Theft

For most people, cardboard is... just there. But stealing cardboard can be a relatively easy -- and surprisingly profitable -- crime.

As the price of hair extensions rises, so does theft of those goods. Bandits have started to smash into beauty salon storefronts to steal hair.

In the U.K., meat theft is on the rise and it's not just hungry individuals -- we're talking fully-fledged organized crime gangs. And it doesn't stop at supermarket meat either.

There’s word today the federal government is moving to render those stolen cell phones a lot less valuable. The plan is to make phone companies keep a registry of specific phones as opposed to phone numbers.

Tess talks with David Lazarus of the the Los Angeles Times about how to cope with possible identity theft, the tax implications of airmiles and handling your credit profile when collectors come calling.