Well, THAT Didn’t Take Long (ID Theft Attempt on Katrina Victims Apparently Thwarted)

The first Identity Theft arrests I’ve seen relating to Katrina:

(link requires registration; BizzyBlog Sept. 2 warning about this is here [1st item, 4th bullet]):

Three charged with ID theft at hurricane shelter in Miss.

NEW ORLEANS - Three people from New Orleans face identity theft charges in Mississippi after trying to get personal information from Hurricane Katrina evacuees at a shelter in Laurel, Miss.

Jones County Sheriff Larry Dykes said Saturday that the trio posed as representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to try to get personal information from some of the more than 1,700 people from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Louisiana at the Magnolia Center, a multipurpose venue in Laurel used for concerts and horse shows.

“How low can you get when you take advantage of people who don’t have anything?” Dykes said.

Edward Charles Francis Jr., 44; Michelle Davis, 39; and Danielle Marie Doyle, 36, are being held without bond because they are considered a flight risk, Dykes said. They were arrested this past Monday and charged with identity theft, he said.

The sheriff said the trio also may face federal charges.

Dykes said the three asked refugees at the shelter for their names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers.

To answer Sheriff Dykes’ question, I’m afraid “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

The apparently good news is that it looks like this was a clumsy, ineffective, and ultimately unsuccessful ID theft attempt, as it appears that any information gathered didn’t have a chance to get out (you can never be absolutely sure, though).

Y’all down there need to continue to “trust but verify.”