In a televised panel recorded shortly after Thanksgiving, hosts discuss the surge in identity theft and credit‑card fraud that coincides with Black Friday and the holiday shopping season. The Federal Trade Commission’s estimate that 9 million Americans are victimized each year frames the conversation. Two victims, Jennifer Reiner and Nicole Robinson, recount personal experiences: Reiner’s best‑friend, who had a key to her home, stole her ATM card, accessed her mailbox, and drained her accounts; Robinson’s identity was hijacked by a stranger in Texas who used her Social Security number to open multiple high‑value accounts, merging her credit file with the thief’s and causing massive financial and credit‑rating damage. Expert Robert Siciliano, CEO of ID Theft Security, explains that roughly half of identity‑theft cases involve acquaintances, highlights law‑enforcement’s limited capacity, and notes state‑level responses such as Illinois’ two‑photo driver’s license. The panel explores the emotional toll on victims—stress, sleep loss, strained relationships—and the systemic obstacles victims face when disputing fraud with merchants and credit bureaus. Finally, the discussion pivots to practical protection strategies, including credit‑monitoring services, alerts for new account openings, and the limitations of cash‑only transactions.
Chapters
The day after Thanksgiving is obviously, as we know, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Black Friday, and it's the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.
But along with the holiday bargains come the crooks and a frightening brand of thievery that is actually reaching epidemic proportions. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. The Federal Trade Commission estimates 9 million folk fall victim every year, and 57% have had some form of their identities stolen— names, date of births, and Social Security Social Security numbers can be taken from your mailbox or credit card numbers ripped off on the phone or online. Victims can suffer through significant losses: zeroed-out Social Security accounts, inability to get mortgages, student loans, or employment, and in some cases, inherited criminal records.
I went to apply for unemployment. This individual was collecting unemployment during the time that I was actually working, so they denied me.
Actually, there's a flea market there in the area that actually started selling my Social Security card.
Since most local police police don't have the time or capability to track down the perps, seeking justice is often left up to the victims.
They advised me that I had to go to every one of these cities and states where these crimes had been taken action at, where they were taken at, and that I had to, um, file a police report there.
The problem has become so pervasive, last month Illinois released a new driver's license with two photos to combat identity theft. But with the incidents of this crime on the rise, how can individuals protect themselves, especially especially at the holidays.
Wait till you hear some of these stories. Wow. With us today is Jennifer Reiner. You will not believe who stole her identity. We're going to tell you in a second.
And from Washington, D.C., Nicole Robinson, whose identity was stolen by a stranger thousands of miles away who shares her same name.
Well, sort of. There's like little tweaks there. But also with us is the author of The Safety Minute. He's the CEO of ID Theft Security, Robert Siciliano.
Jen, let's start with Jen.
Yeah, let's start with Jen.
Because you are not going to believe who was stealing your identity. First of all, how'd you find out about it? It was around the holidays. This is probably Brings it all back for you around Thanksgiving, huh?
Yes, it was just a little over a year ago I got a call from my credit card company saying that somebody had charged over $6,000 on my credit card inside of a very short period of time.
Ouch.
Yes.
And then you found out about a Yahoo account that was also opened up.
Yes.
Yeah.
In your name.
In my name.
With your password.
Was one of my cat's names.
But you didn't open this account up.
Absolutely not. I had no idea it existed.
So how fast did she drain your bank account?
Within about 5 days through, I believe, 4 different ATM withdrawals.
And she was your best friend.
Absolutely.
How long had you known this girl?
She was my best friend. I had met her at a job and we immediately clicked and we just spent a lot of time together.
You had no idea that she had a shady side?
Absolutely none. She had me completely fooled.
And of course, who would you talk to about your money problems but your best friend? So you just keep feeding her more information?
Yes, I was calling her upset every day in tears. She was giving me advice on what to do.
Well, how'd she get your information in the first place?
Well, she had a key to my place. She was my best friend.
Oh.
And we were together all the time, and so she had access to my purse to steal my ATM card.
Do you think that she targeted you, like this was some long strategy to gain your trust or something like that?
I don't believe so. I think she's just very sick. And got herself into a situation where she had been fired from her job and it just ballooned. I think it got out of control for her.
So she had your bills, gotten your mailbox and all that kind of stuff. So that's how she got the Social Security card or the number?
Yes. Yeah, she had access to my home and she lied to me one day and got my mail key to go get my mailbox and intercept all of the American Express gift checks that she ordered online.
Thousands and thousands of dollars.
Yes.
So you finally, you go to the police. Now, as she's been telling you, "Oh no, no, no, don't go to the police." She said her dad's a cop, and he was.
Yes.
And she said, "No, I've talked to my dad. Don't go to the police. They don't care about this kind of stuff." Yes. It's small, small beans.
Yes, she told me that her father called the sheriff's department and they said that if I filed a report, it would be filed away in a cabinet and not really looked at.
But then, didn't the cops show you actual ATM footage of this best friend taking your money?
They did.
Well, well, well, how do you respond to that? Look at her there.
That's her, unmistakably. Everybody who sees that picture knows it's her. I couldn't believe it. I was in denial.
Even then?
Yes. My gut told me one thing, but I was really— could not believe it.
And this whole thing went to court. I mean, she was arrested.
Yes.
And what happened?
She was prosecuted. She took a plea bargain from the DA's office, and that piece of it is done.
Is she ill?
Yes.
That's the problem here.
That is my belief, and the police also believe that.
Let's get out to Nicole. Nicole had a situation. Nicole M. Robinson, that's your name. M. Yes. One day you get a call from the fraud department at Kay Jewelers, which is never a good sign. Tell us what happened.
Um, I got a call from the fraud department at Kay Jewelers, and they told me that a woman using my Social Security number had opened an instant credit account the night before. And then I subsequently found out that she had over $36,000 in accounts open in my name.
Oh my goodness. Now, so this is another Nicole Robinson, Nicole A. Robinson, that's her real name?
Yes, her name is Nicole A. Robinson.
And who is she and where is she?
She's in Texas. She worked at a place, a mail-in pharmaceutical company that had my Social Security number in their databases.
So in total, how much did she rip you off?
Well, the initial theft was $36,000, and then she, while she was under indictment, she opened another account of mine, and that was only $350.
What's another creepy aspect of this, Nicole, is she basically became you in a way, didn't she?
Yeah, what happened as a result was that our credit files were merged because she used my information so often, and I received a credit report that was 54 pages long, had 42 different names, 65 different addresses, and 170 accounts, most of which were in collections.
But I think a lot of people, a lot of viewers wonder, why does it take so long? Why is it so difficult to straighten something like this out? Explain why it's so tough.
The merchants want to believe that the person who's claiming fraud is actually lying, and that's what I came up against. A lot of times when I called merchants to say this is fraud, they didn't believe me. And when disputing information on my credit files as well, the credit reporting agencies weren't really willing to believe that what I was saying was the truth. They'd rather believe their merchants than the consumer.
Well, in a way then, I mean, this Nicole Robinson in Texas is a criminal, so in a way you kind of turned into a criminal on paper.
Yes, I became a criminal. I had bad checks attributed to me. I started getting her collection notices for accounts that she opened not even using my Social Security number.
How does it destroy your life though, Nicole? I mean, how bad does it get? You can't really buy things, can you?
No, I couldn't refinance my home at that time. I couldn't get a line of credit at my bank. A credit card that I had that had a zero balance, I couldn't use. I got to a store one day trying to use the card and I was denied. The woman said, "I can't process this because of the fraud on your account." Oh my God.
And I was like, "I didn't commit any fraud." Robert Siciliano, 50% of the people who are doing the stealing are people that we know.
Yes, as much as 50% of all identity theft does actually happen from friends, family, coworkers, employees, employers. Those that have direct access to your information generally are the ones that are committing the crimes.
A shockingly high percentage.
I'm looking at some of the eyes of our coworkers over here.
Shakti!
But, Jan, I mean, how much did it affect your life?
It was horrible.
Uh, your health even?
Yes, I was exhausted. I was sleeping maybe 1.5 hours a night. I was so stressed out because I was under strict instruction by the police not to talk to this about anybody who knew her. Well, my entire life everybody knew her.
Boyfriend?
Yes, it put a strain on my relationship with my boyfriend. He knew something was wrong, but I couldn't tell him, and because he was very close friends with her. And so I especially couldn't speak to him about it. Geez, frick.
It seems, Robert, like a lot of this has to do with credit cards and getting credit card information. So should we just wipe away credit cards and just go with cash? Is that going to help?
Actually, if you use cash, you become a different type of target. You know, if you have a whole wad of cash on you in a store. There are options that you have. There are companies that you can invest in that will monitor your credit. They will flag your credit. They will set you up so that anytime anybody tries to open up a new account under your name, they'll make it so that the merchant has has to call you to verify that you are in fact you before that account can be opened under your name.
Police officers all around the country are taxed with other types of crime. Is this something where the victim really has to take care of their own life here?
This is the only crime that I can think of that you are guilty until proven innocent, and law enforcement is completely overwhelmed. And how is a law enforcement officer in, let's say, you know, Denver, supposed to, you know, take care of a criminal who's in Texas? They're just overwhelmed, and often it's out of the jurisdiction.
I definitely agree with that. It was a burden on me because of the distance between us, but for me, um, in a lot of ways that was a benefit because had she been in my local area, I think it would have been harder for me to prove that it was not me who opened these accounts.
Yeah.
All right, when we come back, we're going to tell you 5 things that you can do to protect your identity and
