Episode 2: Help Desk Worker Stole 33,000 Identities — Largest Identity Theft Ring in America
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Episode Details
Episode Overview
In the early 2000s, a single help-desk worker at a credit-reporting company quietly handed over thousands of confidential access codes, enabling one of the largest identity-theft rings in U.S. history. Over 33,000 identities were stolen, triggering hundreds of millions in fraudulent losses. Former FBI Special Agent Kevin Barrows, who led the investigation, takes you inside the case: how the scheme worked, the dead-end surveillance tactics that failed, the breakthrough house search, and the lasting lessons on protecting personal data.
Resources & Links
- AnnualCreditReport.com (free credit reports):https://www.annualcreditreport.com
- Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 (background):https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/identity-theft/identity-theft-and-assumption-deterrence-act
- FTC Guide to Identity Theft Recovery:https://www.identitytheft.gov
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