Identity theft can happen to virtually anyone at any time. Don’t believe me? Even the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft isn't immune to identity theft, it seems.

An AWOL soldier had devised a scheme to defraud billionaire Paul Allen. The soldier is now in jail!

How do you steal a billionaire’s identity? Twenty-right-year-old Brandon Lee Price simply changed the address on a bank account held by Allen, then had a debit card sent to his Pittsburgh home to use for payments on a delinquent Armed Forces Bank account and personal expenses. Sounds like a major Internet security issue.

Price obviously knew some of Allen’s personal information. Price called Citibank in January pretending to be Allen and changed the address on one of Allen's accounts from Seattle to Pittsburgh, then called back three days later to say he had lost his debit card and asked for a new one to be sent to him.

It’s seems too easy, right?

The first day he received the card Price attempted to make a $15,000 Western Union transaction and make a $658.81 payment on the Armed Forces Bank loan. Price was caught all over the place – also trying to buy video games and make purchases at a dollar store.

The bank quickly caught the fraud and only the loan payment went through.

Deserter

Price had been listed since June 2010 as absent without leave from the Army and was wanted as a deserter. He is in big trouble both for the theft and going AWOL.

This just goes to show how rampant identity theft is. 16 hour theft classes can help keep those who have thoughts of committing theft.