Identity theft complaints soar 14.7 percent in 2014

In part 2, we'll analyze more stats from the Federal Trade Commission's 2014 Sentinel Data Book and report on additional general identity theft complaint categories that reflect how ID fraudsters rip-off individuals. Our goal is to enable you to avoid becoming an identity theft victim and pass along prevention guidance to your colleagues, families and friends.

On June 25, the U.S. Department of Justice reported that Tamaica Hoskin, of Phenix City, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 145 months in prison for acting as a ringleader in a massive scheme to file more than 1,000 fake federal income tax refunds that claimed more than $4 million in tax refunds between September 2011 and June 2014. She also had to return more than $1 million from the proceeds of the scheme. She conspired with Lashelia Alexander, who worked at a Walmart check-cashing center in Columbus, Alabama, to cash more than $100,000 in fraudulent tax refund checks. She also set up scam companies for check cashing. (Click here for more details about how this fraudulent scam was designed and executed.)