Friday Grab Bag - 1/29/2010

It's Friday again, and that means it's time for the weekly SpendOnLife grab bag! Here we share some of the week's more interesting tidbits from the world of credit and identity theft. Enjoy!

Can your credit card handle the new iPad?

Apple’s latest gadget seems awesome and somewhat affordable on the surface, but throw in 64 GB and the 3G network, and you’re looking at a base price of $829 plus the upfront and monthly fees that AT&T feels like charging. Make sure you consider the full beating your credit card will take (as Geek.com illustrates here) before rushing out to buy the latest and greatest.

New shredder arrives just in time for tax season

Fellowes has just released a new paper shredder that pretty much decimates your personal paperwork, credit cards, and even CDs. Micro-cut blades shred your documents ten times smaller than a cross-cut shredder, confounding even the most eager and willing identity thief. Another plus? The shredder is supposedly jam-proof and can process up 12 sheets of paper in one pass. If you haven’t invested in a personal shredder yet, this might be a good one to look at (if you can handle the $216 price tag).

More money, more problems (with identity theft, that is)

Just like credit card marketers, criminals go where the money is. Experian’s latest study shows that affluent suburbanites who enjoy tennis and travel are at the highest risk of identity theft. Those who own newer homes in metropolitan areas and drive high-end vehicles are more likely to become victims, based on a comparison of credit card applicants.

Chronic identity thief can’t help himself, even while in prison

Already serving a three-year sentence for stealing more than $28,000, identity thief Morocco Curry just keeps doing what he does best. From behind bars, Curry opened up multiple lines of credit using others' personal information, including that of prison staff. He’s now been transferred to federal prison, where his sentence has been extended to 102 months.

Mom and son form ID theft duo 

Tonia Cheeseman and son Michael used the personal information of Tonia’s employer, among others, to apply for credit cards and run up the bill. Tonia’s minimum prison sentence will be two years, while her son faces at least one year.

David Frank Pflegl II steals identity of David Frank Pflegl III

This is just sad and morbid. A father used his deceased son’s name and Social Security number to get a passport, a driver’s license, a mortgage, and even a job when his own poor credit and driving history got in his way. David Frank Pflegl II’s fraud was just recently discovered and he is now in jail on suspicion of identity theft and forgery.