Credit Freeze is Free Under New Federal Law

 

A year after the devasting data breach at Equifax – one that left the sensitive personal information of over 143 million Americans exposed – consumers can now better protect themselves against identity theft.

Replacing a patchwork of state credit freeze laws, new legislation now requires the credit reporting agencies of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to allow consumers an opportunity to “freeze” or otherwise “lock” their credit report from public disclosure without fee. Temporary “fraud alerts” can also be extended to one-year from the previous 90 days.

Place an Equifax credit freeze – Experian credit freeze – TransUnion credit freeze.

With the passage of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act – or EGRRCPA – in May, Congress amended the Fair Credit Reporting Act instituting several important changes. Effective Sept. 21, nationwide credit reporting agencies are statutorily mandated to provide a global credit freeze to consumers free of charge. Previously, 42 states – including Florida – allowed Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to charge consumers for locking their credit report. Unless a consumer was a verified identity theft victim, they were charged anywhere from $2-$10 – per credit bureau – each time they locked or unlocked their credit report.

A credit freeze – also referred by some as a security freeze or lock – was designed to make it more difficult for criminals to use stolen personal information to open new accounts fraudulently as credit reporting agencies were prohibited from providing credit information to potential lenders. Under the new legislation, initial fraud alerts are extended from 90 days to one year. No change has been implemented on the seven-year extended fraud alert.

Under the EGRRCPA, nationwide credit reporting agencies are now required to remove the fee for maintaining a credit freeze and must provide consumers a webpage for credit freeze and fraud alert requests.

Place an initial Equifax fraud alert – initial Experian fraud alert – initial TransUnion fraud alert.

Previously, freezing your credit report at the Equifax, Experian and TransUnion consumer reporting agencies was governed by state law. And with dozens of states allowing credit bureaus to charge a fee each time a report was locked or unlocked, consumers rarely took advantage of the opportunity unless they were specifically at risk for identity theft. The number of situations requiring a credit report were abundant. Whether applying for employment or insurance, a new cell phone or home utilities, a new credit card, vehicle or home mortgage loan, the cost could really become excessive.

“Freezing and unfreezing my credit report got to be an expensive proposition,” Fort Pierce businessman Tony DiFrancesco told the South Florida Reporter. “Each time I applied for credit, it was another $20 – $10 to thaw my report, then another $10 to freeze it again. The fees were ridiculous.”

With the new law now in effect, freezing and unfreezing a credit report has been made simple as each of the credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, TransUnion – has an online portal dedicated to processing consumer requests. Now when a request to freeze a report has been received online or by telephone, it must be processed with one day. Likewise, a request to unfreeze a credit report must be completed with one hour.

Consumers are also protected under the provisions of the new Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act with the ability to establish a credit freeze for their minor children.

Place an Equifax child freeze – Experian child freeze – TransUnion child freeze.

According to a recent Javelin Research survey, more than one million children – or 1.48 percent of minors in the United States – were victims of identity theft in 2017, resulting in total losses of $2.6 billion and $540 million in out-of-pocket costs to families. Parents can now freeze their child’s social security number for credit purposes – a number typically issued shortly after birth – and reduce the potential for life altering identity theft issues.

“As a victim of identity theft, I look forward to being able to block my kids personal information from unlawful use,” Xavier Mitjavila Moix told the South Florida Reporter. “It’s all about piece of mind and the new legislation is a start in the right direction.”

To learn more about credit freezes and fraud alerts, the Federal Trade Commission provides a wealth of resources at www.identitytheft.gov.

Do It Yourself Background Checks in South Florida

Utilizing public record databases to find civil, criminal, or traffic violations in South Florida has become a bit easier with the release of an updated list of online resources. Locating and identifying civil litigation, criminal record or traffic infraction history is but a click away. Access to resources relating to inmates, those on probation, parole or community control, sex offenders or missing children, in addition to stolen property or vehicles, is readily available as well.

“In today’s society, comprehensive background checks are a necessity,” private investigator John Sinks of Comprehensive Investigative Solutions in Boca Raton told South Florida Reporter. “A background check is basically an investigative report on an individual. It typically includes a criminal history and credit check, educational credential verification, public records check, or any combination of reports.”

Suggested below are some of the free or low-cost options available when conducting background research in South Florida. In no way are they exhaustive and – according to Sinks – a professional investigator should be consulted when conducting more than a cursory search.

Basic background checks

• Florida Department of Law Enforcement – For a modest fee of $23.00, you can obtain an individual’s reported criminal history record in the state of Florida. Sealed or expunged information will not be included in this report.
• Broward County court records – Search civil, criminal and traffic courts through the Clerk’s office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
• Collier County court records – Search civil, criminal and traffic courts through the Clerk’s office in Naples, Florida.
• Charlotte County court records – Search civil, criminal and traffic courts through the Clerk’s office in Punta Gorda, Florida.
• Glades County court records – Search civil, criminal and traffic courts through the Clerk’s office in Moore Haven, Florida.
• Hendry County court records – Search civil, criminal and traffic courts through the Clerk’s office in LaBelle, Florida.
• Lee County court records – Search civil, criminal and traffic courts through the Clerk’s office in Fort Myers, Florida.
• Miami-Dade County court records – Search civil, criminal and traffic courts through the Clerk’s office in Miami, Florida.
• Monroe County court records – Search civil, criminal and traffic courts through the Clerk’s office in Key West, Florida.
• Palm Beach County court records – Search civil, criminal and traffic courts through the Clerk’s office in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Sex offenders

• Florida Offender Alert System – Sign up to receive an email alert when a sex offender moves into your neighborhood.
• Florida Sex Offender Registry – Locate registered sex offenders by name, city, address or zip code in the state of Florida.
• Sex offender screen names – Check a computer screen name or email address to determine whether it’s linked to a registered sex offender in Florida.
• National and other state sex offender registries – Search the national database or select an individual state to view a particular offender registry.

Wanted and missing persons

• Florida Missing Children Search – Search for a missing or endangered person directly at the state Missing Children Information Clearinghouse.
• Missing Persons Search – Search for a missing person directly with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – Search several national resources for missing children.
• Wanted Persons Search – Search for felony or misdemeanor warrant information as reported to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
• Wireless Amber alerts – Sign up for free wireless Amber alerts directly to your cell phone.

Jail and state prison inmates

• Florida Department of Corrections – Search for inmates currently incarcerated or recently released, as well as those on probation, parole, community control or other form of non-custodial release.
• Broward County Jail inmates – Search for inmates currently incarcerated in Broward County.
• Miami-Dade County Jail inmates – Search for inmates currently incarcerated in Miami-Dade County.
• Monroe County Jail inmates – Search for inmates currently incarcerated in Monroe County.
• Palm Beach County Jail inmates – Search for inmates currently incarcerated in Palm Beach County as well as those released within the last 12 months.

Stolen property

• Florida Crime Information Center – Search for information on whether a vehicle, vehicle parts, boats, license plates, decals, guns and other items were reported lost or stolen in Florida.
• VINCheck – Search the National Insurance Crime Bureau database to see if a vehicle has been reported stolen.

“Pre-employment background checks are an important and necessary part of our hiring process,” Xavier Mitjavila, told South Florida Reporter. “There have been times that applicants have been less than truthful in disclosing background issues. After a cursory search, we engage a professional private investigator to complete the process in a more thorough fashion.”

As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity. 

Republican Club of Indian River County hosts All-American Rally

Chairman Frank J. Sosta, Jr. and the Republican Club of Indian River County have planned an All-American Rally this Saturday, September 26th at the Indian River Fairgrounds in Vero Beach from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.

The “All-American Rally” promises to be entertaining, inspiring, fun and joyful.  A versatile and talented local band – The Landsharks Band – will be performing.  They have performed locally and across the nation since the 1980’s.

Fun for the whole family includes, a car show, bounce houses, field games, an obstacle course, sand art and more. Local talent and American heroes from all over Indian River County, merchandise, treats, contests and prizes await those attending.

Hosted by the Republican Club of Indian River County, the All-American Rally is sponsored by “The Founders” – the Law Offices of Kelly Cambron, P.A. and Young’s Market.  Jon Osterholm serves as co-chairman of the Rally, while 10-year-old Katherine Ann Lewis of St. Helen Catholic School will sing the National Anthem.

The All-American Rally will feature a visit by Lt. Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Florida Senator Joe Negron, Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar and other state, federal and local officials.  “The Rally will offer an excellent opportunity to chat one-on-one with elected officials and those running for public office,” Sosta told South Florida Reporter.  “You won’t want to miss this event.”

“It’s an honor to sponsor the All-American Rally,” attorney Kelly Cambron of Vero Beach told the South Florida Reporter.  “We have a great venue, amazing speakers and a program that is all about community.”

The 2015 All-American Rally will be held at the Indian River Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 26th from 2:00 p.m. until 6 p.m.  Tickets for the event are $15.00 per person, including barbecue dinner.  Kids under 10 are free.  Dinner includes BBQ pork and chicken, grilled hot dogs, various side items, drink and desert treat.  Beer and wine may be purchased separately.

Executive sponsors of the All-American Rally include Wesley Davis, candidate for Property Appraiser; County Commissioner Tim Zorc; Clerk of Court Jeffrey Smith, and Joseph’s Lite Cookies.  Senator level sponsors include Lange Sykes, candidate for State Representative and Total LifeSafety.

For more information, please visit www.AllAmericanRally.us.   To purchase tickets, please visit AllAmericanRallyVeroBeach.Eventbrite.com.

“As a locally owned business, it’s an honor to support an event meant to bring community together,” John Kim of Young’s Market told the South Florida Reporter.

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Bill Lewis of Fort Lauderdale – Radio talk show host, Starbucks connoisseur, social media whiz, political consultant, extreme coupon shopper, identity theft expert, columnist, philanthropist and his kids Dad.

As a nationally recognized credit repair and ID theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.

AshleyMadison offers free full delete option in light of data breach

Cheating spouses beware.  The tagline “Life is Short, Have an Affair” has Ashley Madison users worrying whether their adulterous affairs will be exposed in yet another reported data breach. Hackers have threatened to leak the full details—names, addresses, sexual fantasies and nude photos— of 37 million Ashley Madison users worldwide if demands to disable the website are not met. 

Branding themselves “The Impact Team,” hackers have posted a small sample of sensitive data stolen from Avid Life Media, the company that owns Ashley Madison, along with other hookup websites such as Cougar Life and Established Men.  The sensitive data 

“We are the Impact Team. We have taken over all systems in the entire office and production domains, all customer information databases, source code repositories, financial records, emails,” the message said, before going on to demand that Ashley Madison, as well EstablishedMen.com be shut down.

“Shutting down AM and EM will cost you, but non-compliance will cost you more,” the message continued. “We will release all customer records, profiles with all customers’ secret sexual fantasies, nude pictures, and conversations and matching credit card transactions, real names and addresses, and employee documents and emails.”

Avid Life Media, which owns Toronto-based cheating website AshleyMadison.com – among others – called the attack an “act of cyberterrorism” and vowed to hold those behind the security breach responsible for their actions.

“We apologize for this unprovoked and criminal intrusion into our customers’ information,” Ashley Madison indicated in a prepared release. “We have always had the confidentiality of our customers’ information foremost in our minds, and have had stringent security measures in place.”

Speaking to Brian Krebs and the online security blog KrebsOnSecurity, ALM Chief Executive Noel Biderman confirmed the hack, condemned it as a “criminal act,” and indicated that Ashley Madison was working hard to have the data removed from the Internet.

“The psychosocial consequence of releasing this personally identifiable information can potentially have a destructive affect upon many of these AshleyMadison users,” Ruth Swissa Kline, clinical director for Bridges to Change, in Fort Lauderdale, told South Florida Reporter.  “Many of these cheating spouses may have behavioral health needs or sexual addictions and be at risk even under threat of exposure.” 

“The Impact Team” claimed to have hacked Ashley Madison to expose alleged false statements given customers about a service that allowed members to erase profile information for a $19 fee. The hackers allegedly pose as “the good guys,” campaigning against a lying company possessing a treasure trove of personal information, credit card details and e-mail addresses.

Avid Life, early Monday refuted the allegations about the “paid-delete” option on Ashley Madison, stating:

“The ‘paid-delete’ option offered by AshleyMadison.com does in fact remove all information related to a member’s profile and communications activity,” it said. “The process involves a hard-delete of a requesting user’s profile, including the removal of posted pictures and all messages sent to other system users’ email boxes.”

In light of the cyber-attack, Ashley Madison said it was offering its full-delete option free to any member and noted that it was taking “every possible step towards mitigating the attack.”

“Our team has now successfully removed all the posts related to this incident as well as all personally identifiable information about our users published online,” Ashley Madison indicated in a prepared release. “Our team of forensics experts and security professionals, in addition to law enforcement, are continuing to investigate this incident.”

The Ashley Madison security breach comes about two months after dating site AdultFriendFinder.com suffered a similar cyber-attack.

“While these cheating spouses may not escape the consequences of their adulterous actions, they did have an expectation of privacy in using the Ashley Madison website,” concluded Swissa Kline.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Warns of Debt Collection Scam

Miami-Dade State Attorney Warns of Debt Collection Scam

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle is warning residents about a recent e-mail scam filled with legal-sounding jargon – but with notable grammar and spelling mistakes – threatening the arrest of the recipient if they do not send $750 immediately in order to pay off an alleged debt, according to public information officer Ed Griffith on Tuesday.

The bogus e-mails contained a fake court case number, threaten an impending arrest and attempt to acquire valid credit card information from consumers.

“I’m outraged that thieves would hope to use the prosecutor’s office as a tool to get cash from terrified victims,” Fernandez Rundle stated. “We have already spoken to victims who almost fell for this scheme. Only luck and good judgment saved them.”

According to Fernandez Rundle, the scammers use the false identity of “attorney” Joseph Foster from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.   Inclusion of an official agency such as the state attorney’s office and the use of a fake name is a recent revision of e-mail and phone scams that include threats of arrest to collect debt that consumers do not owe.

Preliminary investigation reveals that the false e-mails may have originated in Thailand, making it unlikely that U.S. law enforcement will be able to arrest the scammers or get a return of lost monies, according to the state attorney’s office.

Victims in the Miami-Dade debt collection scam have reported that the fake debt collectors maintained a familiarity with their personal information and have additionally associated themselves with the “Morgan & Associates” law firm.

Return calls to a telephone number contained in the e-mails reveal possible use of VOIP technology.  These phone numbers have since been disconnected.

In similar scams, fake debt collectors speak English with a foreign accent and call themselves “Affidavit Consolidation Services,” “Cash Advance Inc.,” “Criminal Bureau of Identity,” “DNR Recovery,” “U.S. National Bank,” “US Justice Department/Payday Loan Division,” “Federal Investigation Bureau,” “United Legal Processing” and other phony names.

The fake collectors refuse to disclose their real names or addresses and are believed to be operating from homes, automobiles, and foreign countries.  As these scammers have kept themselves well hidden, law enforcement authorities have been unsuccessful in locating or shutting them down.

Fake debt collectors typically pose as lawyers, law enforcement officers, investigators, and bankers while attempting to collect on phony debt.  They threaten consumers with immediate arrest for “bank fraud” or other crimes unless a credit card number is provided or funds wired immediately. They scare and confuse consumers by using meaningless legal phrases such as “We are downloading warrants against you” or “We are filing an affidavit against you.”  Consumers that do not immediately fall for the scam are warned, “Only God can help you now.”

Fake debt collectors almost always call consumers at work – sometimes several times a day – advising their supervisors, “Your employee has committed fraud and is about to be arrested.” Such threats have been unsettling to consumers and employers.  Because the scammers make a special point of calling at work, employers should realize that their employee is an innocent victim of a criminal enterprise and cannot stop the calls voluntarily.

According to Fernandez Rundle, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office never communicates important information via e-mail and would never be involved in a debt collection action.  The office strongly recommends that consumers never electronically respond to situations that demand immediate action with threats of punishment or even open unsolicited e-mails from unfamiliar senders.  Consumers should also ask for documentation that proves an alleged debt exists.

“More potential victims are calling our office now that this scam has become public,” Ed Griffith, public information officer, told Examiner.  “A new twist on an old scam, consumers should be vigilant and not provide personal information or credit card numbers to anyone they haven’t first contacted themselves.”

For more information on this debt collection scam or to report possible fraud, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office can be contacted through their Cyber Crimes Unit at (305) 547-0837.

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As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.

For daily updates on The Credit Report with Bill Lewis, you can join Bill’s 11,550 plus fans on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/thecreditreportwithbilllewis.

Palm Beach Sheriff and Audible Media Group partner to offer audio traffic app

PBSO Audio Traffic App by Audible Media Group

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office have partnered with the Audible Media Group on a new state-of-the-art traffic application designed to provide residents with voice-activated, user-controlled, on-demand, audio traffic reports and PBSO breaking news and alerts, Chief Technology Officer Deniz Kumral reminded the public on Monday.

Called the PBSO Audio Traffic App, Bradshaw was skeptical when he first learned about the concept for a traffic report cell phone app designed to cut down on distracted driving.

“The expertise that was brought to this app was — we believe to be — state of the art,” explained Bradshaw at a recent press conference unveiling the new technology.  “The biggest piece of the puzzle that had to be in place was we didn’t want to have something that caused more distracted driving than we already had a problem with.”

Every year over 3000 people die nationwide because they were distracted while driving.  Through this joint effort, PBSO partnered with the Audible Media Group to launch an audio traffic app to deliver live traffic reports so drivers will not have to scroll maps commonly used by other traffic applications.

With distracted driving in mind, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office wanted an audible device so motorists would keep their eyes on the road rather than on their smartphones.

The PBSO Audio Traffic App features live traffic reports providing traffic information on Palm Beach County roads, including alternate route suggestions. The application also has the capability to send push notifications with breaking news from the Sheriff’s Office, including reports on missing persons, crimes in progress or hazardous conditions.

The app will work in all areas of Palm Beach County by triangulating the location of drivers through their phone’s global positioning system.

“I’m very excited about this – it’s a great partnership – and guess what, the price is the best that it could absolutely be, it’s free,” concluded Bradshaw.

The PBSO Audio Traffic App is available in the Apple App Store and at Google Play for Android devices.  It is operated through voice commands so a driver can get updates about traffic and alternate routes without having to look at their smartphone.

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As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.

For daily updates on The Credit Report with Bill Lewis, you can join Bill’s 11,550 plus fans on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/thecreditreportwithbilllewis.

Florida Highway Patrol targets aggressive driving

“Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks”

In an effort to reduce commercial motor vehicle related crashes, injuries and fatalities by combining outreach, education and evaluation with targeted enforcement activities to raise awareness among car and truck drivers about safe driving behaviors, the Florida Highway Patrol has kicked off their “Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks” or “TACT” campaign, according to FHP Public Affairs Officer Sgt. Mark Wysocky on Monday.

Especially when it involves large trucks, the “Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks” imitative is meant to encourage safe driving on interstates and highways throughout Florida. The campaign runs through the end of July.

“The Florida Highway Patrol will be looking for car and truck drivers who display aggressive behavior, such as following too closely, speeding and unsafe lane changes,” Sgt. Wysocky told Examiner.   “When drivers follow too closely, they typically fail to recognize a trucker’s blind spots.  Drivers can possibly avoid causing a serious accident by recognizing and respecting them.”

In fatal crashes involving large trucks, 88 percent of the time the accident is attributable to driver error by both car and truck drivers.  Only 12 percent of the crashes are the result of vehicle defects, road conditions or inclement weather.

“Most crashes involving trucks involve driver error by both the car and truck driver,” stated Deputy Director Lt. Col. Kelly Hildreth in a prepared release.  “We can reduce crashes if we all share the roadways and avoid aggressive driving behaviors and practice patience around big trucks.”

In addition to targeted enforcement, the TACT campaign uses billboard and radio messaging to increase awareness among car and truck drivers of safe driving behaviors and of the heightened risk of receiving a ticket for a violation.

The Florida Highway Patrol has offered the following tips for safe driving:

· Stay out of the No Zone – watch for the huge blind spots (No Zones) around large trucks.

· Pass trucks with caution – pass on the left side for maximum visibility and maintain a constant speed.

· Do not cut trucks off – large trucks cannot stop as quickly as cars.

· Practice patience and try to be predictable – avoid making erratic moves if a truck is not moving as fast as you want them to.

For more information about “Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks” campaign or the Florida Highway Patrol’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement program, please visit www.flhsmv.gov/fhp.

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As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.

For daily updates on The Credit Report with Bill Lewis, you can join Bill’s 11,550 plus fans on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/thecreditreportwithbilllewis.

Scam Alert: Feds accuse T-Mobile of ripping off customers in cramming scheme

In litigation aimed at fraudulent business practices within the mobile telephone industry, the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday accused T-Mobile of making hundreds of millions of dollars by scamming customers with unauthorized text message charges, according to FTC Consumer Protection Director Jessica Rich.

The FTC is seeking a court order to permanently bar T-Mobile from “cramming,” or charging cellphone customers for spam text messages that they did not request or have an interest in receiving.

In a process known as “third-party billing,” carriers such as T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon typically place charges on a consumer’s bill for services provided by another company.   In return, the phone company receives a substantial percentage of the amount charged.

When the charges are placed on the bill without the consumer’s authorization, it is known as “cramming.”

T-Mobile — which brands itself as a low-cost alternative to top rivals AT&T and Verizon — received between 35 and 40 percent of the amount it charged customers for the bogus texts subscriptions, thus generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, the FTC alleged.

“It’s wrong for a company like T-Mobile to profit from scams against its customers when there were clear warning signs the charges it was imposing were fraudulent,” FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez indicated in a prepared statement. “The FTC’s goal is to ensure that T-Mobile repays all its customers for these crammed charges.”

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is also launching an investigation into T-Mobile’s billing practices and has the power to level fines against the company if it determines that wrongdoing has occurred.

According to the complaint filed by the FTC, T-Mobile allegedly charged customers for spam texts — “such as flirting tips, horoscope information or celebrity gossip” — at a typical cost of $9.99 per month.  T-Mobile also ignored signs that the text messages were unwanted — such as a large number of customers seeking refunds — and made it difficult to discover and remove the charges.

“Rather than going after T-Mobile, the FTC should focus on the third-party companies that are sending the text messages,” argued T-Mobile CEO John Legere.

“As a single mother, I can hardly afford to pay additional and fraudulent fees,” T-Mobile customer Bina Fink Kohl of Weston told Examiner.  “As a T-Mobile customer, I expect them to be fair and honest in their dealings.  From the litigation, it appears that T-Mobile has been scamming me all along.”

According to T-Mobile, they have already made commitments to stop billing for unwanted spam text messages and issue refunds for unwanted text messages.

“T-Mobile is fighting harder than any of the carriers to change the way the wireless industry operates and we are disappointed that the FTC has chosen to file this action against the most pro-consumer company in the industry rather than the real bad actors,” stated Legere.

According to Jessica Rich of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, the agency and T-Mobile have not been able to reach a settlement on the charges, resulting in the litigation filed Tuesday by the Federal Trade Commission.

“In court we will determine just how much” T-Mobile needs to refund its consumers, but “our evidence to date is that hundreds and millions of dollars are at stake,” Rich said.  “Our first priority is to get the money back to consumers.”

Rich called the charges against T-Mobile — the agency’s first cramming charges against a telecom company — “a new front in [the federal agency’s] longstanding campaign” against wireless cramming.

The T-Mobile case “sends a strong message to other mobile phone companies,” Rich concluded.  “We will continue to bring additional cases to deter this conduct.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission complaint, many of the allegations focus on T-Mobile billing practices, which “made it difficult for consumers to detect that they were being charged, much less by whom.”

Customers would have to scan through several screens online and up to 50 pages of a physical bill to find obscure and fraudulent accounting for the third-party charges, the FTC said.

Among the allegations were that prepaid customers – who do not receive monthly bills – would have the third-party charges deducted automatically.  Once customers discovered the charges and their source, T-Mobile would refuse to fully refund the charges, sometimes directing the customers to contact the third-parties.

“I’m alarmed that T-Mobile is accused of fraudulent billing practices,” Remington Longstreth told Examiner. “I never check my bill completely.  With that said, I don’t expect to be cheated either.”

The federal investigation and complaint against T-Mobile comes at no worse time as the company is reportedly in talks to be bought by Sprint.  This highly-anticipated deal would combine the country’s third- and fourth-largest wireless companies.

Legere concluded by calling the lawsuit against T-Mobile “sensationalized legal action” that is “unfounded and without merit.”

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As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.

Two sentenced in identity theft tax refund fraud scheme involving thousands of patients’ personal identity information

IRS warns against tax return identity theft scams

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, announced late Friday that Michael Ali Bryant, Sr., and his wife, Latina Rashawn Bryant, both of Lauderdale Lakes, were sentenced for their participation in a stolen identity tax refund scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

Michael Bryant, 41, was sentenced to 144 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Latina Bryant, 43, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Having previously pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft, Michael Bryant also pled guilty to one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices.

Latina Bryant previously pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of using an unauthorized access device.

Co-defendant Marquis Onigirin Moye, 24, of Pompano Beach, was sentenced on March 28, 2014 to 54 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Moye previously pled guilty to one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Co-defendants Tiffany Shenae Cooper, 33, of Deerfield Beach, and Angela Dione Rosier, 41, of Coral Springs, were sentenced on February 28, 2014.  Cooper was sentenced to 57 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Rosier was sentenced to 49 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.   The court also ordered both defendants to pay $129,390.06 in restitution to the IRS and the medical services provider whose database had been breached.

Cooper previously pled guilty to one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices and one count of aggravated identity theft.  Rosier previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.

According to court records, a confidential source initially approached Michael Bryant and inquired about purchasing narcotics.  Bryant told the operative that he did not have any narcotics but that he did have personal identity information that he was willing to sell.  A controlled purchase of approximately 230 names was made.

Bryant instructed the operative on how to commit tax fraud and provided specific instructions on what information to enter into the web pages of the internet-based tax services to obtain a tax refund.

An examination of the records revealed that they were from a medical services provider.

Rosier was an employee of the medical services provider.  Cooper spoke to Rosier to obtain user names and passwords for current employees of the medical services provider.  Cooper admitted to illegally logging on to the medical services provider’s computer network and downloading personal information for the purpose of committing various types of fraud.  She was assisted in her activities by Rosier and co-defendant Moye.

Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and IRS-CI.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia R. Wood.

William E. Lewis Jr & Associates opens new location in Davie

As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates – a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity – announces the opening of a new office in Davie, Florida.

Having outgrown their former location, William E. Lewis Jr & Associates recently moved to 6099 Stirling Road, Suite 210, Davie, FL 33314. 

Formerly with Credit Restoration Consultants, Bill Lewis has been widely sought by many in the restoration of their personal credit worthiness.  As such, a new credit repair component was formed.

In tough economic times, your good name and reputation are more important than ever. Creditors have tightened their guidelines effectively barring millions of Americans from obtaining credit.  Even those with excellent credit are experiencing reduced credit limits and closed equity lines. Mortgage lenders, auto finance companies, credit card issuers and banks have all raised the bar.

The terms credit repair, credit restoration or credit rehabilitation are somewhat synonymous. Those with bad credit histories cannot afford to ignore the potential benefits of credit repair. In today’s economy, a strong FICO score is more important than ever.

Approximately 78% of credit profiles in the United States contain some sort of error or omission materially affecting credit worthiness.  Absent self-help and the “do-it-yourself” approach, a consumer may hire a credit repair company in the restoration of their good name and reputation within the community.

Long gone are the days of obtaining credit, goods, benefits, services and/or employment with a 620 score. In most instances, a consumer will be denied if they maintain a credit score lower than 740. Even those with high credit scores have experienced closed credit card accounts and equity lines.  When an account has not been closed, credit limits have been reduced to the current balance due.

Borrowers with low credit scores can expect to be denied or to pay significantly higher interest rates than those with excellent credit.

Operating within William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates is a boutique credit service organization specializing in the restoration of consumer credit worthiness as well as identity theft. Assisting consumers in achieving a favorable financial credit profile is their first priority.

Everything they do at William E. Lewis Jr & Associates is legal utilizing laws enacted by Congress to dispute negative, erroneous, obsolete, and/or fraudulent information contained within your consumer credit profile.

Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, William E. Lewis Jr & Associates will assist consumers in the submission of disputes electronically, verbally and in writing to the Equifax, Experian and Trans Union consumer reporting agencies in addition to creditors, collection agencies, third-party record providers and state/federal/private regulatory authorities.

Unlike most credit repair clinics that submit the same written dispute letters monthly, William E. Lewis Jr & Associates has devised a credit restoration strategy utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, in addition to laws applicable to a consumers state of residence. 

Keep in mind that anything William E. Lewis Jr & Associates can do – you can do yourself.  That means that you do not have to hire William E. Lewis Jr & Associates – or any other credit repair company – to review, investigate and/or dispute alleged discrepancies on your credit report.

Where William E. Lewis Jr & Associates may have an edge over the average consumer is that we possess the education, knowledge and a source proven method that consistently yields results.

William E. Lewis Jr & Associates has obtained thousands of deletions and updates for its clients and can help remove erroneous and/or inaccurate judgments, liens, bankruptcies, student loans, inquiries, derogatory accounts, personal identifiers, arrests, etc.  While the credit restoration process can take anywhere from 30 days to six months, most clients see dramatic results in 45-60 days.

Credit repair, credit restoration and/or credit rehabilitation is as legal as pleading “not guilty” in a court of law. With that said, one must understand that as a credit service organization William E. Lewis Jr & Associates is not a law firm and that none of their employees is an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Florida.

As such, William E. Lewis Jr & Associates cannot provide legal advice nor represent any individual before any court or in any legal proceeding.  In the event that legal representation is required, William E. Lewis Jr & Associates may provide an appropriate attorney referral for consultation. 

Ordering Free Credit Reports:

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, as modified by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, consumers are entitled to a free copy of their credit report under a narrow set of circumstances.  If you have been denied credit, goods, benefits, services, insurance, and/or employment, the credit reporting agencies of Equifax, Experian and Trans Union are statutorily mandated to provide a copy free of charge.

Equifax can be contacted at (800) 685-1111 or www.Equifax.com; Experian can be contacted at (888) 397-3742 or www.Experian.com; and Trans Union can be contacted at (800) 916-8800 or www.TransUnion.com. Be sure to prompt that you were denied credit when requested to do so.

Absent these exceptions, consumers are entitled to one free “annual credit report” per year. Credit scores are not included with any of the “free credit reports” provided by the national credit reporting agencies.

For your free annual credit report, contact the central source at 877-FACT-ACT (877-322-8228) or www.AnnualCreditReport.com. Follow the voice prompts and obtain your credit report for review.

When self-help or the “do-it-yourself” approach is not feasible and you decide to hire a company to restore your credit, be sure to check them out.  While the majority of credit repair clinics are scams, a few good ones do exist.  Consumers can check out a credit service organization through their state Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commissionat www.ftc.gov or through the Better Business Bureau at www.BBB.org.

For more information, please contact William E. Lewis Jr & Associates at (954) 337-1530 or visit them on the Internet at www.williamlewis.us.

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As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.

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