January 2011 News Archive

January 31, 2011

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Police target gangs

WORCESTER — Investigators working inside the Police Department’s new gang shooting response team have helped close several cases so far, resulting in 13 known gang members being charged with crimes ranging from assault and gun possession to home invasion and identity theft. ...read full article

FBI: Jury Duty Claim Part Of Mo. Phone Scam

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The FBI is warning Missourians to beware of a new identity theft scheme. ...read full article

Who’s watching your mailbox?

Thieves just love this time of year, when all kinds of personal information arrives in time for tax season

...read full article

Man reports chronic identity theft

A local man told police he suspected he'd been the victim of identity theft for the last 12 years. ...read full article

Identity theft strikes Saraland woman

SARALAND, Alabama (WALA) - A Mobile County woman is trying to reclaim her identity. Tuesday, her purse was stolen from a gym in Saraland and Gulf Coast authorities say it could be connected to a string of other identity theft cases. ...read full article

More apps equals more chances for identity theft

It's the start of a new year, and companies with malicious intents are stepping up their efforts to cause harm online. ...read full article

Former McHenry resident charged with? identity theft

McHENRY – Robert H. Gott, 38, a former resident of McHenry, was arrested Friday on charges of identity theft and possession of a fraudulent driver’s license. ...read full article

VA employees go dumpster diving to protect sensitive data

The Veterans Administration will go to extreme lengths to protect patient data, including dumpster diving, Chief Information Officer Roger Baker said in his regular press call on the VA data breach reports sent monthly with Congress ...read full article

Online identity theft – should you be worried?

Staying safe online is mostly about common sense - but there are real risks

...read full article

Criminals Working for Debt Collectors May Be Stealing Your Identity

It is bad enough that many times consumers are illegal threatened and harassed by ruthless debt collectors. It appears that many debt collection companies do not perform criminal background checks on call center employees. Many of these employees have criminal records. ...read full article

SourceForge applies global password reset after hack attack

Open-source code repository SourceForge has advised users to change their passwords following a concerted hacking attack. ...read full article

Man accused of making death threats to former congresswoman

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A 42-year-old Los Angeles man is in custody after allegedly making death threats to a former congresswoman, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. ...read full article

Paper tigers: Network printers now targets of hackers

Paper jams used to the biggest problem with printers. But now, high-tech home and office printers have become alluring targets for cybercriminals. ...read full article

Mysterious 'Roy Castillo' haunts Facebook

He arrived on Wednesday, around the same time Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg’s Facebook fan page was hacked. Roy Castillo — the ghost "friend"with a man’s name and a profile pic of a teenage girl wearing sunglasses — popped up in the Facebook newsfeeds with the curt status: "Off to Danao City." ...read full article

ID theft victim's bank account depleted of $13,000

MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) - A Mobile woman tells FOX10 News she is still recovering from a case of identity theft. The victim said the thief stole more than $13,000 from her bank account in December. ...read full article

January 28, 2011

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Suspected meth dealer wanted in identity theft ring

A suspected methamphetamine dealer who investigators say equipped his Spokane Valley home with surveillance video and a tripwire while orchestrating an identity theft scheme is wanted by police. ...read full article

Couple Sentenced For 'Massive' Identity Theft Scheme

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Columbus couple was sentenced Thursday for what is being called a massive identity theft scheme. ...read full article

Female identity-theft suspect still evading authorities

DAPHNE, Ala. — An unknown female suspect has stayed one step ahead of authorities ever since she began a scheme more than a month ago to steal the identity of women while withdrawing money from their bank accounts. ...read full article

Bulgarian Man Gets 2 Years in Jail in US Identity Theft Case

Doitchin Krastev, a Bulgarian man, has been sentenced by a US District Court in Portland, Oregon, to 2 years and 1 day in jail for stealing the identity of a dead Ohio boy ...read full article

Couple off to prison for tax-refund scam

A North Side woman will go to prison for seven years and her husband will be behind bars for three years for stealing identities and nearly $200,000 in tax refunds. ...read full article

Woman charged with using her dead mother's credit card

STANLY COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Deputies have charged an Albemarle woman for allegedly purchasing hundreds of dollars worth of items using her deceased mother's credit card. ...read full article

CityProperties Police arrest woman who allegedly stole multiple wallets

Metro police Thursday morning arrested an alleged serial thief suspected of stealing wallets and credit cards from female shoppers on multiple occasions. ...read full article

Mexican National Sent to Prison for Using Marine’s Identity

Wichita, KS - infoZine - Inocente Monroy Alcantara, 26, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States who had been working at a meat processing plant in Arkansas City, Kan has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for using a stolen identity to work at the plant, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today. ...read full article

Fraud ring stole accounts to buy wheel rims, clothes, dog

A ring of identity thieves tricked people into giving out their banking information, then siphoned funds from their unsuspecting victims and spent over half a million dollars in shopping sprees. ...read full article

Group seeks dismissal of Koch's suit for names of hackers who faked website

WICHITA - Lawyers for the environmentalists behind a media hoax targeting Koch Industries Inc. have asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by the Wichita company seeking the pranksters' identities. ...read full article

Major headaches for local tax preparers

TYLER - According to once local tax preparer fraudulent tax cases are not only a problem in East Texas they're an epidemic ...read full article

January 27, 2011

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Identity theft results in federal charges

An Orchard Park man faces federal charges of identity theft after allegedly stealing Social Security numbers to obtain property, U. S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. reported Wednesday. ...read full article

Asheville police charge woman with identity theft

ASHEVILLE — Asheville police charged a Charlotte woman with identity theft and financial card fraud. ...read full article

State agency says clients' information sent to landfill

RALEIGH -- A state agency lost computer disks containing Social Security numbers, birth dates, income details and other personal information pertaining to more than 18,000 clients. ...read full article

UK police arrest five 'Anonymous' WikiLeaks defenders

IDG News Service - UK police arrested three teenagers and two other people on Thursday for allegedly taking part in a series of denial-of-service attacks against major websites earlier this year as part of the loosely affiliated group "Anonymous." ...read full article

Detroit man charged in credit card fraud

A Detroit man accused of identity theft has been charged amid accusations by Canton police he used a fraudulent credit card to make thousands of dollars in illegal purchases at the Canton Meijer store. ...read full article

Bennettsville man to face nearly 40 identity theft charges

MARLBORO COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – The Marlboro County Sheriff's Office has arrested a 21-year-old Bennettsville man in connection with several cases of identity theft. ...read full article

Danbury man held on identity theft, forgery charges

DANBURY -- Police arrested a 36-year-old Danbury resident on an outstanding warrant for identity theft and forgery charges late Tuesday night, officials said. ...read full article

City man makes plea deal in identity theft case

PORTSMOUTH — A city resident was given a suspended jail sentence for using someone else's name and Social Security number to upgrade his phone service and obtain a new cell phone. ...read full article

DHHS Warning Clients About Missing Files

RALEIGH, N.C. --The state’s Department of Health and Human Services is warning clients about missing records. ...read full article

Oregonians Warned Of Phone Scam

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. -- The Better Business Bureau warns that people in several states, including Oregon, have fallen victim to a phone scam. ...read full article

Taking a stance against scavengers

Costa Mesa wants to lock trash cans, while Newport Beach makes trash rummaging a serious offense.

...read full article

Police nab serial thief

San Mateo police arrested a man described as a prolific fraud artist and burglar in San Leandro yesterday. ...read full article

ID thief gets nine years for ripping off 750 victims

When 28-year-old Iguosade Osahon was busted last summer for stealing the IDs of 750 victims across the country, the eloquent crook conceded to cops, "What can I say? You've got me by the balls." ...read full article

January 26, 2011

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Hedge funds unprepared for cyber attack

With details trickling in about how the sophisticated Stuxnet computer worm derailed years of work on Iran’s nuclear program, many seasoned observers are left to wonder what might happen if such a powerful weapon were ever turned against the nearly $2 trillion hedge fund industry. ...read full article

Identity theft lands man, 43, behind bars

A Cheektowaga man was sentenced to one year in federal prison Tuesday for stealing another man’s identity and his money, the U. S. Attorney’s Office reported. ...read full article

Prosecutors say Army faker was CG reservist

BALTIMORE — Federal prosecutors say a Maryland man has been charged with mail fraud for allegedly lying about military experience and academic credentials to gain employment. ...read full article

ICQ Users Fend Off Fake AV Campaign

A new scareware scam is taking flight on ICQ, attempting to infect users' PCs and mobile devices while selling them a bill of goods.

Scareware scams come and go but a new one making its way throughout the ICQ instant messaging community has gone above and beyond the traditional tactics to trick people into downloading and paying for a fake AV app that will only cause more harm. ...read full article

Patriot Act's Wiretapping & FISA Provisions Up for Renewal this Month

With George W. Bush out of the White House, talks about the Patriot Act have significantly died down. Which is why it's no surprise that few people even know that at the end of this month two controversial provisions of the Patriot Act - one that authorizes "roving" wiretapping and another that allows the government to pull all kinds of records and electronic communications from U.S. citizens - are set to expire. ...read full article

UPDATED: ABQ Woman Gets 24 Months for Identity Theft, Health Care Fraud

The former Albuquerque pharmacy worker also will have to serve four years on supervised release and pay more than $24,000 in restitution ...read full article

Bill seeks identity theft restitution

A bill that would give identity theft victims a chance to gain financial restitution was introduced last week by a Catonsville area legislator. ...read full article

One Man's Quest To Foil Hackers

Identity fraud costs $54 billion a year. Robert Carr aims to alleviate some of that pain.

...read full article

Bank Fraud Scheme Uncovered in Florida

The FBI conducted an undercover operation that exposed bank fraud in Florida. The fraud was centered on small business loans, lines of credit, money laundering, and identity theft ...read full article

Akron woman pleads guilty to ID theft

BAD AXE — A 42-year-old Akron woman pleaded guilty in Huron County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon to a charge of identity theft — habitual offender, third offense. ...read full article

Students leave digital footprints

A silent stalker is watching from a distance, waiting to steal people's most personal information — and it's perfectly legal. ...read full article

Woman sentenced to prison in Medicaid scam

She had collected almost $39,000 by falsely claiming she was providing in-home care for a disabled woman

...read full article

REGION: Four in Stonewood scheme plead guilty

Four of seven people charged with felonies have entered guilty pleas in connection with the notorious Stonewood fraud case, including James Benjamin Duncan of La Cresta, mastermind of the scheme that bilked area homeowners out of $140 million ...read full article

Accused embezzler jailed without bail

A Coos Bay banker who surrendered to Los Angeles FBI agents last month has appeared in federal court on charges including identity theft, aggravated identity theft, credit card fraud, bank fraud and money laundering. ...read full article

Zuckerberg's Facebook page hacked

Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook page was hacked on Tuesday to promote an alternative business plan for the social network site. ...read full article

January 25, 2011

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The king of home equity fraud: Full version

FORTUNE -- A luxury suite at the W Hotel in Dallas is as good a place as any to conquer the world. At least it seemed that way in 2007 when Tobechi Onwuhara got the crew together. They'd meet there often, seven or eight of them. Some had nicknames from the Ian Fleming lexicon: C, Q, and E. ...read full article

Local Woman Busted In National ID Theft Ring

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) – Stephanie Knowles was caught by Fort Lauderdale Police for allegedly being involved in a national identity theft ring. ...read full article

Suspect in slaying might face more charges

FRIENDSHIP -- Additional charges may be filed against a 59-year-old Big Flats man authorities say shot and killed his 79-year-old mother. ...read full article

Former credit union employee receives probation after ID theft plea

ELIZABETHTON — A former credit union employee received two years of probation on Friday after pleading guilty in Criminal Court to identity theft. Thirteen counts of forgery were dismissed. ...read full article

Camden man admits role in postal-theft scheme

A Camden man admitted Monday that he was part of a scheme to steal tax returns and Social Security checks from postal trucks and mailboxes last year. Gilbert Mercado, 36, appeared in U.S. District Court, where he pleaded guilty to stealing government property. ...read full article

Error sends University of Missouri insurance mail to wrong addresses

COLUMBIA, MO -- Hundreds of participants of University of Missouri’s health insurance program are being told to be on the look-out for insurance fraud after several hundred insurance communications were mailed to the wrong person. ...read full article

Doctors stress importance of reporting EHR problems

WASHINGTON – There's little question that electronic health records reduce adverse drug events and improve quality of care. But that doesn't mean healthcare providers shouldn't be doing all they can to make sure they're as safe and as easy to use as possible, said National Coordinator for Health Information Technology David Blumenthal, MD. ...read full article

OCR Patient Data Breach List Hits Milestone

The number of entities reporting breaches of unsecured protected health information (PHI) affecting 500 or more individuals has hit 225. The web site was born out of HITECH and has been live since February 2010. ...read full article

Food and beverage industry tops Trustwave list of industry data breaches

The food and beverage industry is the most breached industry from an information security perspective, making up more than half of all industry data breaches in 2010, according to the Trustwave 2011 Global Security Report. ...read full article

Honda Data Breach Highlights Need to Set Strong Cloud Security Policies

In light of recent data breaches, including a December 2010 incident which affected 2.2 million Honda customers, IT managers need to limit what data is actually shared with cloud service providers. ...read full article

Hackers sell access to hacked .mil and .gov sites

Cybercrooks are offering hacked domains, including military sites, for sale through underground marketplaces. ...read full article

iTunes gifting scam plunges Reg reader into the red

Surfers who link their debit or credit card to iTunes have reason to be cautious after a Reg reader found his bank account plunged into the red overnight following £1,000 in fraudulent iTunes gift purchases. ...read full article

Tunisia plants country-wide keystroke logger on Facebook

Gmail and Yahoo! too

...read full article

Banks may soon require new online authentication steps

The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) could soon release new guidelines for banks to use when authenticating users to online banking transactions. ...read full article

Hackers Get Access to New Jersey School Data System

Users of the 4chan online message board managed to get access to the online student information system used by a New Jersey school district after the school's administrative password was posted to 4chan last week.

...read full article

Researchers: Attacks getting faster, wider

With the attacker focusing on social media and online services, expect far-reaching flash attacks.

...read full article

Top 10 Web hacking techniques of 2010 revealed

A Web hack that can endanger online banking transactions is ranked the No. 1 new Web hacking technique for 2010 in a top 10 list selected by a panel of experts and open voting. ...read full article

Carberp Banking Malware Upgrades Itself

A piece of banking malware that researchers have been keeping an eye on is adding more sophisticated capabilities to stay hidden on victims' PCs, according to the vendor Seculert. ...read full article

January 24, 2011

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Brownsville woman accused of selling son's identity

WICHITA, Kan. — A Texas woman is due in federal court to answer charges she sold her son's birth certificate and Social Security card to a Kansas woman. ...read full article

Colorado one of nation's most scammed states

Coloradans receive more scam invitations in their inboxes, mailboxes and on their phones than residents in many other states according to recently released data. ...read full article

Idaho licenses getting high-tech makeover

BOISE, Idaho -- The Idaho driver's license is getting a high-tech makeover. ...read full article

2 plead guilty in ID theft ring

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Two Poplar Bluff residents pled guilty in federal court on Friday in an identity theft ring, which affected a Sikeston bank. ...read full article

Rossendale councillor hit by hackers

A COUNCILLOR is warning the people of Rossendale to protect themselves from identity theft after his email account was hacked. ...read full article

Man in alleged identity theft ring sentenced

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The last member of an alleged identity theft ring called a "felony lane gang" has been sentenced to seven years and 10 months in prison and ordered to help repay $49,350. ...read full article

Recent identity theft case an example of increase in crime

A Saint John woman who stole the good credit of a Hampton man is the latest example of identity theft in New Brunswick, a crime which experts say is growing rapidly across the country. ...read full article

Fake Sweepstakes Targets East Texas Residents

BBB cautions consumers of reports of fraudulent letters pretending to be from the official Publisher’s Clearing House. These bogus letters inform customers that they have won a major prize with Publisher’s Clearing House, and “winners” are approved for an automatic payoff on any debt accumulated on qualified credit cards. ...read full article

GATES POLICE reports: Identity theft

Identity theft: On Jan. 19, a 25-year-old male reported suspicious activity on his debit card, which he still had. An unauthorized purchase between $500 and $600 was made at the Walmart on Chili Avenue. Another $140 purchase was made at the Target on Chili Avenue. Police are still searching for a suspect. ...read full article

Bill Would Make Certain ID Theft Cases Easier To Prove

A recent controversial decision by the Colorado Supreme Court has prompted newly elected state Rep. Mark Barker, R-Colorado Springs, to file HB11-1049, titled “Use of Personal Info to Defraud.” The bill was filed Jan. 12, and its intent is to clarify the statutory language involving identity theft following the recent high court decision involving Felix Montes-Rodriguez. ...read full article

Iran announces launch of new cyber police units

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's state TV says the country has launched its first cyber police unit in the latest attempt by authorities to gain an edge in the digital world. ...read full article

Nicolas Sarkozy's Facebook page hacked

Hackers managed to break into the Facebook page of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to announce he would be quitting next year.

...read full article

Phone hacking: Gordon Brown called in police over fears mobile phone messages were intercepted

Gordon Brown called the police over fears his mobile phone may have been hacked into by journalists when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.

...read full article

January 21, 2011

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Dover woman faces identity theft charges involving patient in hospice care

A Dover woman faces charges of identity theft involving a hospice care patient living in Middletown. ...read full article

Texas mystery woman arrested for identity theft

STAMFORD -- An unidentified Dallas woman who used a Stamford woman's name, Social Security number and birth date to get a job at Texas hotel, where she racked up an income tax bill of more than $21,000, was extradited to Connecticut Wednesday, police said. ...read full article

Bitterroot woman admits to identity theft

MISSOULA - A Bitteroot Valley woman has pleaded guilty to using a credit card that she found in a bathroom. Penny Fenstermaker is facing a federal charge of wire fraud and identity theft. ...read full article

Thieves Steal Personal Information Online

CONCORD, N.H. -- People are increasingly sharing information about themselves online, but law enforcement officials are warning that the trend could open up more people to identity theft. ...read full article

No country for cyber outlaws

The US is playing online sheriff, with plans for universal internet IDs, writes Gerard Wright.

...read full article

Nevada is Scam Central, New Report Finds

LAS VEGAS - Scams come in all forms, and Nevada topped the Federal Trade Commission's list as scam central for 2009. Nearly 11,000 people filed fraud and other complaints last year. ...read full article

Woman charged after being released from jail

On the same day she was released from the Sullivan County Jail, a Kingsport teen was charged with identity theft in Johnson City, police said in a news release. ...read full article

State: Pair sold digital drivers license to undercover agent

A clerk at the state Motor Vehicle Commission office in Lodi has been charged in a scheme to create and sell a New Jersey digital driver's license to an undercover investigator posing as an undocumented immigrant. ...read full article

Identity Crime Offender Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison l

The man's sentencing this week in ABQ closed out seven open cases involving 20 felony credit card and identity theft offenses

...read full article

CBI sets up hotline for identity theft

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has set up a toll-free hotline for victims of identity theft and fraud. ...read full article

Family of murdered Ohio boy expected to attend sentencing of the John Doe who stole his identity

A boy with a head of wispy blond hair smiles in front of a canopy of trees. It's the real Jason Evers, the one who was kidnapped on Father's Day in 1982 and later found buried in an Ohio ravine. ...read full article

Five arrested in ATM fraud case, with victims in Springfield Township

Five men originally from Bulgaria have been arrested and charged with using “skimmer” devices on ATM machines at several Citizens Bank and Wells Fargo Ban branches in Springfield, Lower Providence and Lower Merion townships in Montgomery County as well as West Whiteland Township in Chester County, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. ...read full article

Man accused of living as dead man for 9 years

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- For the past nine years, Timothy O'Neil has allegedly been living as William Ross in Bakersfield. He had gotten married, bought a home, and even had a job as Ross. ...read full article

Bilked while in a coma

A Cairo woman who was allegedly bilking a comatose woman of thousands of dollars was arrested by the Greenport Police Department Wednesday and charged with seven felonies. This is the second set of charges for Tammy Lacitignola, 34, who is also facing 14 felonies and three misdemeanors in Greene County. ...read full article

Two women arrested on ID theft, forgery charges

BOYDEN, Iowa -- Police say two women have been arrested in Sioux County on forgery and identity theft charges. ...read full article

High-end trucks and SUVs being targeted at Niagara Square parking lot

Her baby is gone. In this case, it happens to be a pristine 2001 GMC black pickup truck that Audrey Longley-Fitzpatrick of Welland purchased new on Aug. 26, 2001. ...read full article

Colorado Springs Residents' Identities At Risk

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Federal Trade Commission has released their Consumer Sentinel Network State Complain Rates. ...read full article

Boone Man Arrested For Check Fraud

BOONE, N.C. -- Boone Police arrested a man they say committed check fraud. ...read full article

Reading the Junk Mail Could Prevent Credit Card Fraud

SHERMAN, TX--Before you throw away the junk mail, you might want to open it. It saved one Sherman man's identity. ...read full article

Novel makes bail in alleged scam case

Cheboygan, Mich. — A downstate man accused of misrepresenting himself as a new vendor for state and federal government vehicle fleet contracts allegedly to obtain information for identity theft was arraigned Tuesday in Cheboygan County 53rd Circuit Court. ...read full article

Charges pile up in Belvedere Porsche case

An interstate fugitive accused of stealing a Porsche in Belvedere after stealing a BMW in San Francisco could face more than eight years in prison under charges filed Wednesday in Marin Superior Court, the district attorney's office said. ...read full article

Lush website hack 'exposes credit card details'

Luxury cosmetics firm Lush has ditched its UK website in response to a sustained hacking attack which left users vulnerable to credit card fraud. ...read full article

Website with 10 million users warns of password theft

A website that helps drivers avoid speeding tickets is warning its 10 million registered users that their email addresses and passwords may be in the hands of hackers who breached the site's security. ...read full article

Twitter Targeted with Fake Antivirus Software Scam

Twitter has been resetting passwords for accounts that started distributing links promoting fake antivirus software in an attack that used Google's Web address shortening service to conceal the links' destination.

...read full article

January 20, 2011

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More than 100 alleged mobsters arrested in N.Y.-area

Leading figures in several organized crime families said to be among those in custody

More than 100 suspected members and associates of six mafia families have been arrested in what the FBI described as the biggest organized crime round-up in New York history. ...read full article

Former beauty queen pleads guilty in massive ID theft case

The woman involved in one of Hawaii’s largest identity theft cases pled guilty as charged today to 140 counts of identity theft, money laundering and forgery. ...read full article

Identity theft suspect sought

Detectives are looking for a woman accused of identity theft and stealing someone’s credit, according to an East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office news release. ...read full article

Identity theft suspect arrested in Hernando

BROOKSVILLE - An identity theft suspect believed to be part of a criminal enterprise is behind bars. ...read full article

Indiana family's daughter has identity stolen three times

A Central Indiana family said they cannot believe their bad luck. Their young daughter has become the victim of identity theft three times.

...read full article

Thieves use unsecured wireless networks to commit internet crimes

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A crime that you may have thought was a big-city problem is now in the Ozarks. The Springfield Police Department says it's been inundated with cases of identity theft involving wireless networks. Police say there's a simple way to protect yourself. ...read full article

Cyberattacks on social networks doubled in 2010

'Once you break into a Facebook account, it’s a treasure trove,' says expert

...read full article

Pennridge police make four arrests in theft ring

Four people have been arrested in what police said was a theft ring operating in West Rockhill. ...read full article

Woman pleads guilty to series of thefts in New Brighton

A Beaver County woman has been sentenced to serve one to 23 months in jail after she entered guilty pleas related to a series of 2009 thefts in New Brighton. ...read full article

How to prevent identity theft at ATMs

ATMs are quick, convenient ways to get money, but they can also be quick, convenient places to have your identity stolen. ...read full article

Woman indicted for student financial fraud

According to a December FBI press release, a federal grand jury has indicted Michelle N. Owens, an inmate at Leath Correctional Institution in South Carolina, with one count of student financial aid fraud, one felony count of mail fraud and one felony count of aggravated identity theft for submitting fraudulent financial aid applications through Webster University's online learning program. ...read full article

Water bill postcards to cease in village

Postcards will soon be a thing of the past in Clarendon Hills -- at least in terms of village water bills. ...read full article

Court stop lands man in jail

A Roanoke Rapids resident appearing in Halifax County District Court Wednesday found himself in police custody, facing additional charges on a fugitive warrant out of Virginia. ...read full article

Scammers pose as restaurant inspectors

The last person many restaurant owners probably want to see walk through their door is the health inspector. ...read full article

Vermont AG settles data breach case for $55,000

The Vermont Attorney General's office says a Connecticut-based health insurance company is ready to pay $55,000 to settle a complaint that it didn't inform customers that personal information had been lost along with an unencrypted computer hard drive. ...read full article

E-Verify improves but still can't detect ID theft, GAO says

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency can now process a higher percentage of applicants through the E-Verify system on the first try, but the system still has inaccuracies, primarily due to fraud and identity theft, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. ...read full article

WikiLeaky phone scam targets unwary in US

A new voicemail phishing scam uses the threat of non-existent fines for visiting WikiLeaks to prise money out of panicked marks. ...read full article

Job application scam fleeces company of $150,000

A scam that targets businesses posting help-wanted ads online has already fleeced one company of $150,000, according to an advisory from the FBI that warns other businesses to be wary. ...read full article

Digital Photos Hide Data -- and Cyberstalkers Can Find It, Expert Warns

A picture's worth a thousand words -- especially for cyberstalkers. ...read full article

January 19, 2011

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8 Arrested In Identity Theft Ring Ran From Federal Prison

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Eight individuals from the greater Cleveland area have plead guilty to their roles in an identity-theft ring ran by a man locked up in a federal prison. ...read full article

Facebook disables controversial sharing feature for now

Facebook said Monday it will temporarily disable a controversial feature that allows application developers and third-party web sites to access the mobile phone numbers and addresses of certain users. ...read full article

Parks and Recreation employee busted for ID theft, joins four others nabbed for similar scheme

Another city worker, this time a Parks and Recreation employee, was busted for identity theft Tuesday. ...read full article

Woman with infant wanted on identity theft charges

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Sheriff's deputies are looking for a woman who used someone else's information to apply for credit at an auto parts store, then used the credit to buy scooters. ...read full article

OKC Limo Company's Domain Name Snatched Up By Company In France

OKLAHOMA CITY -- While you may have heard of identity theft before but what about someone stealing your domain name? An Oklahoma City businessman said it happened to him. ...read full article

Identity theft scheme toppled

CATSKILL — A 34-year-old Cairo woman has been charged with stealing the identity of a sick friend and withdrawing more than $10,000 from the friend’s accounts. ...read full article

Career center worker charged in more ID theft

Plaquemine, La. — The Plaquemine Police have arrested a Port Allen woman who worked for a career counseling service here with an additional 31 counts each of identity theft, forgery and bank fraud, Capt. Kenneth Payne reported Tuesday. ...read full article

E-Mail Scam Poses as CRA Notice

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary's Economic Crime Unit is warning the public of another e-mail scam making the rounds in the province. ...read full article

Maplewood woman who stole wallets must spend 365 nights at workhouse, repay victims

Dawn Marie Rassett must pay $1,000 restitution to each of her 16 victims. She must spend her nights in the workhouse for the next year. She will have a 2 1/2-year prison sentence hanging over her head for up to 10 years. ...read full article

Attorney General Investigating UConn Bookstore Security Breach

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen is investigating a recent security data breach affecting University of Connecticut Co-op consumers. ...read full article

Lame Stuxnet worm 'full of errors', says security consultant

Far from being cyber-spy geniuses with ninja-like black-hat coding skills, the developers of Stuxnet made a number of mistakes that exposed their malware to earlier detection and meant the worm spread more widely than intended. ...read full article

Carbon trading exchange suspends ops following hack attack

A carbon emissions trading registry in Austria has suspended operations until at least 21 January following a hacking attack earlier this month. ...read full article

Cloud Breaches Show Need for Stronger Authentication

The number of security breaches is rising as organizations increase their reliance on cloud-based services, collaboration tools and enabling users to access networks, Forrester says in a new report. Weak usernames and passwords are making matters worse.

...read full article

Gaping security flaw exposed on anti-tamper devices

ARLINGTON, VA. -- Security devices used in transportation, packaging and even in accounting for nuclear materials are very vulnerable to attack, two security researchers warned on Tuesday at the Black Hat security conference. ...read full article

Feds charge professed White Hat hackers in breach of AT&T iPad customer data

Professed White Hat hackers face federal criminal charges for grabbing the e-mail addresses of 114,000 AT&T 3G customers who use iPads. ...read full article

January 18, 2011

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Facebook offers more user data to third party app developers

In a decision that will be exploited by online scammers "for their own criminal ends", according to one security expert, Facebook is making users' addresses and mobile phone numbers available to third party app developers. ...read full article

White House: Private Sector Must Lead Internet Security Fight

The proper role for the U.S. government in strengthening e-commerce security is that of catalyst and coordinator, said NIST policy advisor Ari Schwartz. "This effort will not work if the government takes it over. We can't run it ourselves, but the government can have a role in such things as standards development and interoperability." ...read full article

Bulgarian faces sentencing in Ohio identity theft

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Bulgarian man who used a name stolen from a dead Ohio boy to work as an Oregon Liquor Control Commission investigator is facing a two-year federal prison sentence. ...read full article

Police report on identity theft to obtain Craig’s List account

PORT HOPE - On Jan. 15, a Port Hope restaurant owner contacted the Port Hope Police Service to report a possible fraud. It was reported that a call was received from a man claiming to be a health inspector advising that health unit has received numerous complaints regarding the condition of local chinese restaurant, and therefore is conducting inspections of all restaurants in the area. ...read full article

Woman charged with identity theft in $2,500 outlet purchase

LIMERICK — Limerick Township Police apprehended a Philadelphia woman for allegedly fraudulently obtaining a credit card and purchasing more than $2,458 in merchandise at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets. ...read full article

Shadow Creek Ranch raid uncovers suspected identity theft ring

Following a five-month undercover investigation, Pearland Police said they have identified four suspects believed to be involved in a massive identity theft ring. ...read full article

Woman accused of role in online ID theft ring

The Livingston County Prosecutor's Office has authorized felony charges against a Gregory woman accused of buying products with stolen credit card information, said Bill Cook, Unadilla Township police chief, on Monday. ...read full article

2 charged with stealing iPad users' information

NEWARK -- Federal prosecutors in New Jersey are announcing the arrests of two men accused of stealing e-mail addresses and other information from more than 100,000 Apple iPad users. ...read full article

Cracking down on online impersonations

QUINCY, ILL. -- Would you want someone to impersonate you online? It happens every day. Someone steals your picture offline, creates a new facebook or email, and you no longer have control of your information. ...read full article

Alleged ATM skimmers busted

Five Bulgarian men were arrested at a Lower Providence hotel last month for allegedly stealing credit card account numbers from more than 100 bank customers by attaching “skimming” devices to automated teller machines (ATMs) in the area and planting hidden cameras to photograph customers keying in their personal identification numbers (PINs). ...read full article

Tax season is prime time for mail thieves

Identity theft happens year round, but January is prime time for the bad guys. That's because so many year-end financial forms are in the mail as companies send out tax documents. ...read full article

National Breach Warning System Urged

When a database breach occurs, consumer notification continues to be a public problem, and it's time for the federal government to step in, says Linda Foley, co-founder of the non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center. ...read full article

PenFed hacking leaves possibility of troop identity thefts

Members of a credit union that serves active-duty military personnel and others connected to the Pentagon are at risk for identity theft after a laptop was hacked, exposing the personal and financial records of an undisclosed number of troops and their families. ...read full article

January 14, 2011

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Hospital Treating Giffords Fires 3 for Alleged Privacy Breach

The Arizona hospital where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is recovering from Saturday's shooting rampage has sacked three members of its staff for allegedly accessing confidential medical records inappropriately. ...read full article

Pentagon's credit union hacked

A security breach at the Pentagon's official credit union has exposed the personal and financial records of members of the U.S. military and their families, putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk for identity theft. ...read full article

Smartphone data at risk on Wi-Fi networks - study

Smartphone users may be risking the security of their identity if they store sensitive information on their phones and use unsecure Wi-Fi networks to get online, according to a study by Experian's identity-protection service ProtectMyID. ...read full article

U.S. Creditors Criminally Duped: SubscriberWise Chief Exposes Synthetic Identity Theft Involving Misuse of Child’s SSN and Piggybacking of Trade Accounts; System Shields Member Operator from Fraud and Capital Loss

MASSILLON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SubscriberWise, the nation’s leading provider of analytics-driven subscriber risk management, announced today that its CEO has put the brakes on an identify theft that duped at least 5 U.S. credit grantors and included more than a dozen fraudulent credit inquiries, while potentially compromising the credit rating of a minor child. The action culminated with alerts to law enforcement, several victim creditors, the Identity Theft Division of the Federal Trade Commission, the three national credit reporting companies and consultations with scoring and fraud experts at FICO. ...read full article

Attorney general warns to be on guard against identity theft as hacker pleads guilty

SACRAMENTO - A Citrus Heights computer hacker pleaded guilty to seven felony charges for breaking into hundreds of women's e-mail accounts, the sort of identity theft crime that Californians should take steps to protect themselves against, according to Attorney General Kamala D. Harris. ...read full article

SPD makes arrest on identity theft charges

Scottsboro police recently arrested a Massachusetts women on charges of identity theft and possession of a forged instrument. ...read full article

Citrus Heights man pleads guilty to hacking women's e-mail accounts Share

A Citrus Heights man has pleaded guilty to hacking hundreds of women's e-mail accounts, using information he obtained to commit identity theft and in some cases obtain nude photos of the victims. ...read full article

Man Stole Nude Photos From Women's E-mail Accounts

A California man has pleaded guilty to charges that he broke into the e-mail accounts of thousands of women, scouring them for nude photos that he then posted to the Internet. ...read full article

Riverside woman gets prison sentence for tax fraud

Dora Argote, 38, pleaded guilty last July to two counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme, in which she and her then-husband filed false tax returns and used the personal information of others to claim refunds. ...read full article

Former Webster nanny sentenced for identity theft

A nanny accused of ripping off the families that trusted her pled guilty to felony charges today. ...read full article

The Public Eye: Thieves hit Postal Service collection box in capital Share

Those large, blue U.S. Postal Service collection boxes are regarded as secure places to deposit mail, but even they are sometimes targeted by thieves. ...read full article

Bar owner accused of identity theft

A Mazeppa, Minn., bar owner stole people’s identities and used them to forge pull-tab prize receipts, court documents allege. Orrin Gregory Haugen, 56, of Zumbrota, Minn., was charged with felony identity theft using false information on a prize receipt of a lawful gambling game. ...read full article

Hackers hijack medical server to play Black Ops

Some people, if they'd found they were able to break into a medical server containing confidential patient records, might consider blackmail. Not so the hackers of Seacoast Radiology's system - they used it to play Call of Duty: Black Ops instead. ...read full article

Caddo woman charged with taking advantage of sick friend

CADDO PARISH, LA (KSLA) – A Vivian woman was arrested for taking advantage of a terminally ill friend to gain control of his finances, said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator. ...read full article

College director accused of scamming students

WALNUT, Calif. (KABC) -- The director of a Southern California college program is under arrest and facing charges he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his students. ...read full article

ID theft suspected after man discovers his arrest

LANCASTER -- It's been a tough couple of days for Dustin Cook. ...read full article

Kenya: Sh500 Million Lost to Bank Fraud in Just a Month

Nairobi — Kenya's banking industry has become a soft target for fraudsters who have been getting away with colossal amounts of cash every month. ...read full article

Hospital Security Breach Puts Patients' Records At Risk

INDIANAPOLIS -- A security breach at St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital may have put the records of 1,800 patients at risk. ...read full article

IRS warns of agency impersonators

With tax season roughly three months away, the IRS is stepping up its awareness campaign in order to highlight common tax scams that occur during the season.

...read full article

Texas ranks 3rd highest for ID theft complaints

Identity theft crimes increased 33 percent in the United States from 2009 to 2010, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC). ...read full article

3 Universities Knocked by Security Breaches

Over the last two months, three American universities have been mopping up from data breaches, the largest--at Ohio State University--affecting 760,000 people. The University of Wisconsin-Madison's security incident involved 60,000 people; and a St. Louis University breach affected staff employed by the university for five years or longer. ...read full article

Fraud Incident Reports Down, Says Report

A quarterly measure of fraud reporting among employees finds violations have dropped

...read full article

'Patriot Act' Phishing E-Mails Resurface, FDIC Warns

Scammers are trying to steal banking information using fake e-mails that look like they've come from the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the FDIC warned Wednesday.

...read full article

UConn Reports Data Breach of Online Retail Site

An online retail site at University of Connecticut is warning thousands of customers that their billing information may have been hacked.

...read full article

January 12, 2011

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Your most dangerous possession? Your smartphone

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Forget what's in your wallet -- beware your smartphone. It's becoming one of your most dangerous possessions. ...read full article

Cops undergo training vs cyber crimes

MANILA, Philippines—Aiming to become more relevant in the age of Internet, the Philippine National Police has started a year-long training on cyber security program for policemen. ...read full article

Identity Theft Report Highlights Number of Data Breaches in 2010, Need for Better Reporting

In an effort to highlight the risks of identity theft and to argue for a centralized database reporting site, the non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) has released its statistics on the number of data breaches in 2010. The center recorded 662 data breaches last year, noting that the figures are probably under-reported as in many cases there are no requirements for data breaches to be reported. ...read full article

Two plead guilty in Northern California identity theft scheme

Two men pleaded guilty in a sophisticated identity theft scheme and have been sentenced for their roles in stealing more than $90,000 from nearly 200 people in Northern California, including eight people in Sacramento County, the state attorney general's office announced Tuesday. ...read full article

Woman charged with identity theft

GLASGOW — A Glasgow woman was arrested on identity theft charges after admitting to using a fake ID. ...read full article

Barton County woman pleads guilty to identity theft

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. —Attorney General Chris Koster said today that Susan Michelle Higgins, of Golden City, has pled guilty to the class C felony of identity theft in Christian County Circuit Court. ...read full article

Los Altos man convicted of San Bruno aid scam, faces 3 years

REDWOOD CITY -- A Los Altos man convicted of pretending to be a victim of the San Bruno pipeline explosion so that he could get a free hotel room, rental car and gift cards faces up to three years in prison, a prosecutor said. ...read full article

Wife of former sheriff pleads guilty in identity-theft case

LAMAR, Mo. — The wife of a former Barton County sheriff has pleaded guilty to using her mother-in-law’s name and Social Security number to obtain a credit card on which she ran up more than $14,000 worth of charges. ...read full article

Two Plead Guilty To ID Theft At Bay Area Gas Pumps

MARTINEZ (BCN) — Two Los Angeles area men who stole more than $90,000 from nearly 200 people using skimming devices planted inside gas pumps to collect credit and debit card information were sentenced Tuesday in Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez, the state attorney general’s office announced. ...read full article

Woman charged in church thefts going to jail

BEAVER - A woman accused by New Brighton police of stealing money from churchgoers pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of access device fraud and one count of receiving stolen property, according to court records. ...read full article

ID Theft Scam Targets Coke Fans

The latest in a long line of smash-and-grab phishing campaigns is using the soda giant as a lure to steal people's personal information.

...read full article

Sensitive Scottish court records discovered at recycling bank

The Scottish Court Service breached the Data Protection Act by failing to take sufficient steps to prevent court documents containing sensitive personal details being accidentally disposed of at a local recycling bank in Glasgow, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said today. The ...read full article

OSU computer system hack leaves students susceptible

A hack into Ohio State University's computer system during Winter Intersession could pose a threat to anyone who has applied to the school during the past few years, according to a letter sent by the university. ...read full article

Attacks on IE drive-by bug go wild

Microsoft on Tuesday warned that attackers have begun exploiting a critical vulnerability in Internet Explorer and rolled out a temporary fix until a permanent patch is issued. ...read full article

Researcher cracks Wi-Fi passwords with Amazon cloud

A security researcher has tapped Amazon's cloud computing service to crack Wi-Fi passwords in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the cost of using his own gear. ...read full article

Financial fraud hits 23-year high

High-tech scams and tax fraud cost UK economy £1.37bn, says KPMG

...read full article

Sony Asks for Restraining Order Over PS3 Hack

Sony Computer Entertainment has launched legal action against five hackers who recently released a set of tools that allows illegally copied games to run on the PlayStation 3 game console. ...read full article

Spectrum Analyzer Catches Exam Cheats in Taiwan

Police in Taiwan used a set of spectrum analyzers to catch at least three people suspected of cheating on an exam by monitoring them for mobile phone signals, a first case of its type, the equipment maker said on Wednesday. ...read full article

Sophos: Android a Big Target of Facebook-based Attacks

Sophos Senior Technology Consultant Graham Cluley agrees with a BitDefender study showing Facebook as a growing attack vector for smartphone malware. Sophos has seen a similar pattern, and Android phones are often the easiest targets, Cluley said in a sit-down interview Tuesday. ...read full article

January 11, 2011

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Lawmaker proposes identity theft bill

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Republican state lawmaker is sponsoring a bill that would allow parents to open up and lock credit accounts for their children as soon as they receive Social Security numbers. ...read full article

Electronic Identity Theft

It's the latest method thieves are using to steal your personal information and ultimately your hard earned money. And you can fall victim simply by walking through a store or airport. ...read full article

Rogue websites are stealing American jobs and property. Will Congress act?

Washington – Stores that sell stolen goods are shut down. Why should rogue websites that break the law be treated any differently? Rogue websites steal American jobs, harm our consumers, and hamper innovation and creativity. ...read full article

Scammers may come to your front door

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Beware, scammers could be coming straight to your front door. ...read full article

Citizens help nab mail thieves in Windsor area

WINDSOR, Ont. - A flat tire led to the downfall of a pair of "suspicious" characters, who police allegedly caught with a van load of stolen mail, including more than $300,000 worth of cheques and credit cards. ...read full article

Glynn County man admits conspiring to defraud Medicare

BRUNSWICK - A Glynn County man admitted to a federal judge Monday that he conspired with a longtime friend and two others to use forged prescriptions and phony claims for braces to defraud Medicare of more than $500,000. ...read full article

Include Wi-Fi among security risks at airports, FBI warns in Sacramento

Not all potential security breaches at an airport can be captured on a cell phone and posted as a YouTube video. ...read full article

Man reports calls tipped him off to identity theft

A man reported to Denton police on Saturday afternoon that he had been a victim of identity theft. ...read full article

Meriden police arrest man identified as "the Bible Kid."

MERIDEN - Police are crediting the public with helping to identify and arrest a man dubbed by one of his victims as "the Bible Kid" who allegedly stole checks from a local store where he frequently bought Bibles. ...read full article

Mailboxes overflowing at Napa Post Office

Habitually overflowing mailboxes at Napa’s main post office have a Napa woman questioning how secure residents’ mail really is. ...read full article

3 arrested in Lehigh for allegedly running a theft and prostitution ring

Lee County sheriff’s deputies arrested three Lehigh Acres men believed to be operating a theft and prostitution ring. ...read full article

Police: Woman Got Credit Card In Dead Man's Name

OTTUMWA, Iowa -- Police said an Ottumwa woman was charged after getting a credit card in the name of a deceased man. ...read full article

Caller ID spoofing puts Ozarkers at risk

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Victims of the Great Southern Bank phishing scam extend beyond those who gave personal information over the telephone to callers pretending to be with the bank. The scammers used many legitimate phone numbers as their cover and the owners of those numbers are now feeling the unwarranted wrath of consumers. ...read full article

Search Yields More I.D. Theft Victims

Detectives from the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office have discovered new information regarding Imoukhuede Ohiwerei Ehimi, the 26-year-old charged with identity theft by way of unsecured wireless internet networks. ...read full article

US government sets up office to oversee online trusted identities program

The Obama administration is creating a new office within the Department of Commerce to oversee implementation of its trusted identities in cyberspace strategy.

...read full article

Korean web host charged over DDoS extortion scam

A South Korean webmaster who allegedly maintained a gambling site for local crooks has been arrested over allegations he helped orchestrate denial of service attacks against scores of rival gambling sites that had refused to sign up to his hosting services ...read full article

Spam volumes double as Rustock botnet wakes

Spam volumes have returned to normal following a holiday lull that saw a drastic reduction of junk mail. ...read full article

Hacked iTunes accounts taken off China e-commerce site

The sale of hacked iTunes accounts in China has been dealt a blow as the Chinese online retailer Taobao.com has decided to remove all product listings relating to the sale of the stolen accounts. ...read full article

January 10, 2011

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Insurance fraud rings find fertile ground in Canada

MONTREAL (AFP) – It starts with a seemingly courteous gesture behind the wheel: an innocent driver signals to turn left, and a driver in an oncoming lane waves for him to go ahead -- when another vehicle speeds up and crashes into the turning car. ...read full article

Scammers prey on neediest

Most people taken in by scams last year were the least able to afford a loss, according to a report on the top cons of 2010 from the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio. ...read full article

Identity Theft Victim Can't Convince Freddie Mac He Owns His Home

The Identity Theft Resource Center says Ty Powell is a victim of identity theft. Freddie Mac says he hasn't paid his mortgage in two years. The local paper says he's dead. ...read full article

EMC engineer confesses to stealing a million dollars worth of gear

AN ENGINEER at EMC has confessed to nicking a million dollars worth of gear from the outfit and flogging it on the web. ...read full article

Thurston sees largest identity theft case in the county's history

An Olympia-area man has been arrested in what the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office says is the largest identity-theft case in the county’s history. ...read full article

Rural St. Ansgar woman charged after search of her residence

ST. ANSGAR — Amy Kathryn Vasquez, 27, of rural St. Ansgar was arrested Wednesday for second-degree theft, identity theft and child endangerment following a search of her residence at 1315 490th St. in northern Mitchell County. ...read full article

Former UCSB student arrested again on identity theft charges

A man arrested back in December on suspicion of identity theft has been arrested again. ...read full article

National Bank of Kuwait Deploys StrikeForce's GuardedID Keystroke Encryption Software to Protect Against Data Breaches

StrikeForce Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: SFOR), a company that specializes in the prevention of Identity Theft & Data Breaches, announced today that the National Bank of Kuwait has purchased and is deploying StrikeForce's GuardedID® Keystroke Encryption Software to protect the Bank's confidential information from spyware & keyloggers. ...read full article

UAMS on alert for impostors

A dangerous type of identity theft has officials at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences on alert to stop impostors who get medical treatment under someone else’s name.

...read full article

Kearns rep. running bill targeting child ID thieves

A Salt Lake representative is tired of playing catch-up with identity thieves. ...read full article

Suspects Convicted Of Buying Appliances With Stolen Credit Cards

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento police are warning residents to be careful with their credit card information after they busted a criminal operation that used stolen credit card information to buy washers and dryers. ...read full article

Suspected ID thief may have over 1,000 victims

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- An Olympia man arrested Thursday may have planned to steal the identities of 1,000 people, said Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza. ...read full article

Woman accused of stealing murder victim's credit card found dead Read more:

The mortuary worker accused of stealing a credit card from the body of a murder-suicide victim killed herself Saturday, according to reports. ...read full article

2 SUVs, 2 cars with same license plates uncovered

THE Highway Patrol Group uncovered another case of “identity theft” involving two units of black Ford Escape mini-sports utility vehicles and two Mitsubishi Lancers having the same license plates after being registered fraudulently with the Land Transportation Office. ...read full article

Hilton Head Man Arrested in Malta Sentenced for Fraud

COLUMBIA, SC-United States Attorney William N. Nettles stated today that James Sadler, age 66, of Hilton Head, was sentenced in federal court in Charleston, South Carolina, for wire fraud and identity theft, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1028. Senior United States District Judge Sol Blatt, Jr. of Charleston sentenced Sadler to 57 months' imprisonment and three years of supervised release. ...read full article

Tulane: Laptop stolen with W-2 info, S.S. numbers of each employee

NEW ORLEANS -- A Tulane University-owned laptop was stolen last year that had a file containing private information of each person employed at the university in the past year, according to school officials. ...read full article

Facebook worm spread via photo album chat lure

A new worm that spreads using a photo album chat message lure began proliferating across Facebook over the weekend. ...read full article

January 7, 2011

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Comprehensive Identity Theft Solution To Be Featured on 21st Century Business Television Series January 8, 2011 on Fox Business Network (as paid programming)

Reports reflect that as many as 11 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. In fact, you or someone you know may have experienced some form of identity theft. ...read full article

How to make sure your smartphone payments are secure

Consumers want mobile payments. So do the mobile carriers, device manufacturers and point-of-sale (POS) vendors. Amex, Visa, MasterCard and all of the other payment providers also have something to gain. ...read full article

Parks worker says she's innocent, claims identity theft

Police say receptionist took more than $43,000 from the city over a period of about two years

...read full article

Gary man, 43, accused of identity theft, fraud

A Gary woman is accused of stealing someone's identity in order to buy two cars and two homes according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Hammond on Thursday. ...read full article

Men face four years in prison for robbing Bay Area women

REDWOOD CITY -- Two Los Angeles County men face up to four years in prison after being convicted of a string of thefts that targeted women in cafes and hotels, a prosecutor said. ...read full article

Another phony Rockefeller

He drives a Jaguar, is an expert in antiques, and claims to be from the wealthy, well-bred family. And now he’s gone.

...read full article

Mpls. woman charged with credit card fraud, identity theft

CARVER COUNTY, Minn. -- A 52-year-old woman from Minneapolis was charged Thursday in connection with a series of car thefts from the Lifetime Fitness in Chanhassen. ...read full article

Man Steals Identity, Then Reports It Stolen

SANTA ANA (AP) — Investigators say a California resident bought a BMW with a stolen identity, then reported his fake identity had been stolen after defaulting on the car payments. ...read full article

State charges siblings in human-trafficking probe

At least one Zanesville resident was arrested yesterday in a continuing state investigation into human trafficking and fraud in Ohio nail salons. ...read full article

Secret Service Says Man Tried To Pass $167,000 Check

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A Louisville man has been indicted on suspicion of several financial crimes, including allegedly trying to pass a $167,000 counterfeit check. ...read full article

What retirees need to know about ID theft Read more: How ID thieves target retirees

For identity thieves, retirees are ideal targets. ...read full article

January 6, 2011

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ID theft, data breaches jumped 33 percent in 2010

The Identity Theft Resource Center recorded 662 data breaches in the United States in 2010, a nearly 33 percent increase from 2009. To cybersecurity analysts, this is further proof that organizations that handle and store sensitive digital data need to do a much better job. ...read full article

Secrets of a former credit card thief

We've all heard the standard tips aboutpreventing identity theft and credit card fraud. But what would a real identitythief tell you if he had the chance? Dan DeFelippi, who was convicted of creditcard fraud and ID theft in 2004, says simply this: You can't be too careful. ...read full article

Koch Industries Sues Over Bogus Website

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Koch (kohk) Industries has filed suit in Utah seeking to learn who's behind a media hoax that claimed the company was shifting its financial commitments for climate change research and advocacy to more environmentally friendly groups. ...read full article

Hospice caregiver from Dover charged in Middletown with identity theft

A Dover woman faces charges of identity theft involving of a hospice care patient living in Middletown. ...read full article

Identity Theft Suspect Arrested

Sheriff’s Detectives arrested 26-year-old UCSB graduate Imoukhuede Ehimika on 12/21, accusing him of accessing five different Santa Barbara and Goleta residents’ bank accounts through their unsecured wireless Internet connections and then siphoning off more than $158,000 for himself. ...read full article

Kingsley man charged with theft, identity theft

KINGSLEY, Iowa -- A Kingsley man is facing felony theft charges for allegedly using his mother-in-law's checking account to pay his bills. ...read full article

Most people who sell their old mobiles don't clear personal data

Just over three quarters of the UK population have sold on old mobile phones, but only 31% wiped all personal information before selling, a survey has revealed. ...read full article

3 arrested for identity theft at Fort Myers traffic stop

FORT MYERS: A routine traffic stop resulted in the arrest of three people accused of possessing counterfeit credit cards and fraudulent driver's licenses Tuesday. ...read full article

50,000 stolen iTunes accounts up for auction in China

If you’re unsure as to how important it is to keep your iTunes account details secure, look no further than China where 50,000 stolen accounts are being auctioned off on the popular Chinese site TaoBao. ...read full article

Man charged in Ga. health care fraud

BRUNSWICK, Ga. - A former Brunswick businessman faces federal charges that he tried to steal more than $500,000 from Medicare in a fraud scheme carried out through medical equipment supply companies he operated in Georgia and Texas. ...read full article

Bergen man accused of 7-month crime spree

BATAVIA—A 27-year-old Bergen man has been charged with committing seven felonies in the past seven months in the Town and City of Batavia, according to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. ...read full article

Schwartz On Security: First, Know You've Been Breached

Until a security incident or data breach gets discovered, does it really exist? The non-existential answer is: of course. And the longer it goes undetected, the greater the potential damage. ...read full article

A case of mistaken identity theft?

There is a popular country song by Australian-born singer Keith Urban entitled “Who wouldn’t want to be me.” I experienced that sentiment recently when someone from Australia stole my identity and then $28,000 from my credit card. ...read full article

What's ATM Skimming? (And How to Not Be a Victim)

Identity theft is nothing new, but a warning issued Tuesday by the Better Business Bureau is putting a different twist on the theft of information.

...read full article

South African wireless traffic lights pillaged by SIM-card thieves

The Johannesburg Road Agency is in talks with suppliers to try and stop thieves targeting its shiny new traffic lights for the SIM cards they contain. ...read full article

iPhone-wielding chumps rush to give data to phish sites

Mobile users are three times more likely to respond to phishing scams than their PC-using counterparts, according to stats prised from fraudulent websites. ...read full article

Alleged Miley Cyrus Hacker Arrested

The 21-year-old hacker who boasted about breaking into Miley Cyrus' Gmail account and posting racy photographs of the teenage star has been arrested in Tennessee on fraud charges.

...read full article

Social engineering attacks: Highlights from 2010

Several high-profile security incidents took place because of well-played social engineering attacks.

...read full article

Study: A third of all malware in history created in 2010

More than a third of all malware that has ever existed was created by criminal gangs in 2010 alone according to the latest PandaLabs Annual Report. ...read full article

S. Korean Police Say Google Collected Private Data Illegally

South Korea has concluded that Google illegally collected personal data while collecting information for its Street View map service, an official at the country's National Police Agency (NPA) said on Thursday.

...read full article

January 5, 2011

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Hackers use fake Obama e-mail to steal data

It looked like an innocent e-mail Christmas card from the White House. ...read full article

US security agency hunts international cybercrime ring

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A Vietnam-based international cybercrime ring believed to be involved in identity theft, wire fraud and money laundering is the target of a US law enforcement agency following the house raid of two Vietnamese students suspected to be 'money transfer mules', according to reports ...read full article

Hackers, Insiders Behind Most Identity Theft

Malicious activity topped human error as a cause of the 662 data breaches recorded in 2010 by the Identity Theft Resource Center.

...read full article

Patient information mistakenly recycled instead of shredded at Adventist Behavioral Health

Personal information relating to several Adventist Behavioral Health patients was mistakenly recycled instead of shredded after an employee erred in how the documents were discarded, company spokeswoman Clarencia Stephen said Tuesday. ...read full article

Former Husky Football Player Steals Teammate's Identity

A former University of Washington football player is on the run and wanted for identity theft. ...read full article

27 Years Later, Local Man Finally Proves Identity Theft

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A former college football player has been arrested after allegedly using the identity of a former teammate, a Sacramento man, for almost 30 years to cover up crimes. ...read full article

Akron woman charged with identity theft

HURON COUNTY — An Akron woman is charged with stealing the identity of a Bad Axe relative and using it to open a credit card, building a balance of $4,000. ...read full article

Alleged identity theft nets 9 misdemeanor charges

Nine misdemeanor charges have been filed against a Sweet Springs man in connection with allegations of identity theft. ...read full article

Mountain Law: Identity theft ‘red flags'

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as many as nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year. ...read full article

Dover hospice caregiver charged in Middletown with identity theft

A Dover woman faces charges of identity theft involving of a hospice care patient living in Middletown. ...read full article

Identity Theft: The Fastest Growing Crime In America

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Federal officials say identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America and it can happen to almost anyone unless you've taken steps to protect yourself. ...read full article

January 4, 2011

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DHS goes after Vietnamese hackers, identity thieves

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is cracking down on an international criminal ring, based in Vietnam, that is thought to have stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from online merchants using hacking and identity theft. ...read full article

Australian identities stolen on grand scale

AUSTRALIANS' identities are being stolen on a grand scale by spies and dealers in drugs, illegal migrants and for dirty money.

...read full article

CYBER RISKS: How to protect your business in the Digital Age

Business Insurance White Paper ...read full article

Police: Woman pretended to be health official

A Norwich woman is facing multiple charges after she was accused of offenses ranging from using someone else’s credit card to pretending to be a saleswoman and a health official, according to Norwich city police. ...read full article

Do Married Couples Have a Reasonable Expectation of Privacy in Their Email Messages?

By now we've all heard about Leon Walker, 33, who is facing felony charges of computer misuse after he logged onto a home laptop he shared with his now-ex-wife, Clara Walker, to access her Gmail account, where he found she was having an affair. ...read full article

BBB Lists Top 10 Scams and Rip-Offs of 2010

The Better Business Bureau today released a list of the top 10 scams and rip-offs of 2010. Job hunters and those struggling to make money and get out of debt were common targets of fraudsters, hackers and deceptive businesses in this tough economy. ...read full article

Fraud reports linked to EVG gas station top 175

Police officers have taken over 175 fraud reports linked to EVG Quality Gas station in recent days, officials said Monday. ...read full article

Two convicted of murdering Palm Springs retiree

Two Bay Area men were convicted today in the financially motivated stabbing murder of a Palm Springs retiree. ...read full article

Deputies arrest two in mail theft case

Alert deputies patrolling the Erwin Lake area in the early morning hours of Dec. 26 thwarted a possible identity theft in progress. ...read full article

Cellphone snooping now easier and cheaper than ever

Cryptographers have devised a low-cost way to intercept phone calls and text messages sent over the majority of the world's mobile networks. ...read full article

January 3, 2011

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Man's fight to clear name has lasted almost 15 years

Identity theft isn't confined to credit card and check fraud. ...read full article

Policy puts troops at risk for identity theft

U.S. troops may be among the most vulnerable Americans to identity theft. That’s because the U.S. military is overusing Social Security numbers and putting at risk troops’ most basic personal information, according to a recent report from several professors at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. ...read full article

Identity theft, fraud rampant after Christmas

In the weeks before Christmas, millions of Americans triumphantly finished their holiday shopping and breathed a sigh of relief, eager to forget how much they just spent. ...read full article

NM woman pleads to ID theft charge

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - An Espanola woman has pleaded guilty to a federal aggravated identity theft charge. ...read full article

Cyber crimes linked to Winona students

WINONA — A federal investigation has led agents to a pair of 22-year-old foreign-exchange students in Winona who are suspected of being part of an identity theft ring based in Vietnam. ...read full article

Scammers can make Facebook unfriendly

ORLANDO, Fla. - Facebook is the latest hot spot for swindlers in search of new victims. ...read full article

Data breach affects 4.9 million Honda customers

Japanese automaker Honda has put some 2.2 million customers in the United States on a security breach alert after a database containing information on the owners and their cars was hacked, according to reports. ...read full article

Consumer Ally's Top 5 Scams of 2010

The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression has provided happy hunting grounds for legions of unscrupulous scammers looking to take advantage of financially strapped consumers. ...read full article

Geisinger discloses potential patient data breach

Geisinger Health System acknowledged that some protected health information (PHI) of approximately 2,928 patients had been disclosed in an unauthorized manner in a press release dated Dec. 27, 2010. Affected patients were notified by letter, according to the provider. ...read full article

Virus attacks Android phones in China: researchers

BOSTON (Reuters) - A powerful virus targeting smart phones in China running Google Inc's Android operating system may represent the most sophisticated bug to target mobile devices to date, security researchers said on Thursday. ...read full article

Medical marijuana records found near Dumpster

DENVER - It was the last thing Harold Morton expected to find while taking some recyclables out to the alley behind his home. When he walked past a Dumpster, he saw it in a cardboard box: a thick blue binder. ...read full article

Local Women Indicted For Identity Theft: Scheme Could Affect Thousands

WACO (December 16, 2010)—A seven-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed Thursday charges four Waco women in connection with an identity theft scheme in which thousands of background-check applications from school teachers and others that were supposed to have been destroyed were stolen. ...read full article

WikiLeaks backers say Zimbabwe websites shut down

LONDON — Cyber activists say they have brought down Zimbabwean government websites after the president's wife sued a newspaper for publishing a WikiLeaks cable linking her with illicit diamond trading. ...read full article

Prison Inmates Register With the IRS as Tax Preparers

Hundreds of prison inmates have found new careers behind bars — by registering with the IRS as income tax preparers. ...read full article