Identity thieves target hospitals and clinics

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Hospitals and clinics are meant to help heal the body, but they may not be the safest place for your personal information.

The woman seen in security camera photos is an ID thief applying for a fraudulent credit card inside a Home Depot. Her name is Kateena Norman. Even more disturbing is where Norman and her group of thieves got the stolen information.

"They were obtaining it through clinics, hospitals. There were some individuals that were involved working at these hospitals," said U.S. Postal Inspector Javier Dominguez.

Employees would steal patients' personal information and get the ID thieves whatever they needed.

"They pretty much had everything. They had your name, they had your social, your date of birth," said Dominguez.

Fifty victims lost more than $130,000.

"They would obtain these credit cards and then go out, purchase merchandise and bring it back and then sell it, and that's how they would make their money," said Dominguez.

The case began to unravel after stores like JC Penney and Home Depot reported fraudulent credit card applications. Inspectors say the trail led them right to Norman.

"When we did a search of her house, she had the notebook with all these names and all these addresses," said Dominguez.

One of the victims was a middle-aged woman who had just learned she was terminally ill.

"They even got delinquent notices in the mail," said Dominguez.

Identity theft is not a victimless crime

"And then on top of that, having to deal with trying to clean up their family's credit, it was just horrible," said Dominguez.

The suspect in this case, Kateena Norman, is scheduled to be sentenced next month.