May 2011 News Archive

May 31, 2011

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Pentagon: Cyber Attacks Can Count as Act of War

WASHINGTON—The Pentagon has concluded that computer sabotage coming from another country can constitute an act of war, a finding that for the first time opens the door for the U.S. to respond using traditional military force. ...read full article

Hackers pwn PBS in revenge for WikiLeaks doco

Hackers aligned with WikiLeaks broke into and defaced the website of US broadcaster PBS over the weekend shortly after it had aired a less than flattering documentary about the whistle-blowing site. ...read full article

Aussie banks cancel 10,000 credit cards

The Australian banking system has been rocked by a mystery security breach which caused the immediate cancellation of over 10,000 cards on Friday. The Commonwealth Bank and the St George Bank initiated the alert via SMS to customers notifying them that their cards would be cancelled as part of precautionary measures. ...read full article

Two men arrested in Simi Valley on suspicion of identity theft

Two Burbank men were arrested Sunday night in Simi Valley on suspicion of identity theft, police said Monday. ...read full article

Lockheed Martin Acknowledges 'Significant' Cyberattack

Lockheed Martin Saturday night acknowledged that it its information systems network had been the target of a "significant and tenacious attack," but said that its security team detected the intrusion "almost immediately and took aggressive actions to protect all systems and data." ...read full article

Police officers disciplined over private snooping

More than 50 police officers in the West Midlands have been disciplined for using police computer systems to check up on people for personal reasons. ...read full article

DMASA database 'leaked'

Around 39 000 South Africans who signed up on the Direct Marketing Association of SA's (DMASA's) “do not contact” database are at risk of identity theft, because the list has been leaked to companies that aren't DMA members. ...read full article

Mountie docked pay for snooping in database

Shared info with wife, who has connection to gang member

OTTAWA -- A disgraced Mountie has been docked eight days pay after an internal investigation revealed the constable had made numerous unauthorized checks on the force's national crime data bank and shared some of the information with his wife, an associate and former business partner of a Hells Angel. ...read full article

Asperger's charity loses children's data in laptop theft

Personal information relating to 80 children with Asperger’s syndrome has been stolen from a Sheffield charity. ...read full article

May 27, 2011

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Identity Theft Involving IRS Is Mushrooming

Dealing with the IRS is stressful enough. So is dealing with identity theft. ...read full article

PSN Users Get Identity Theft Protection

It took a few weeks, but Sony is making good on its promise of free identity protection to Playstation Network users. ...read full article

Divorce & Identity Theft

We are often told to shred our sensitive documents, keep close tabs on our credit card accounts, and watch out for our social security number; but, one public document could be even more dangerous. ...read full article

Driver's data may be used to check workers' status

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration is about to add more personal information to E-Verify, an immigration enforcement tool that is vulnerable to fake, stolen or borrowed documents. ...read full article

Web users risk identity theft

THOUSANDS of Ipswich internet users are leaving themselves open to having their identity and bank accounts stolen because they have failed to secure their wireless networks. ...read full article

Cybersecurity Tips for Travelers

The summer travel season is almost here, and with it comes an increased risk of hacking. ...read full article

Honda Canada warns customers of data breach

Honda Canada has issued a warning that a data breach exposed the personal data of an unspecified number of customers. ...read full article

N.Y. man admits 'skimming' ATMs in northern N.J. for nearly $300K

A Bulgarian native has admitted scanning personal information from ATM machines in northern New Jersey and stealing nearly $300,000. ...read full article

Personal data compromised for 4,000 at San Juan school district

If you had Googled the name Darlene Geist in the last six months, you might have been able to find her Social Security number online. ...read full article

Lost data tape had details of 62,000 customers

Phoenix Ireland has confirmed that it has lost a data tape containing the personal and bank account details of 62,000 customers and potential customers. ...read full article

May 26, 2011

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IRS Struggles to Control Taxpayer Identity Theft

The Internal Revenue Service found over 245,000 identity theft incidents last year, according to a new government report that assessed the IRS’s efforts to stem the growing problem, as victims testified before the Senate. ...read full article

Identity theft victims beg Senate panel for help

South Floridians lost tax refunds to fraud rings, Washington leaders told

WASHINGTON— Criminals who commit tax fraud using stolen Social Security numbers — many of them based in South Florida — have victimized nearly half a million taxpayers since 2008 and collected millions of dollars of refunds, witnesses told a Senate panel on Wednesday. ...read full article

Multi-State Identity Theft Suspect Arrested In Seattle

On May 12th officers began investigating a complicated fraud/identity theft/criminal impersonation situation in which a female suspect had attempted to lease a residence using a false name and then managed to occupy it without making any payment. The residence in question is located in the 2700 block of 5th Avenue West. ...read full article

Mounties bust two for fraud, identity theft in Maple Ridge

METRO VANCOUVER -- Two people have been arrested for fraud, counterfeiting and identity theft in Maple Ridge, police said today. ...read full article

DA Announces Bust of Brooklyn-Based Identity Theft, Check Forgery Ring

Authorities announced the bust of a Brooklyn-based identity theft ring that stole personal information of customers at various banks, using it to create and cash fake checks. ...read full article

Bank of America takes $10 million loss from insider data theft

A Bank of America insider who sold customer data to criminals cost the bank at least $10 million (£6 million) in losses. ...read full article

Toronto Police arrest six in identity theft operation

Peel, Gr Toronto, Canada -- Peel police say they've cracked a crime network that allegedly used the faces of real people to make fake identity cards used to open phony bank and credit accounts. ...read full article

Bean Station woman charged with TennCare fraud, identity theft

BEAN STATION (WATE) - A Bean Station woman is charged with trying to use another person's identity to get medical services through TennCare. ...read full article

Fort Collins man sentenced to 6 years for identity theft

On Monday, a judge sentenced Todd James Kraft, 27, of Fort Collins, to six years in the Colorado Department of Corrections after Kraft pleaded guilty to identity theft. ...read full article

28 con artists, including bank worker, indicted for identity theft

They're the Gang That Couldn't Loot Straight. Authorities on Wednesday revealed the indictments of 28 con artists - including a bank worker - who used the personal information of their victims to forge $150,000 in checks. ...read full article

35m Google Profiles dumped into private database

Proving that information posted online is indelible and trivial to mine, an academic researcher has dumped names, email addresses and biographical information made available in 35 million Google Profiles into a massive database that took just one month to assemble. ...read full article

Charges mount in Asheville credit card fraud case

ASHEVILLE — Police working in conjunction with the U.S. Secret Service have filed additional charges against a Florida man who police say is involved in a multistate crime operation involving the theft of credit card information. ...read full article

May 19, 2011

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Alleged leader of identity theft ring indicted on 78 counts

An Oahu grand jury indicted yesterday the alleged leader of an identity theft ring that is accused of using personal information of 145 Oahu residents to generate fraudulent credit cards and steal $195,000. ...read full article

Verizon Wireless customers targeted in nearly invisible Trojan horse scam

Verizon Wireless customers who tried to pay their bills online last week may have been hit by an ingenious, almost undetectable hacker attack aimed at stealing their identities. ...read full article

Irvington man charged with identity theft, stealing $7,000

IRVINGTON — A 21-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after he stole his neighbor's credit card information and purchased $7,000 worth of items, police said. ...read full article

Vallejo man indicted on bank fraud, ID theft charges

SACRAMENTO -- A Vallejo man indicted last week on bank fraud and identity theft charges has pleaded not guilty in federal court, it was announced Wednesday. ...read full article

Scam targets ethnic eateries

GREAT BARRINGTON -- Town officials warn that an identity theft scam is targeting ethnic restaurants in town. ...read full article

Six arrested in suspected ID theft ring

OLYMPIA – Thurston County Sheriff’s deputies arrested six people Wednesday on suspicion of operating an identity theft ring out of a room at The Olympian Inn downtown. ...read full article

Cedar Rapids woman faces identity theft, other charges for hospital stay

Rosa L. Ayala, 35, of Cedar Rapids faces felony charges of identity theft, first degree theft and fraudulent practice after a hospital stay last year in Iowa City. ...read full article

Watch For Scams, Fraud Following Storms

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Survivors recovering from the severe storms in April are urged to beware of scam artists that prey on others’ misfortunes, cautioned state and federal officials. ...read full article

U.S. Seeks ‘Fugitive’ Who Posed as Diplomat to Export Porsches to Russia

There are those inside the United States who end up in trouble for trying to avoid detection as an agent of the Russian government. And then there are those who end up in trouble for openly proclaiming such connections. ...read full article

Back behind bars: Pervert nurse who tried to create false ID to get new job

A convicted sex offender struck off from nursing turned to identity fraud in a bid to get a new job. ...read full article

Hacker steals customer data from small brokerage

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- An unidentified hacker has broken into the computer system of a small South Korean brokerage house to steal the firm's customer data, the financial regulator said Thursday, adding concerns over financial firms' computer security maintenance. ...read full article

Email exposed 4,000 Securities and Exchange Commission employees

The Securities and Exchange Commission is having some security problems. ...read full article

May 16, 2011

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Identity theft not taken seriously: victim

IT was no joke when Welsh writer and comedian Bennett Arron fell victim to identity theft more than a decade ago - he owed thousands of pounds to mobile phone companies, home shopping firms and department stores. ...read full article

ID theft charges derail Madison woman's Miss USA bid

A Madison woman who would have competed in Las Vegas next month for the crown of Miss USA may instead be resolving identity theft charges. ...read full article

Latest Scam Highlights Risks for Debit-Card Users

For the roughly 185 million U.S. consumers with debit cards, the recent security breach at arts-and-crafts retailer Michaels Stores offers yet another cause for concern. The reports allege that the thieves did more than simply steal debit-card information from stores in 20 states they used it to take money from customers' bank accounts. ...read full article

Canton man charged with assault, ID theft

ASHEVILLE — A Canton man is facing charges of assaulting another man and identity theft. ...read full article

Property title fraud costs Land Registry £26m in compensation

The Land Registry, the government department that logs land and property ownership in England and Wales, has paid out more than £26m since 2006 compensating victims of a recurring property fraud. ...read full article

Three arrested after counterfeit operation found in Camarillo hotel

The Ventura County Sheriff's Department uncovered a counterfeiting and identity theft operation in a Camarillo hotel room Thursday afternoon. ...read full article

Square Enix confirms data lifted in website raids

Japanese video game developer Square Enix has confirmed that email address and resumes of job seekers have been exposed following a website hack. ...read full article

Deputies: Man Used DMV Database In ID Theft

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Personal information belonging to more than a million Oregonians could be in the hands of criminals, deputies say. ...read full article

CIPR alerts members to data security loss

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has admitted that personal information regarding a number of its members has been ‘misplaced’. ...read full article

Are Player Details Being Sold?

Bingo Affiliates in the Uk are being offered player data for sale. A particular bingo website which is a major brand in the UK is on the list displaying name, address, email, amount deposited along with the player usernames and passwords. ...read full article

How security chief's bank details leaked

Security firm Symantec's Australian chief has revealed how his personal credit card details were leaked by a Melbourne restaurant, which he said highlighted the need for mandatory privacy breach notification laws. ...read full article

May 13, 2011

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Immigration crackdown raises identity-theft risk

HEMET, Calif (Reuters) – In 2008, California tax authorities sent Miguel Chavez a letter saying he failed to file a return on income earned at Ashley Furniture Industries. But Chavez never worked there. ...read full article

Man is indicted on identity theft & burglary charges

Another eastern Kentucky man is indicted on identity theft and several burglary charges.

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Two plead guilty in child-support scam

Two of 14 people charged in a scheme to divert money meant for Texas child-support recipients each were sentenced Thursday to two years in prison. ...read full article

ID theft suspect steals $20,000 worth of goods

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Officials want the public's help to identify a suspect wanted for identity theft and credit card abuse at several stores. It is believed that the suspect has stolen more than $20,000. ...read full article

Identity theft leads to sex calls

OMAHA (AP) — An Omaha woman says someone stole her identity to post an ad online inviting people to come to her house for sex. ...read full article

Cybercrooks set up shop in Canada

Canada is on its way to becoming an unlikely hotbed of cybercrime. ...read full article

Anonymous Splinter Group Implicated in Game Company Hack

The Web sites for computer game giant Eidos Interactive and one of its biggest titles — Deus Ex– were defaced and plundered on Wednesday in what appears to have been an attack from a splinter cell of the hacktivist group Anonymous. ...read full article

Database of Fox Employees’ Passwords and Emails Leaked

Fox Broadcasting employees might want to change their passwords: A database of about 300 employees and associates' email addresses and passwords, apparently stolen from a Fox.com database, have been leaked by a hacking group that previously stole thousands of X Factor contestants' personal information. ...read full article

Laptop with financial information stolen from the home of state Auditor's Office employee

FINDLAY, Ohio -- A state-owned laptop containing some financial audits of public offices in northwest Ohio was stolen this week during a burglary at a house in Findlay. ...read full article

May 12, 2011

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Student charged with posting counterfeit coupons to 4chan

IDG News Service - A computer security student at New York's Rochester Institute of Technology has been arrested on charges that he posted counterfeit Internet coupons to the 4chan and Zoklet websites. ...read full article

Newly emerged banking Trojan challenges ZeuS-SpyEye duopoly

A new banking Trojan with infection rates similar to SpyEye and Zeus in some regions has emerged. ...read full article

Google Chrome hacked with sophisticated exploit

Security researchers from the French pen-testing firm VUPEN have successfully hacked Google’s Chrome browser with what is being described as a sophisticated exploit that bypasses all security features including ASLR/DEP and Chrome’s heralded sandbox feature.

Facebook denies privacy breach allegations by Symantec

No personal data could have been passed to third parties, company says

Computerworld - Facebook today denied that it may have accidentally exposed personal user data to advertisers and other third parties for several years, as claimed this week by two security researchers at Symantec Corp. ...read full article

Facebook spam prevention scam spreading like wildfire

The growing prevalence of junk messages on Facebook is been used to bait a new scam doing the rounds on the social network. ...read full article

'You visit illegal websites' FBI-themed emails lead to scareware

Multiple vendors are reporting on a currently ongoing spamvertised scareware-serving campaign, that’s brand-jacking the FBI. ...read full article

Microsoft stops ID-ing phones in jab at Google

Microsoft will stop identifying specific mobile devices that use its location-tracking services, a change that differentiates its Windows Phone 7 from Google's competing Android operating system. ...read full article

Teacher victim of Twitter identity theft

PANAMA CITY — In an unusual case of identity theft, someone impersonating a Bay District Schools middle school teacher set up a fraudulent Twitter account and posted derogatory comments about autistic students, Superintendent Bill Husfelt said Wednesday. ...read full article

PEMCO Poll: Younger Residents are More Vulnerable to Identity Theft

SEATTLE, May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A new poll from PEMCO Insurance reveals that young people, despite a common perception of their technological acumen, leave themselves more vulnerable to the threat of identity theft than their older counterparts. ...read full article

Most Wanted: Ridgeland identity theft case

RIDGELAND, MS (WLBT) - You may remember this identity theft case. Two females and a male found a credit card. ...read full article

Stop ID thieves from stealing your kid's credit

Parents struggling to keep track of their kids' vaccinations, homework, dance classes and veggie intake have precious little time for other worries, but a serious new threat is demanding their attention: Identity thieves are increasingly targeting children, in some cases stealing their identities even before they are born. ...read full article

Employee accused of identity theft, forgery

The 80-year-old victim was visiting her husband in a nursing home when her financial cards and a check were taken, state police said. ...read full article

Frozen credit report: For your 'ice' only?

I have a freeze on my credit report with all three credit reporting agencies. Recently, I tried to get a copy of my credit report and was denied. I was told that I could not get my credit report or have access to it because of the freeze that I have in place. Is this accurate? If so, please advise me on how to approach this situation. I really don't want to remove the freeze from my credit reports. ...read full article

Medical practice temp worker charged with prescription drug fraud, identity theft

Johnson City police charged a former medical practice employee Tuesday with fraud and identity theft after some forged prescriptions were passed at local pharmacies. ...read full article

Woman Charged With Stealing From Gym Lockers

A 35-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing from as many as a dozen gym lockers in Manhattan and Queens. ...read full article

Stealing from a baby: Thieves grab kids' Social Security data to get loans

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Employee accused of identity theft, forgery

York, PA - An employee of a nursing home took a credit card, a debit card and a check from the purse of an 80-year-old woman visiting her husband and then spent more than $2,600, state police said. ...read full article

Medical practice temp worker charged with prescription drug fraud, identity theft

Johnson City police charged a former medical practice employee Tuesday with fraud and identity theft after some forged prescriptions were passed at local pharmacies. ...read full article

22 people charged with trafficking oxycodone across N.J.

TRENTON — Federal prosecutors have charged 22 people with trafficking millions of dollars worth of painkillers around the state, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced yesterday. Among them were two doctors, he said, one in New Jersey and another in New York, who allegedly supplied thousands of fraudulent prescriptions in exchange for money. ...read full article

Employee social security cards, licenses and more found in dumpster

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Fox59 News found everything needed to steal someone's identity, out in the open in the middle of a busy grocery store parking lot. We looked into the threat of identity theft after a woman looking for discarded coupons made the disturbing discovery in a Fishers dumpster ...read full article

Seattle men charged in Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland burglaries, could also face charges in Sony Online Entertainment server theft

An investigation into identity theft and fraud has led to two Seattle men being charged in multiple Eastside burglaries for stealing more than $750,000 in computer and music equipment. ...read full article

Del. AG: Arrest Made in Home Improvement Scam

GEORGETOWN, Del.– Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden announced Thursday that an investigation by his office into a home improvement scam involving a fake religious missionary group has led to criminal charges against a Millsboro woman. ...read full article

Protect Your Data From the Breach Epidemic

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May 11, 2011

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Some fear Kentucky's loose laws could lead to identity theft

FRANKFORT, KY (WAVE) - WAVE 3 investigates a viewer's concerns that existing state law could lead to identity theft. He got his birth certificate without any proof of identification and could get other people's, which is legal under Kentucky law. ...read full article

Cybercrime: Have you been affected?

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting servers and computers in Canada to host malicious websites, an IT security company reports. ...read full article

Beware of electronic identity theft

(WPRI) - Eyewitness News has learned more than 100-million new credit cards, known as "smart cards" may be at risk. ...read full article

Getzville man facing bank fraud charges

A Getzville man faces 30 years in prison and a$1 million fine after being charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U. S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. reported Monday. ...read full article

ID scammer gets jail term in Montco

An Ohio man will be calling a Pennsylvania prison cell "home" for the next several years for an identity theft scam-on-wheels that was foiled by Upper Moreland police last year. ...read full article

1.4G sneaker sneak runs out of luck

A woman used a phony credit card to try to buy a $1,400 pair of sneakers from a Meatpacking District clothing store, authorities said yesterday. ...read full article

Women Who Stole IDs To File Fake Tax Returns Sentenced

HAMMOND, Ind. (STMW) – A federal judge said he wouldn’t be surprised if two women were responsible for the loss of more than $1 million in their tax return fraud scheme but decided to sentence them to 41 months each because of their cooperation. ...read full article

Police: Stolen Credit Cards Fuel Spending Spree

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland police are asking the public to identify a woman suspected of going on a Mother’s Day shopping spree with stolen credit cards. ...read full article

Police: Suspect Who Stole From Disabled Vet Identified

PHLADELPHIA (CBS) – Tips from the public helped police to identify the man who stole a disability check from a disabled Philadelphia marine veteran. ...read full article

Woman charged with theft from inmate boyfriend's account

A woman who allegedly helped herself to more than $100,000 from her boyfriend's bank accounts while he was in prison was charged Tuesday with several counts of theft. ...read full article

Facebook caught exposing millions of user credentials

Facebook has leaked access to millions of users' photographs, profiles and other personal information because of a years-old bug that overrides individual privacy settings, researchers from Symantec said. ...read full article

Apple and Google wriggle on US Senate hot seat

When questioned by US senators at a hearing on digital privacy, Apple and Google execs spent most of their time successfully bobbing and weaving, but were thrown off-balance when asked about location-grabbing patents and drunk-driving apps. ...read full article

Breach at Michaels Stores Extends Nationwide

Earlier this month, arts & crafts chain Michaels Stores disclosed that crooks had tampered with some point-of-sale devices at store registers in the Chicago area in a scheme to steal credit and debit card numbers and associated PINs. ...read full article

Former teacher held for data theft at AIMS

CHENNAI: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the city police on Monday arrested engineer K V Sriram (41), an alumnus of Anna University, and his accomplice Lokesh Kumar (24) on charges of stealing data about the students and teaching faculty at Avon Institute of Modern Sciences (AIMS), a coaching and career guidance centre at Teynampet. ...read full article

Finnish Police Arrest 17 in Online Banking Scam

Finnish law enforcement officials arrested seventeen individuals in connection with an attack against Nordea Finland’s online banking services that took place in early 2010, according to a report from Softpedia. ...read full article

Anonymous To Sony PSN Users: It Wasn't Us!

Anonymous PSNIn the midst of an apparent civil war, the online hacking collective, Anonymous, has issued yet another public statement denying responsibility for a damaging hack of Sony's PlayStation Network (PSN) and claiming that Sony is trying to shift blame for "internal problems" onto Anonymous. ...read full article

OpenID Warns of Serious Bug in Some Implementations

The OpenID Foundation is warning users about a weakness in the software that could enable an attacker to change some of the data that's exchanged between parties that use OpenID. The group is telling sites that implement OpenID to update to a new version in order to fix the problem. ...read full article

May 10, 2011

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Beaumont woman guilty of identity theft

BEAUMONT — A 35-year-old Beaumont woman has pleaded guilty to identity theft in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales on Monday. ...read full article

Woodburn man charged with identity theft, making false claims to IRS

A Woodburn man, who has been indicted on multiple charges of tax fraud and identity theft, has entered a plea of not guilty. ...read full article

Antiguan facing deportation for identity theft

PORTLAND — A Portland man faces as much as 15 years in prison and deportation back to his native Antigua on charges that he stole another man's identity, then obtained $250,000 in government housing, medical, food and education benefits reserved for U.S. citizens. ...read full article

Feds: 187 illegal immigrants paid up to $3,000 for driver's licenses

(CNN) -- After being accused of taking thousands from illegal immigrants in exchange for driver's licenses, a Nevada state employee might be forced to pay a hefty price after being nabbed in a multi-agency inquiry. ...read full article

6 charged in LA with ID theft, $3m bank fraud

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has charged six people with an identity theft fraud that cost banks more than $3 million. ...read full article

How Do We Deal With Data Breaches?

The Sony Playstation hack that exposed details for up to 77 million accounts, coming on the heels of the Epsilon hack, has the country talking about what to do about data breaches. ...read full article

A dozen arrested in massive credit-card, diesel-fuel fraud

A bogus east Orange County trucking company was a front for an illegal business that stole credit-card numbers and diesel fuel that yielded an estimated daily profit of $10,000, the Sheriff's Office said Monday. ...read full article

Assurant mistakenly sent people’s personal data to client

Assurant Employee Benefits said Monday that 1,007 customers in the Kansas City area were notified that their personal information inadvertently was made available to another business client administrator. ...read full article

Computer with private Reid Hospital information taken in home burglary

A computer stolen from the home office of a Reid Hospital employee in early April may have contained files with personally identifiable information on approximately 20,000 Reid patients. ...read full article

Finnish police close in on phishing Trojan gang

Finnish police are investigating a gang of 17 people suspected of involvement in a banking Trojan scam used to siphon off hundreds of thousands of euros held in accounts with Nordea Bank. ...read full article

Man sentenced to 3 years for ATM hack scheme

A North Carolina man has been sentenced to three years in prison after admitting he planned to pocket as much as $200,000 by hacking into automatic teller machines. ...read full article

Feds raid home of teen fingered in DDoS on Gene Simmons

Federal authorities have raided the home of a suburban Washington family after tracing a crippling attack on the website of Kiss frontman and anti-piracy crusader Gene Simmons to an internet connection there. ...read full article

Woman pleads guilty to stealing mail in four metro-east cities

An unemployed Montana woman pleaded guilty Monday to stealing mail from residential mailboxes in four metro-east cities, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. ...read full article

Man pleads guilty to mail theft

BEAUMONT, Texas – From U.S. Attorney's Office - A 59-year-old Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to federal charges in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today. ...read full article

Internet Crime Complaint Center's (IC3) Scam Alerts

IC3 issued a report, which is based upon information from law enforcement and complaints submitted to the IC3 that details recent cyber crime trends and new twists to previously-existing cyber scams. ...read full article

ID ANALYTICS INTRODUCES CONSUMER NOTIFICATION SERVICE

SAN DIEGO, CA – May 10, 2011 – ID Analytics, Inc., a leader in consumer risk management, today announced the availability of its Consumer Notification Service that benefits both businesses and consumers by alerting consumers in real-time when their identity is used, potentially without their permission. With ID Analytics’ industry-first patent-pending Not Me™ Notification System, consumers and businesses now have the power to work together to stop identity fraud in its tracks. ...read full article

May 9, 2011

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Identity theft a motive in mail carrier's murder, feds say

The growing crime of identity theft involves a complex web of fraudsters from crooked tax preparers and document forgers to Internet scam artists, and in one particularly violent case, may have led to the murder of a Pembroke Pines mail carrier. ...read full article

An army of techies waging war on spam

It's a vast, invisible battle, going on all the time - and, unbeknownst to you, your computer may be one of the battlegrounds. ...read full article

Crime Groups Hitting the Dating Scene

The Mounties are warning men and women about the risks of identity theft through online dating. Organized crime groups consider identity theft an attractive crime because they see it as a relatively low risk and high reward offence ...read full article

IRS Pays Refunds To 5,000 Dead People In Post-Mortem Identity Theft Scam

Over the course of a year, the Internal Revenue Service processed and paid out $12.1 million in fraudulent tax refund claims submitted using the stolen names and Social Security numbers of 5,108 dead people. ...read full article

Radio producer gets 24-hour ultimatum

Johannesburg - The department of home affairs may be slapped with a lawsuit after what was supposed to be a routine passport renewal resulted in a dramatic 24-hour ultimatum to a South African resident. ...read full article

Sony hit by third cyber attack against Playstation network

Sony has fallen victim to a third cyber attack against its Playstation network, while the Japanese IT giant's chief executive officer has confirmed that a date for the restoration of the network is yet to be set. ...read full article

Woman Accused of Bank Fraud and Identity Theft

A woman from California is accused of defrauding the Bank of America including a branch in Rochester. ...read full article

Fake certificate attack targets Facebook users in Syria

A man-in-the-middle attack is being run against users of the secure version of Facebook in Syria, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) warns. ...read full article

Huntington bank sues ex-workers

A lawsuit filed by Huntington National Bank claims six former employees stole more than 2,000 customer records before they quit to go work for the competition. ...read full article

COCC Hackers May Have Compromised Student Information

Central Oregon Community College officials have identified some information on the COCC web site that may have been exposed as part of the recent unauthorized intrusion. COCC has taken down the web site while it works with law enforcement officials and industry security experts. ...read full article

Sensitive Patient Records Found in Winter Haven City Recycling Dump.

Records containing more than 60 Social Security numbers and sensitive medical histories were found this week by a woman diving for coupons in a large recycling bin. ...read full article

Chief: Software provider says data safe after laptop theft

NEWINGTON — The person who stole a laptop computer from a new town police cruiser has very little chance of accessing stored data, said Police Chief Jon Tretter. ...read full article

Identity fraud case has broader scope than first thought

She appeared to live modestly, at least to outsiders. Yet Annette Ford was stockpiling designer bags, hiring tutors for her children and buying top-of-the-line computers in a lifestyle that did not seem to fit her means. ...read full article

6 held over theft of personal info

SIX people have been detained in connection with stealing, selling and publishing online the personal details of 3,600 local residents, police said yesterday. ...read full article

May 6, 2011

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Sony Apologizes, Offers $1 Million Insurance After Hacking

Sony Corp. Chairman Howard Stringer apologized and offered U.S. customers of PlayStation Network and Qriocity online entertainment services a year of free identity- theft protection after the system was crippled by hackers. ...read full article

Identity theft, e-fraud top Australian security concerns

Financial fraud, identity theft and environmental disasters lean more heavily on Australians’ minds than national security threats, according to a Unisys report. ...read full article

Exclusive: Third attack against Sony planned

A group of hackers says it is planning another wave of cyberattacks against Sony in retaliation for its handling of the PlayStation Network breach. ...read full article

Far West Madison Neighbors Fall Victim To Identity Theft

A 35-year-old Madison man said he is the victim of identity theft after someone used his social security number and driver's license to apply for numerous credit cards in the Chicago area. ...read full article

BBB Alert: Online scams after death of bin Laden

In the aftermath of the death of Osama bin Laden this past weekend, Better Business Bureaus across the country are learning of Internet scams that can cause serious problems to their computers or even result in identity theft ...read full article

2 arrested for suspected identity theft in Meridian Township

MERIDIAN TWP. - Police arrested two suspects for identity theft after being tipped off by a bank employee. ...read full article

College security guard gets home detention in ID-theft scheme

A former security guard at Howard University was sentenced to 180 days of home detention for her role in an identity theft ring. ...read full article

Former campaign staffer for Rep. David Wu charged with stealing more than $10,000 from Wu campaign

Portland Police arrested last night a former campaign staffer for Rep. David Wu on charges that the aide stole and forged checks from the campaign. ...read full article

Jackson man gets 15 years for ID theft

Shawn Atkins, 32, of Jackson was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for identity theft, District Attorney Michael Guest announced. ...read full article

Chiropractor Charged With Identity Fraud

According to the Paulding County Sheriff’s office, Dr. Christopher Lockerman, of Lockerman Family Chiropractic, in Hiram was arrested Wednesday and charged with 8 counts of financial identity fraud and one count of theft by deception in a case that involves over $264,000.00 of identity theft. ...read full article

May 5, 2011

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Identity theft affecting millions

TYLER - Officials say Playstation owners, and smart-phone users could be some of the newest victims of identity theft. ...read full article

Identity theft ring investigation growing

GREENVILLE — What is already one of the largest identity theft investigations in Hunt County history continues to expand. ...read full article

Attorney general warns of identity theft

Attorney General Luther Strange urges citizens to be vigilant for identity theft that could happen as confidential information may be scattered in the debris of damage from last week's catastrophic tornadoes. ...read full article

Craft stores in 3 counties may be tied to ID thefts

May 5, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Authorities in three area counties are warning shoppers about identity theft. Victims reported problems after using a debit or credit card at some Michael's craft stores. ...read full article

Woodbridge man convicted of identity theft, attempting to defraud finance company of $30K

LINDEN — A Woodbridge man has been convicted of trying to defraud a finance company of $30,000 by billing for services he never performed, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said today. ...read full article

Osama Bin Laden 'death film' goes viral

Online spammers using fake videos and photos of Osama Bin Laden's death have seen their phishing scam go viral. ...read full article

State will offer driver's licenses with "verified identity"

The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles will start a new program in the fall to offer verified identity protection to people renewing driver licenses and DMV-issued identification cards. ...read full article

Joshua man charged with identity theft, possession

A 45-year-old Joshua man was in the Johnson County Law Enforcement Center on Monday on identity theft-related charges. ...read full article

Bay area taxpayers say they are victims of identity theft

Dozens of Tampa Bay taxpayers had problems filing their tax returns this year because someone apparently beat them to it. ...read full article

Concerns raised about paperwork spilled in San Rafael Highway 101 mishap

When Kim and Rob Kunkel arrived home to Novato on Saturday evening they noticed a sheet of paper stuck to the grille of their car. It appeared to be a medical insurance document, with the names of patients and types of claims spelled out. ...read full article

May 4, 2011

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FBI warns that fake bin Laden video is a virus

IDG News Service - The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation warned computer users Tuesday that messages claiming to include photos and videos of Osama bin Laden's death actually contain a virus that could steal personal information. ...read full article

Sony says data for 25 million more customers stolen

Sony warned that personally identifiable information for an additional 25 million customers was exposed after discovering a massive security breach extended to its online computer games service. ...read full article

Popular Sports Site Goal.com Serves Malware

GoalcomGoal.com, a popular football (aka "soccer" for all us Yanks) news site was hacked and found serving malware via drive-by-downloads between April 27 and 28, according to a post by Web security firm Armorize. ...read full article

Police Searching for Two Men Wanted for Identity Theft

Police are trying to identify two men wanted for an identity theft case in the Scranton area. ...read full article

Fallon woman sentenced to 20 years for ID theft

A 51-year-old Fallon woman was sentenced up to 20 years in prison on Tuesday in District Court for identity theft. ...read full article

Southern storms scatter personal items among strangers

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) – Chad Hall spotted a small bag as he led power crews onto rural coal mining property a day after storms that killed more than 200 people in Alabama last week. ...read full article

House Subcommittee Discusses Data Theft After Cyber Attack on Sony

A House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade has scheduled a May 4 hearing to discuss data theft issues in the wake of recent breaches including the cyber attack on Sony. ...read full article

TennCare Fraud Investigation Leads to 10 Indictments

MEMPHIS, TN – 10 Shelby County residents have been indicted by a Shelby County Grand Jury on numerous TennCare fraud charges ranging from identity theft to prescription drug fraud. ...read full article

Former UVM student sentenced in fraud case

A former University of Vermont student accused of scamming friends and strangers with identity theft is being ordered to pay restitution and spend two years on supervised release. ...read full article

Sherwood police urge residents to exercise discretion with online purchases after arresting suspect in used car scam

The Sherwood Police Department is urging residents to be wary when purchasing items online, after officers arrested a man in a used car sales scam. ...read full article

X Factor Contestants Had Private Info Hacked

Simon Cowell just can't catch a break. His bid to launch The X Factor this fall in the U.S. has had a shaky start — the judges picked have been both underwhelming and elusive, while American Idol and The Voice have come on strong — and now, he can add potential identity theft to the show's bad-luck streak. ...read full article

BPO employee arrested for online card fraud

HYDERABAD: A BPO employee at Visakhapatnam was today arrested for online credit card fraud running into lakhs of rupees. ...read full article

Police shut down identity theft operation at clinic

Chicago police have located the hub of an identity theft operation and have arrested the two women coordinating the scheme. ...read full article

May 3, 2011

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Sony cuts off Sony Online Entertainment service after hack

IDG News Service - The widely publicized hack of Sony's computer networks is worse than previously thought, also affecting 24.6 million Sony Online Entertainment network accounts. ...read full article

North Korea blamed for bank hack

South Korean prosecutors have accused North Korea of a recent hack attack on a bank which caused a three-day systems outage and deleted details of some customers' credit cards. ...read full article

Man who liveblogged Bin Laden raid was hacked

IDG News Service - The Pakistani programmer who dubbed himself "the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing about it" is also the guy who got his website hacked without knowing about it. ...read full article

Report: Vishing Attack Targets Skype Users

Skype users are being targeted in an ongoing voice-phishing, or "vishing," attack, according to a report by ZDNet's Zero Day blog. ...read full article

'You've got a postcard' emails lead to exploits and scareware

Security researchers from WebSense have intercepted a currently ongoing malware campaign, relying on spamvertised links to a bogus Greeting Postcard Service, the campaign aims to trick ends users into clicking on the link. ...read full article

CEOP accused of misleading public over site security fail

The person who discovered that the child abuse reporting mechanism on the website of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre was insecure has reacted with anger to suggestions from the agency that the flaw had only affected surfers visiting the site from either Facebook or Google. ...read full article

CSI bin Laden: Commandos Use Thumb, Eye Scans to Track Terrorists

The U.S. forces who killed Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad compound were more than expert marksmen. Some of them were forensics experts as well, using sophisticated tools to ensure that they got the right man. ...read full article

Senate sends identity theft bill to Sandoval

CARSON CITY -- The state Senate on Monday unanimously approved a bill designed to give law enforcement officials more time to locate and prosecute criminals who steal the identities of unsuspecting children. ...read full article

Brothers commit credit card fraud through identity theft

Grisha Stpanov opened a credit card, charged up $20,000, but never paid it back. ...read full article

May 2, 2011

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Special Report Tonight: Wireless ID Theft

The newest threat of electronic identity theft and scams is no longer just your computer, email and software program! It's your phone and your wireless tablet! ...read full article

Crime International identity theft ring leader sentenced

A woman who was at the center of an international identity theft ring that struck in Saginaw and Bay counties has been sentenced to federal prison time. ...read full article

Customers stay despite high-profile data breaches

SAN FRANCISCO – Week after week, thieves break into corporate computer systems to steal customer lists, email addresses and credit card numbers. Large data breaches get overshadowed by even larger ones. ...read full article

Daphne police searching for two women wanted for identity theft

DAPHNE, Ala.—The Daphne Police Department is seeking two white females who allegedly stole a wallet and fraudulently used the credit cards on March 11 around 5 p.m., according to a news release. ...read full article

Web, E-mail and Facebook Exploit Osama bin Laden's Death

Spammers have jumped on Sunday's news of the death of Osama bin Laden, lacing new spam e-mail runs and search engine optimized Web pages with news of the Al Qaeda chief's demise at the hands of U.S. special forces. ...read full article