Hi. My name in Mike Byrne and welcome to the Identity Theft Prevention Center.  Identity Theft is growing at a very fast rate.  The reasons are simple - opportunity and low risk to thieves.  You need to take steps to protect your identity from theft.  Most of these protection steps are very simple and common sense can go a long way to protecting your identity.

This site has been developed because I believe the internet is turning into a dangerous place for the unwary. There are too many scams and tricks being use to trick people into revealing identity information to thieves. I am deeply saddened by this. I have been using the internet since before the first browser. I have used it everyday for close to two decades. I want to continue using it without losing my identity to theft.

I am a computer professional. I was Director of Information Technology for one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. I was Chief Information Officer at a non-profit organization. I currently am a computer systems consultant to large companies. I have been working with computers and computer systems for over 26 years.

This site has been created to help people who are not computer experts to protect themselves from identity theft and  computer scams. There will be a lot of information, but I am also creating simple checklists that will summarize a lot of the information presented. My goal is to allow you to quickly take steps to protect your identity from theft. I plan to keep things as simple as possible.

• Identity theft
  
  Service First Federal Credit Union will host a free session to inform the public about identity theft risks and the importance of protecting privacy. The one-hour session is open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Service First Federal Credit Union Main Branch, 3901 E. 10th St. in Sioux Falls. Delane Smith, director of the South Dakota Office of Attorney General, division of ...
  


• Denison man charged with identity theft to gain employment
  
  HARLAN -- A 23-year-old Denison man faces felony identity theft charges in Shelby County District Court.
  


• $6 Million Bond In ID Theft Case
  
  A victim of identity theft said "it's been a full-time job" trying to get her life back together, after Heather Lynn Holley of Raleigh allegedly stole the identities of several people. Holley is being held in the Wake County Jail on a $6 million bond, facing nearly 30 charges including identity theft, forgery and breaking and entering. In arrest warrants, police said Holley broke into several ...
  


• Man charged in identity theft, fraud
  
  A former Marine who allegedly stole his brother's identity, then worked at Naval Hospital under this stolen identity for 14 months, then attempted to fake the death of his stolen identity and collect a large inheritance, will return to Guam to face a slew of charges in federal court.
  


• Protect Your Identity
  
  Sunday people got the chance to protect themselves from identity theft by shredding their personal information.
  


• FBI arrests identity theft suspect
  
  The federal government says it has broken up a large Spokane-area identity theft scheme run by a longtime criminal with ties to the white supremacist community.
  


• World Cup 2010 - Fans at risk after ticket info theft
  
  Fans who bought World Cup tickets through FIFA are at risk of identity theft and fraud after their details were stolen and sold on.
  


• 29 charges include ID theft, burglary
  
  A Raleigh woman was being held in lieu of $5 million bail Sunday after being charged with almost 30 felonies and misdemeanors, ranging from stealing the identity of a 2-year-old girl to going on an $1,800 shopping spree with a stolen credit card at a Best Buy store.
  


• Two arrested in connection with attempted theft
  
  STAPLETON — Deputies have charged two men in the alleged early morning attempted theft and assault that took place Friday at Moody Electric on U.S. Highway 31 South. Two other suspects have been identified, but have not yet been charged.
  


• Two Brooklyn ringleaders of massive ID theft operation were once based in Bayonne
  
  Two New York men who were once based in Bayonne have been charged with running a massive identity theft ring using dozens of people in numerous states to buy high-end items and withdraw cash using stolen account information, officials said.