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Mother Steals Daughter's ID to Become Cheerleader
A 33-year-old woman was charged with stealing her daughter's identity to attend high school and join the cheerleading team.
Wendy Brown, of Green Bay, is charged with felony identity theft after enrolling in Ashwaubenon High School as her daughter, who lives in Nevada with Brown's mother. A 33-year-old woman was charged with stealing her daughter's identity to attend high school and join the cheerleading team. ... more -
Facebook virus spreading fast
A new threat to all things fun and Facebook is spreading fast today. The virus appears as a message from one of your oh so real and tangible friends on the social networking site (has networking always included sending photographs of masturbating orangutans to people you barely know?).
The Message contains a link with the a heading along the lines of "sexy video of you!" or something else just as enticing. Anyone expecting the latest viral or hilarious vid will be sorely disappointed as they are then informed they don't have the correct software installed and then are asked to download the plausible sounding "codecsetup.exe" file.
Therein lies the virus.
I'll leave you with the link to a more in depth and technical article which explains how to rid yourself of the virus.
But in my opinion prevention is better then cure - go buy a Mac. A new threat to all things fun and Facebook is spreading fast today. The virus appears as a message from one of your oh so real and ta... more -
Bank of NY Mellon data breach affects 12.5M
Kevin Heine, a spokesman for the New York-based company, said the number of affected individuals had risen by 8 million from the 4.5 million reported earlier. Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell estimated the total number of customers that could be affected at 10 million.
According to Connecticut officials, the case stemmed from the bank's February 27 loss of six to 10 unencrypted tapes, while it was transferring back-up tapes that contained names, addresses, birth dates and Social Security numbers. Kevin Heine, a spokesman for the New York-based company, said the number of affected individuals had risen by 8 million from the 4.5 m... more -
Bank customer data 'sold on eBay'
A computer containing a million bank customers' personal data has reportedly been sold on internet auction site eBay.
Appparently, an ex-worker for archiving firm Graphic Data sold it for £35 on eBay without removing sensitive information from the hard drive.
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and its subsidiary, Natwest, have confirmed their customers' details were involved. It said historical information relating to credit card applications for their bank and others had been on the machine. The information is said to include account details and in some cases customers' signatures, mobile phone numbers and mothers' maiden names.
The problem first came to light when the person who bought the computer noticed and raised the alarm.
Last year the Financial Services Authority fined the Nationwide Building Society £980,000 for a security breach, after a lap top containing customer data was stolen from an employee's home. A computer containing a million bank customers' personal data has reportedly been sold on internet auction site eBay. ... more -
Hotel chain hacker puts eight million guests at risk of ID fraud
Up to eight million people are at risk of ID fraud after a hacker breached the security system of the world's largest hotel chain.
An Indian hacker broke into the IT system of Best Western Hotel Group and stole personal details of everyone who has stayed there in the past 12 months.
The details, which included home addresses, phone numbers, place of employment and credit card details, were sold on through an underground network controlled by the Russian Mafia.
The information is thought to be worth up to £2.8billion. Experts say that if it falls into the wrong hands it could spark a 'major crimewave'.
'They've pulled off a masterstroke here,' said security expert Jacques Erasmus, an ex-hacker who now works for the computer security firm Prevx.
He added: 'There are plenty of hacked company databases for sale online but the sheer volume and quality of the information that's been stolen in the Best Western raid makes this particularly rare. Up to eight million people are at risk of ID fraud after a hacker breached the security system of the world's largest hotel chain... more -
Financial Advice for College Students That Your Parents Aren't Telling You
Between packing for college, buying school supplies and recovering from sticker shock, parents may be too bogged down to remember to pass on some financial words of wisdom as their child leaves the nest. To help college bound students build a foundation of sound financial habits, Better Business Bureau offers the following advice for parents to bestow on their freshman.
Last year alone, approximately two million students graduated from high school and headed to college. While most were equipped with bedding and books, many were ill-equipped on the subject of financial literacy.
According to a 2007 survey by Charles Schwab, fewer than half of teens considered themselves knowledgeable on how to budget money (41 percent), how to pay bills (34 percent), or how credit card interest and fees work (26 percent).
“College years are the time when many young adults establish habits they will carry with them for the rest of their lives and while it’s important that they tackle academics, its critical that they also learn everyday skills – such as how to manage their money – in order to become successful in life,” said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. “Aside from leading by example, parents have an active role to play in ensuring their children are equipped to handle their own finances away from home.”
BBB recommends that before parents wave goodbye to their college bound students, they sit down and discuss four key rules for managing personal finances:
1. Be responsible with credit cards.
2. Start saving money now, even if it’s just a small amount every month.
3. Pay your bills on time.
4. Guard your personal information.
Read the full article for more detailed information on the four tips. Between packing for college, buying school supplies and recovering from sticker shock, parents may be too bogged down to remember to p... more -
ID Thieves Carry Out Voter Registration Scams
As we get closer to the 2008 presidential election, a variety of organizations may be working to register more voters.
But be careful because identity thieves have started posing as voter registration campaigners, according to the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission.
These identity thieves may promise to register you to vote and ask you for personal information such as your Social Security number or financial information and then turn around and use it to steal your identity.
How do scammers contact you? Through unsolicited e-mails and phone calls. And some really brazen ones will try in person, say when you're going to the grocery store.
"The importance of registering to vote allows you to participate in the electoral process and gives you the power to make a difference in deciding who will serve elected office. That right should not be impacted by those scammers looking to take advantage of people wishing to vote," says Steve J. Bernas, president & CEO of The Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois.
What should you do if a potential scammer contacts you? Turn in the scammer's information to the FTC via ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP. If you're worried you may have been scammed, contact the FTC and visit ftc.gov/idtheft.
If you want to register to vote make sure to do so through a reputable organization. Contact your local board of elections. Often libraries or state motor vehicle agencies have voter registration forms. You can also check out this site: www.eac.gov/voter - the site offers a form accepted by numerous states, according to the BBB.
Now's a good time to register to vote. The clock's running out and some localities have time constraints about how soon before the election you should register. As we get closer to the 2008 presidential election, a variety of organizations may be working to register more voters. ... more -
Big Brother to give all-access pass to your personal emails and texts
The Home Office set out a proposal to allow local councils, health authorities and hundreds of other public bodies the power to access details of everyone's personal text, emails and internet. The plan is to make it mandatory for phone and internet companies to store details (this never is good in the UK lately) of ALL PERSONAL traffic for at least a year. Why? In case they need it for investigations... or so they can leave it on a train for some random to find. That's right, not just suspected individuals, but everyone.
"The Home Office last night admitted that the measure will mean companies have to store "a billion incidents of data exchange a day". As the measure is the result of an EU directive, the data will be made available to public investigators across Europe. The consultation paper published yesterday estimates that it will cost the internet industry over £50m to store the mountain of data."
Money well spent? The Home Office set out a proposal to allow local councils, health authorities and hundreds of other public bodies the power to access... more -
11 Charged with hacking credit card information
Believed to be the largest hacking/identity theft case prosecuted by the Department of Justice,11 people were charged for hacking nine U.S. retailers and theft and sale of over 40 million debit and credit card numbers. It is the largest identity theft case in the U.S. Believed to be the largest hacking/identity theft case prosecuted by the Department of Justice,11 people were charged for hacking nine... more
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Security flaws: how a baby became Bin Laden
Tests for The Times exposed security flaws in the microchips introduced to protect against terrorism and organised crime. A researcher has shown how passport chips can be hacked in a matter of minutes and make you become Bin Laden. Or Elvis.
"New microchipped passports designed to be foolproof against identity theft can be cloned and manipulated in minutes and accepted as genuine by the computer software recommended for use at international airports.
Security researcher at the University of Amsterdam Jeroen van Beek takes the passport of a 16-month-old British boy and puts it on to a £40 smartcard reader the size of an iPod. He punches a code into his computer and, within seconds, the information contained in the passport’s microchip appears on screen.
This is not supposed to happen, as communication between the chip and the reader uses powerful encryption, but a renowned British computer expert called Adam Laurie worked out how to crack the code 18 months ago.
Within seconds, Mr van Beek copies the contents of the microchip on to another chip, making a clone of the first. He launches some software called Golden Reader Tool – the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standard kit for checking biometric passports – and the new chip is flagged up as authentic.
Mr van Beek has even created a passport chip featuring the identity of Elvis Presley. The Elvis passport has been accepted as genuine by a public e-passport reader at a Dutch town hall." Tests for The Times exposed security flaws in the microchips introduced to protect against terrorism and organised crime. A researcher... more -
US claims informant is fraud boss
A former informant of the US secret service has been accused of being the ringleader in the country's biggest and most complex identity theft case.
The US Department of Justice claims that Albert "Segvev" Gonzalez and 10 others stole, and then sold more than 40 million bank card numbers.
They allegedly got the data by driving around, finding vulnerable internet networks, and accessing shop records.
Prosecutors said the alleged fraud was an "international conspiracy".
"During the course of the sophisticated conspiracy Mr Gonzalez and his co-conspirators....hacked into wireless computer networks of major retailers," said the US Department of Justice.
The method, known as "wardriving", involves tracking down vulnerable internet wireless signals and using systems to decipher credit and debit card information from a retailer's system.
Read more... A former informant of the US secret service has been accused of being the ringleader in the country's biggest and most complex id... more -
The Do Not Call List
Identity Theft can happen any number of ways. Some crooks get information by calling unsuspecting consumers at home. To cut down on your risk of telephone identity theft, and to keep those pesky telemarketers from calling during dinner, sign up for the government's Do Not Call list at donotcall.gov. Identity Theft can happen any number of ways. Some crooks get information by calling unsuspecting consumers at home. To cut down on yo... more
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Bank Of America Bombshell: Is Your Money Safe?
The latest entry from Amy Alkon's blog begins:
"I think I've uncovered a real bombshell about Bank of America and the reality of their "security."
For anyone new around here, here's the deal: In a single statement period, from May through June, Bank of America's tellers, on seven separate occasions, gave a total of $12,000 of my money to thieves -- thieves with a fake driver's license in my name, and with the wrong expiration date.
Shockingly, the level of security they employed seemed on par with that of an eight-year-old with a lemonade stand: B of A's tellers didn't verify that it was my signature. No PIN was required. Just the good old fake ID, and Bank of America's tellers handed over my money like lettuce. SEVEN times. Which, to me, suggests this failure to verify isn't teller negligence but procedure. POINT ONE."
And it only gets better from there. Amy strikes out on a little undercover investigation of B of A's security practices and turns up a bombshell that you can barely even believe. The latest entry from Amy Alkon's blog begins: ... more -
Student admits living large on stolen IDs
A 22-year-old woman will probably face six years in prison after admitting that she and her boyfriend pulled off a brazen identity-theft scheme that funded trips, fancy dinners and expensive salon visits.
Travel photos show Jocelyn Kirsch and ex-beau Edward Anderton, a onetime Ivy League swimmer, posing in matching red swimsuits by a luxury hotel pool and kissing near the Eiffel Tower.
But in court Monday, the petite Kirsch sported a rumpled green prison uniform as she pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and other federal crimes.
The counts carry a two-year minimum sentence, but prosecutors expect her to get about six years under federal guidelines.
Kirsch, speaking barely above a whisper, declined the judge's offer to comment after her plea. She did disclose that she has been receiving counseling and medication for mental health issues.
Kirsch and Anderton, 25, acknowledge they stole the identities of friends and neighbors in the Philadelphia area in 2006 and 2007 to net more than $116,000 in goods and services -- and tried to obtain twice that.
"She and Edward Anderton stole the identities from numerous people from all walks of their lives, from co-workers to neighbors, anyone that they encountered," Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Lappen said afterward.
Police found evidence of their trips in dozens of digital photos on their laptop computers. The scheme unraveled when an employee at an upscale city salon told police that a check for Kirsch's $2,250 hair extension job had bounced. About the same time, a neighbor of Kirsch and Anderton told police that a package that she did not order had been sent to her.
A federal prosecutor called the high-flying pair "the poster children for identity fraud." Kirsch maintains that she or her family legitimately funded some or most of the international trips, lawyer Ronald Greenblatt said.
Kirsch, a former Drexel University student, is the daughter of a North Carolina plastic surgeon and lived until last month with her mother in Northern California, where prosecutors say she continued to engage in identity theft while awaiting court appearances in Pennsylvania.
Anderton, a University of Pennsylvania graduate originally from Everett, Washington, pleaded guilty last month to the same six counts, which include bank fraud and money laundering.
Lappen said Monday that the probable sentencing range is about five years for Anderton. Kirsch could get more prison time because of the California conduct, which could negate credit for acceptance of responsibility, he said.
The pair deployed an increasingly sophisticated set of schemes to obtain more than $116,000 in goods and services and tried to obtain at least another $122,000 more, prosecutors said.
Kirsch is being sentenced on October 17. Anderton's sentencing date is September 19. A 22-year-old woman will probably face six years in prison after admitting that she and her boyfriend pulled off a brazen identity-the... more -
Identity Theft from Speeding?
People caught speeding in Maryland have their social security number, date of birth, and other personal information available to anyone online on the Maryland Courts Website.
Anyone think the State of Marlyand should remove this information ASAP? People caught speeding in Maryland have their social security number, date of birth, and other personal information available to anyon... more -
Major internet security flaw found
Security researchers said today they had discovered an enormous flaw that could let hackers steer most people using corporate computers networks to malicious websites of their own devising.
Thankfully every major software company affected is issuing patches fixing the problem.
System administrators will have 30 days to apply those patches before the details of the flaw are disclosed at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas.
Security experts hope that the patches are broad enough that hackers won't be able to reverse-engineer them and figure out how to exploit the vulnerability before the details are released next month.
Make sure you download those security patches people. Security researchers said today they had discovered an enormous flaw that could let hackers steer most people using corporate computer... more -
Google trying to take privacy seriously
ZDNet.com reports:
"This week was a very interesting week as far as Google and privacy goes. First, a burglary (the same on that affected CNET earlier last month) was confirmed to have affected all Google employees hired before December 31, 2005. There’s nothing Google could have done about it, but it’s definitely a blow for those involved. Employee records contain everything from names to social security numbers, and unfortunately, Google’s were stored unencrypted on the stolen computers. Google has offered to cover the cost for a one year subscription to a credit monitoring service."
-Identity theft strike again ZDNet.com reports: ... more -
9 Steps to Help Protect Your Company From Identity Theft
What can your company do to prevent identity theft? What steps can companies take to achieve identity theft protection and prevention? Learn about preventing identity theft from Ilyce Glink's weekly column.
"1. Make sure sensitive documents that could be used to commit identity theft are in locked drawers or file cabinets. Often they are not.
2. Know your cleaning crew, and other sub-contractors, well. To prevent identity theft in his own office, Deming negotiated cleaning fees out of his monthly rent and retains a cleaning crew himself with the savings. And even if you know the individuals, documents still must be appropriately secured to prevent identity theft, according to Stephens.
3. Have a high-level employee present as cleaning crews work. This helps deter them from committing identity theft.
4. Change computer passwords often.
5. Ensure that sensitive information is not readily downloadable to laptop computers. Many cases of identity theft have been tracked back to laptops.
6. Only one high-level employee should have access to the Human Resources office where most sensitive data that could be used for identity theft is stored.
7. Assign employees numbers in lieu of Social Security numbers. Thieves often use Social Security numbers to commit identity theft.
8. Do not send personal data via email. Someone could access the email without permission and commit identity theft with the information he finds.
9. Frequent audits of bank records and files are the best ways to catch any identity theft sooner rather than later."
Follow the link above for the full article. What can your company do to prevent identity theft? What steps can companies take to achieve identity theft protection and prevention?... more -
National Insurance Numbers (NINOs): What to do if you suspect or discover fraud
Think someone's using your National Insurance number fraudulently? Well there's not really much you can do about it. The entire webpage documenting how to resolve such an issue has been redacted due to some loopholes in the Freedom of Information Act... Think someone's using your National Insurance number fraudulently? Well there's not really much you can do about it. The ent... more
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Card details stolen in web hack
The credit card details of up to 38,000 customers of clothing firm Cotton Traders were stolen following a hack of its website, BBC News has learned. The credit card details of up to 38,000 customers of clothing firm Cotton Traders were stolen following a hack of its website, BBC New... more
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Identity Theft
