Ex-Teledata Worker Jailed In Massive I.D.Theft

NEW YORK - (01/13/05) -- A former computer technician atTeledata Communications Inc. was sentenced to 14 years in prison inone of the biggest identity theft cases after pleading guilty tostealing 30,000 credit reports which caused as much as $100 millionof losses for financial institutions and individuals. PhilipCummings, a 35-year-old former help-desk employee at Teledata,pleaded guilty to fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy after admittinghe used the company's confidential passwords and access codes todownload credit reports from clients Equifax, TransUnion andExperian. Cummings and his accomplices sold the credit reports toothers who used the information in them to obtain phony creditcards and purchase tens of millions of dollars of merchandise forresale in the name of innocent victims. More than 300 victimssubmitted victim impact statements to the court, and majorinstitutions, including Washington Mutual, Fort Motor Credit,Dollar Bank, Citi (bank) cards, reported tens of millions ofdollars in losses from the scheme. Several other defendants in thecase are awaiting trial.