Most news articles on consumer law are needlessly confusing. Attorney Mike Cardoza takes a straight, no-nonsense approach on the current issues facing consumers today. Our blog provides an insider’s view on consumer rights, and explores topics such as threats to privacy and unfair credit reporting. Be sure to check back for regular updates.
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How It Happens: Massive Data Aggregation & SSN ExposureOver the last decade, massive data breaches have exposed billions of records. When a breach happens, the information doesn’t evaporate.
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How It Happens: Shimming & Chip Reader CompromiseInstead of attaching to the outside of a machine, ultra-thin electronic devices are inserted deep inside ATM or point-of-sale card slots to intercept information as the EMV chip communicates with the terminal.
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How It Happens: Mail InterceptionOne of the most common — and most misunderstood — entry points is the mail.
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HOW IT HAPPENS: IDENTITY THEFTIt happens because there are systems — mailing systems, credit systems, data systems — and those systems have vulnerabilities. This section explains, in plain English, how identity theft actually happens.
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Why Synthetic Identities StickIdentity Theft Lawyer Mike Cardoza explains why Synthetic Identities stick around and are so hard to extinguish
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The Synthetic Identity That Isn’t YouID Theft attorney Mike Cardoza explains what a "Synthetic Identity" is and how it can affect anyone.
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Why Lenders Approve Identity Thieves So EasilyLenders don’t verify identity. They automate it. And the automation is terrible.
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The Robot DanceWhat the credit bureaus call “verification” is nothing more than the Robot Dance — an automated, rigid, unthinking choreography where scanners, software, and databases fling coded messages at each other until one of them spits out the word “verified.”
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Why Credit Bureaus Deny Identity Theft ClaimsBecause their paying customers don’t want them to.
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The Identity Theft You Never See ComingA paid-on-time fraudulent credit card doesn’t drop your credit score. It doesn’t trigger alerts. It doesn’t set off alarms at Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax.