for security that contain personal information.
• Place photos on employee ID cards or badges.
• Keep all personal data about employees and customers in locked cabinets and out of public areas.
• Encrypt or password protect all sensitive data stored on computers and allow restricted access.
• Train employees in how to receive personal information from customers and clients without jeopardizing their security.
• Notify customers and employees in advance about the purpose of the data collection, as well as how/if it will be distributed and how it will be secured.
• Never asks for more personal data than is absolutely necessary.

If the businesses you frequent fail in these areas, perhaps you should rethink where you do business. Your personal information is worth the effort.