S8E3: Will the Real John Shady Please Stand Up

Welcome to Mysteries to Die For.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you in the heart of a mystery. All stories are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.The rules for law and order create the boundaries for civil co-existence and, ideally, the backdrops for individuals, families, and companies to grow and thrive. Breaking these rules puts civil order at risk. And while murder is the Big Daddy of crimes, codified ordinances across municipal divisions, counties, states, and countries show the nearly endless ways there are to create mayhem. This season, we put our detective skills to the test. This is Season 8, Anything but Murder. This is Episode 3, identify fraud is the featured crime. This is Will the Real John Shady Please Stand Up? by TG WolffAbout Identify FraudIdentity Fraud, also called Identity Theft, is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission. This information can include names and addresses, Credit card or Social Security numbers, Bank account numbers, Medical insurance account numberIn February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission released data showing consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023. This was a 14% increase over 2022. Investment scams led the fraud category with $4.6 billion, a 21% increase. The second highest loss was to imposture schemes with $2.7 billion reported.There are several ways that scammers can steal your identity, including in person, online, through social media, and by phone. Scammers may:Steal your wallet or purse to get ID, credit, or bank cardsGo through your trash to retrieve bank statements or tax documentsInstall skimmers at ATM machines, cash registers, and fuel pumps to digitally steal information from your bank cardGet personal information from your phone when you use public Wi-FiUse “phishing” to get information from you through fraudulent email, texts, or phone callsLook through your social media accounts to find identifying information in posts or photos. Or they may ask you for personal information in online quizzes and surveys.To report identity theft, contact:The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at IdentityTheft.gov or call 1-877-438-4338The three major credit reporting agencies. Ask them to place fraud alerts and a credit freeze on your accounts.The fraud department at your credit card issuers, bank, and other places where you have accountshttps://www.usa.gov/identity-thefthttps://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/02/nationwide-fraud-losses-top-10-billion-2023-ftc-steps-efforts-protect-publicABOUT TG WolffLike you, I’m not one thing. I’m a writer, an engineer, a wife, and a mother. What is first on the list depends on the day. Beyond the title I claim, I’m a person who loves learning and thoroughly enjoys a good puzzle, is creative and gets bored easily. I hold a BS in Civil Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and an MS in Civil Engineering from Cleveland State University, which gives me absolutely no background in writing, but I do it anyway. Writing mysteries and engineering isn’t as different as you’d think. Both require using logic and process to get from a starting problem to a solution.Find me at www.tgwolff.com