Round-up: Dateline Investigates Identity Theft (Part I)

Posted May 1st, 2009 by Carrie Davis

Ever wonder who is out there selling, buying, and using stolen credit card information? These video segments show Chris Hansen and the Dateline team following the money (or the XBOX, plasma TV, or MP3 player, as the case may be). See how criminals play on innocent (though extremely gullible) people's emotions to make them links in intricate ID theft chains.

Discusses "hi-tech dumpster diving" in which criminals can get large amounts of data, primarily from corporate breaches.

 

Explores the internet underground, where personal data is bought and sold for as little as $5 per identity.

 

The Dateline team sets up a sting operation with an online store designed to lure criminals.

 

Chris Hansen delivers goods purchased with stolen credit cards to various U.S. addresses, and discovers that many of the recipients are pawns in international ID theft rings.

 

Oblivious pawn Jeff Ball invests his life savings in an identity fraud ring. He thinks he is helping a legitimate Australian businesswoman / supermodel, who also happens to be his "fiance," though they've never met in person. It's like Jerry Springer - the ID Theft Edition!

 

 

Chris Hansen reveals himself to Jeff Ball.

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If you can do this to catch

Submitted on July 27th, 2009 by Katie (not verified)

If you can do this to catch ID theft and shut down certain "rings" then why can't the police? It would be nice to see something like this with the police behind it..

Chris Hansen and his team

Submitted on July 27th, 2009 by Carrie Davis
Chris Hansen and his team spent a ton of time and resources on tracking down these criminals. (See Part II of this story here). And even after traveling to Nigeria and other spots around the globe, they couldn't get to the bottom of the fraud ring. The more effective method is to not depend on the police, but to protect yourself.