Md. high court denies would-be lender’s forgery appeal, cites licensing law
A woman’s 20-year-old guilty plea to forgery and identity theft will stay on the books as Maryland’s top court said her unforeseen disqualification from a mortgage lending license did not justify permitting her otherwise too-late appeal of her conviction. In its 7-0 decision this week, the Court of Appeals said Maryland’s statutory ban on those […]
Today’s remote workforce a target for cybercriminals
When the world shut down in March 2020 and companies sent their workers home, opportunities for cybercriminals multiplied.
Md. law firms hit with bogus unemployment claims
Attorney William E. Carlson wants everyone to know he remains happily employed as managing partner of the Baltimore-based Shapiro Sher law firm, despite what the Maryland unemployment insurance office might think. Carlson is one of six long-time – and current – Shapiro Sher employees for whom unemployment checks were erroneously drafted at the behest of […]
EZShield unveils new name as combined company with IdentityForce
EZShield and IdentityForce will be combined under a new name — Sontiq — the two cybersecurity companies announced Wednesday. Maryland-based EZShield acquired the Massachusetts-based Identity Force last year. The new combined company will be based in Nottingham, Maryland. “Sontiq is a natural evolution of our two companies, EZShield and IdentityForce,” Dale Dabbs, the company’s [...]
Maryland man sentenced in South Dakota for ID theft scheme
A Maryland man has been sentenced in South Dakota to two years in federal prison for his role in an identity theft scheme.
Court revives lawsuit against Baltimore-based optometry board
A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit brought by optometrist applicants who claim a data breach at the industry’s Baltimore-based examining board resulted in disclosure of their personal information to computer hackers who applied for credit cards in their names. In its published 3-0 decision, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said U.S. […]
Md. John Doe convicted; Officials don’t know who he really is
A foreign national stole an American man's identity, then lived in the U.S. for at least 20 years and committed Social Security and voter fraud, federal officials said. Now they're trying to determine his true identity.
New Maryland law allows free credit freeze
A new law taking effect in Maryland this week allows residents to place a freeze on their credit reports free of charge. Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh says a credit freeze is one of the most effective methods of identity theft protection. It prevents anyone from seeing your credit report without your permission. If a […]
New laws took effect in Maryland on July 1
ANNAPOLIS — New laws that took effect in Maryland include steps to provide funding for Planned Parenthood to mitigate potential federal cuts and require schools to teach about the dangers of opioid addiction. A state tax break for emergency services personnel also went into effect, along with measures aimed at protecting bees and opening the nation’s only […]
Hogan signs bill to help battle tax fraud
ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Larry Hogan has signed a measure to create greater protections for Maryland taxpayers from tax fraud and identity theft. It was one of the 207 bills the governor signed on Thursday. The measure strengthens the ability of the comptroller’s office to stop tax fraud, protect taxpayer information and hold fraudulent filers and […]
More Marylanders becoming victims of tax return identity theft
ANNAPOLIS — Shortly after her husband’s death, Roberta Roper enlisted the help of an accountant to file her taxes. That’s when she found out her family was victimized — again. Her husband, Vincent Roper, had died suddenly from a massive heart attack on April 4, 2013. He had always done their taxes, she said. With […]
New effort in Md. to protect children from identity theft
In case you felt parenting wasn’t hard enough, officials say there’s something else to worry about: identity theft, which can destroy children’s credit scores before they’ve even learned to count. But Maryland hospitals and elected officials say there’s a solution – a proactive “freeze” on a child’s credit report that prevents any new credit accounts […]