I got this email from some very close friends yesterday who were asking to spread the word about their identity thefts:

Feel free to pass this along to everyone.

Over the past couple months Todd and I have been fighting an identity theft issue that arose because our mail was accidentally delivered to the Desert Vista address then stolen. There is a very sophisticated ring operating in the valley that steals mail and manages to create very valid looking AZ drivers licenses and access all sorts of personal info to create new accounts and rent cars. I have been in contact with both the Phoenix and Glendale police and they are working on the issue but only have a couple of the folks in this extended ring in custody. We have had credit card fraud, checks cashed, new accounts opened on line and in stores, AND a car stolen in my name now from a rental agency….the detectives and the police say to expect more issues on my credit report before it is over. I am going to have to testify against the woman and her daughter in jail as an identity fraud victim (something I am NOT looking forward to)…

So beware! These guys are still out there and the police say there will not be time to work the case until after the New Year bowls and festivities end. They have victimized over 40 houses in our neighborhoods and stolen over two dozen cars from rental companies with fake IDs created. They are actually looking to see if more cars were taken with my ID…they also said to be on the lookout for photo radar tickets coming in the mail with my name but unknown cars and drivers on the pictures.

Happy New Year and be careful about your mail!

I am an early investor in Lifelock.com so I am biased. Furthermore, there is no foolproof way to prevent identity theft. I DO think that for $80-$100 per year, this is a great service to help protect and deal with a ‘what if’ nightmare scenario my friends in Phoenix are now dealing with.

You can use my name in the CODE box to get 10-20 percent off or just let me know if that code does not work and I will get you a discount code.