KINDLE'S ANIMAL WELFARE & ADVOCATE NEWS & ACTIONS 

04/22/10

He was already in jail for fraud and other crimes, yet he managed to lead a massive, two-year identity theft and bribery scheme that earned him a separate 309-year prison sentence—more than twice that of crooked financier Bernie Madoff, and reportedly the fourth-longest in the history of U.S. white-collar crime.

His name is Robert Thompson, and his story is an eye-opening one for consumers and businesses who take the risk of sharing personal information over the telephone.

It began in a Louisiana state prison, where Thompson started stealing a raft of personal information—dates of birth, social security numbers, bank account numbers, credit cards numbers, etc.—from more than 61 individuals, churches, financial institutions, and businesses. That information enabled him to steal from the victims’ bank accounts and use their credit to buy big-ticket items—like appliances, cell phones, and big-screen TVs. He even attempted to purchase a luxury SUV. Most of these items ended up with his partners in crime—accomplices inside and outside prison.

The ruses: Thompson used various methods to gather personal information, but one of his tried-and-true ploys involved calling a bank and pretending to be an elderly stroke victim who had been hospitalized. “I don’t have my checkbook with me and need access to my bank account,” he would claim. Most banks didn’t fall for it, but some did. Thompson also called individual victims directly—sometimes saying he was a state trooper who needed to verify personal details after an identity theft arrest.

The operation: Thompson initially made his calls on prison phones. Knowing he could only make collect calls—in accordance with prison rules—he had his outside accomplices obtain three-way calling services on their personal phones, accept collect calls from Thompson, and dial whatever number he wanted. Since many of the calls were long-distance, he also contacted phone companies—using a phony identity—and had those calls charged to the accounts of various churches.

         ID Theft Prevention Tips

Eventually, prison officials got wind from us of what Thompson was doing, and he was transferred to a special lockdown area in order to keep him away from the phones. But he paid a $10,000 bribe to a corrections officer assigned to his cell block to use the officer’s personal cell phone. So his shenanigans continued.

Thompson also had his accomplices—including a former guard he met at another prison—withdraw money from the phony bank accounts he had set up, pick up merchandise he had ordered, and/or let their home addresses be the delivery points. 

The FBI entered the picture in mid-2006 after being contacted by a car dealership that had $50,000 stolen from its bank account. After an extensive investigation, we identified Thompson as the culprit. At least eight of his co-conspirators also have been charged as part of the overall investigation, which was worked closely with state and local law enforcement and corrections officials. 

But old habits die hard—after pleading guilty and expressing remorse for his crimes during a 2009 court appearance, Thompson was back working the phones the very next week. The judge had little sympathy during Thompson’s sentencing.

The case is a lesson for us all.  “Be crime smart” when it comes to sharing personal information—yours or someone else’s. Don’t give it out over the telephone unless you have verified the identity of the caller.

Headline Archives home

PASS ACT....new name for REAL ID.................

MARK LERNER, Executive Director of the Stop Real ID Coalition, is exposing Senator Lieberman for not having and not allowing, anyone, to testify before the committee who is in opposition to Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs S. 1261 - THE PASS ACT.  [Once again Washington politicians have proven they are totally incapable of "CHANGE".]  Both the Real ID Act and The PASS Act will result in Americans being enrolled into a single global biometric identification system that links a person's body to their ability to buy and sell.

* STOP THE PASS ACT S.1261 – It’s really the REAL ID Act
* Don’t let them pass the PASS Act – It’s really the REAL ID Act

Website: http://www.stoprealidcoalition.com/
 
 
 
 
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=21214  
 
REAL ID ACTION ALERT: The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will be having hearings on the PASS Act  S. 1261. The PASS Act WILL NOT REPEAL REAL ID as it is being billed. It will only repeal certain portions like Title ii and in the end be worse than REAL ID once the PASS Act is inserted. REAL ID will REMAIN Federal law and will be stronger than before if passed.
Both the ACLU and the ACLJ are opposing the Real ID Act and the PASS Act.   (The ACLU and the ACLJ are the most prominent legal organizations on the "left" and "right" respectively.)
Special interests groups are trying to force Democrats, Independents and Republicans to support this legislation.  States have been and are working to ensure driver's licenses are secure documents and have document integrity.  The federal government, in spite of the states, wants to set international standards that are not needed.  The federal government wants control of your state driver's license.  The federal government is bribing states to go along with its plans.
Our freedom and our rights are not for sale.
Some governors want to take the bribe money.  The First, Fourth and Tenth Amendments are under attack.  The Second Amendment will follow.  This is not a partisan issue.  All Americans must take action now.
The PASS Act does not repeal the Real ID Act. It does repeal provisions of the Real ID Act; those provisions that are included in Title II of the Real ID Act 2005. The Real ID Act is still intact and is federal law.
The PASS Act contains many of the most egregious aspects of the Real ID Act; including the requirement for a digital facial image/photograph that will be mandated to be internationally facial recognition compatible. 
There is not a federal law that prohibits the simultaneous use of CCTV/surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology in real time.
The PASS Act will do nothing to provide a higher level of National security.  Under the provisions of the PASS Act the documents used to obtain a driver's license are not authenticated.  These documents are called "breeder" documents.
Although requirements for new databases and the linking of databases are not part of the PASS Act the fact remains through aamva.net and NLETS states can still have information contained in their state Department of Motor Vehicles made available to both federal and international law enforcement agencies without a court order.
Two international agencies (AAMVA and the ICAO, an agency of the United Nations) were involved in U.S. policy and law - the Real ID Act 2005 and the newly proposed PASS Act.  DHS has called AAMVA the "hub" and "backbone" of the Real ID Act.  On AAMVA's own web-site it proclaims it is an international organization that serves law enforcement and motor vehicle administrators.
Both the Real ID Act and the PASS Act result in Americans being enrolled into a single global biometric identification system that links a person's body to their ability to buy and sell.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will be considering the legislation very soon.  The committee members and their phone numbers are listed below.  Ask your neighbors, friends, co-workers, relatives and everyone else you have contact with to make the calls as well.
16 CALLS, 16 MINUTES, FOR YOUR FREEDOM AND FUTURE GENERATIONS FREEDOM.
 
Senator Lieberman       202-224-4041 Chairman
Senator Collins            202-224-2523
Senator Akaka             202-224-6361
Senator Bennet           202-224-5852
Senator Burris             202-224-2854
Senator Carper           202-224-2441
Senator Coburn           202-224-5754
Senator Ensign            202-224-6244
Senator Graham         202-224-5972
Senator Landrieu        202-224-5824
Senator Levin              202-224-6221
Senator McCain          202-224-2235
Senator McCaskill       202-224-6154
Senator Pryor              202-224-2354
Senator Tester            202-224-2644
Senator  Voinovich      202-224-3353
 
FOR MORE ON REAL ID, THE PASS ACT, BIOMETRICS, & INTERNATIONAL LAWS/REGS AND DATABASES GO TO http://www.stoprealidcoalition.com/ they have an action packet as well as several other pieces of information you can review