Numerous waiters, past and present, at some upscale restaurants are accused of taking customers' credit card information, buying items, and re-selling them for cash. NBC New York's sources say, "Several suspects are from top city restaurants like Smith and Wollensky, Capital Grille and Wolfgang Steak, as well as Morton’s in Stamford and the Bicycle Club in New Jersey" and that the crime ring "targeted customers who often paid with American Express Black cards and other high-limit credit cards." more ›

A Brooklyn man has been charged with murdering a Russian court translator and a jewelry importer and stealing their identities. Investigators told the Daily News that Dmitry Yakovlev also took the identity of a former NYPD mechanic who has been missing since 2003, and they "believe there are even more victims whose body parts have been strewn across New Jersey over the past decade." A source told the tabloid: "He's got a lot of bodies on him ... The guy is a like a serial killer." more ›

The Queens DA's office says an Astoria landlord apparently stole his tenant's identity in order to rack up $50,000 worth of purchases. The Daily News says Jorgji Glekas went to the police after getting bills from credit card "accounts she hadn't opened - then grew suspicious when [landlord Phivos] Ioannou asked if she had received any mail that didn't belong to her." Ioannou used his tenant's name and Social security number to buy numerous items, including a BMW (with a $32,000 loan) on a Visa with Glekas's name. (He even reportedly Ioannou made one payment on the car, with a check signed by "Ioannou Phivos.") The landlord, who denies the charges, faces 15 years in prison if found guilty. Here are identity theft prevention tips (PDF) from the NYPD. more ›

Brooklyn resident Dwight McPherson has been identified as the employee at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center responsible for the extraction of tens of thousands of patients' ID information. McPherson said he was approached by an Atlanta-based ID-theft ring and sold his first batch of 1,000 names, phone numbers, and social security numbers for $750. The hassle of having one's credit ruined and identity stolen apparently has a street value of 75 cents. more ›

Patients at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center are discovering a hidden cost of healthcare: the theft of their identities at the hands of a hospital employee. During a federal investigation, it was revealed that as many as 40,000 patients over the last five to six years had their names, phone numbers, and social security numbers stolen from hopsital records. An audit at the hospital confirmed that the information had been misappropriated. more ›