Melissa Hodge, a registered notary public, was caught selling the social security numbers and personal information of her clients to identity thieves.

Hodge charged $20 for individuals with a credit score between 500 and 600, and more for those with higher scores.  Identity thieves would then used this information to open credit card accounts, which in turn is used to pay for various expenses.

Initially, Hodge insisted that she was not involved and even suggested that the information was stolen from her. However, she eventually claimed guilty and admitted to selling the information of 16 clients, who together lost more than $160,000.  Hodge might be sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for her crime.

To protect yourself from identity thieves, check your credit score annually.