And who actually puts a Social Security number on the side of a truck?
By Dan Tynan
May 6, 2008 (PC World) You can't open a newspaper or a browser without reading about some data spill that has put consumers' personal information at risk. Over the past three years, more than 220 million private records have been lost or stolen, according to the San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. In 2007, 8 million to 15 million Americans had their identities stolen. The odds that it will happen to you are about one in five, according to surveys conducted by the Chubb Group.
Identity theft is a national epidemic, but some firms also see it as a marketing opportunity. In fact, some credit bureaus and banks that facilitated the spread of easy credit--and in the process unwittingly made identity theft a more profitable crime--now sell services to help you avoid having your identity pilfered.
For $10 to $20 a month, a company such as LifeLock or TransUnion will monitor your credit reports, alert you if anyone opens an account in your name, and help you recover fraudulent charges. But you can do many of the things these services offer to do, at no cost except for the effort (see "DIY identity-theft protection: A 12-step program" for details).
To assess the paid services, we signed up with six leading firms. Even services that worked as advertised weren't comprehensive. Only two -- Suze Orman's Identity Theft Kit and Identity Guard -- offered protection for anything beyond financial fraud. Using any of the services is better than doing nothing, but you may still have to work to safeguard your identity.
Monitoring your credit
Annual credit reports are free, but Javelin Strategy and Research president James Van Dyke says that credit monitoring has become a billion-dollar business for credit bureaus.
The keys to your financial identity jangle in the pockets of the Big Three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. When you apply for a credit card, sign up for a wireless plan, or apply for a job, the company you're trying to do business with is likely to request a copy of your credit report. If anyone steals your identity, that person's bad behavior goes on your report, hurting your chances for a loan, a phone, or a job.
Federal law entitles you to a free annual report from each of the Big Three. You also qualify for a free copy if you've recently been denied credit or if you're an identity-theft victim. The bureaus make no money by supplying free credit reports, but they make a lot of money -- more than $1 billion annually, according to Javelin Strategy and Research president James Van Dyke--by selling credit-monitoring services.
For $5 to $20 per month, a credit-monitoring service will alert you whenever your report changes. If a thief opens new accounts in your name, you'll usually find out within a few days. Most monitoring services offer online credit reports, online credit scores (showing your chances of obtaining credit), and tools for managing and improving your credit rating.
But a credit-monitoring service won't tell you if someone steals your credit card and runs up huge bills; for that you must check your monthly billing statements. Furthermore, if you receive an alert about a dubious inquiry, you'll have to identify it as bogus and contact the credit bureaus on your own.
Our real-world tests of two major credit-monitoring services yielded mixed results. First we signed up for TrueCredit's three-in-one monitoring service, which promises to deliver e-mail alerts from all three bureaus for $15 a month. The first two times our tester tried to open a new credit account, TrueCredit failed to issue an alert. A third test a month later was more successful.
Showing posts with label identity theft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label identity theft. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
2 charged with identity theft
By Brent Jones
May 7, 2008
A federal grand jury indicted two Baltimore men and a city woman yesterday on charges of stealing mail and using the victims' Social Security numbers and other identification information to cash checks, prosecutors said.
Joseph Lawrence, 43, Maurice Racks, 53 and Tara Wagner, 37, are accused of assuming the identities of at least 31 people from April through October of last year and face charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
The indictment alleges that the defendants created false identification documents in the names of the victims by combining their own personal information with the victims' information. The defendants then used the false identification documents to cash checks, according to the indictment. Prosecutors say some of the victims lived on Dudley Avenue in Baltimore and on Foxcreek Court in Owings Mills. Lawrence and Wagner could face a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted; Racks could face a maximum of 10 years.
May 7, 2008
A federal grand jury indicted two Baltimore men and a city woman yesterday on charges of stealing mail and using the victims' Social Security numbers and other identification information to cash checks, prosecutors said.
Joseph Lawrence, 43, Maurice Racks, 53 and Tara Wagner, 37, are accused of assuming the identities of at least 31 people from April through October of last year and face charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
The indictment alleges that the defendants created false identification documents in the names of the victims by combining their own personal information with the victims' information. The defendants then used the false identification documents to cash checks, according to the indictment. Prosecutors say some of the victims lived on Dudley Avenue in Baltimore and on Foxcreek Court in Owings Mills. Lawrence and Wagner could face a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted; Racks could face a maximum of 10 years.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sheriff says identity theft ring broken up, suspect shot
By Kevin Cole and Nancy Gaarder
05/08/2008
Authorities say they broke up an identity theft ring Wednesday, but only after a violent struggle in a downtown Omaha hotel hallway in which a suspect was shot in the chest and a sheriff's deputy was hit over the head with a vase.
Jason Galle, 32, of Omaha was taken to Creighton University Medical Center in critical condition from the gunshot wound. Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Mike Smith suffered about a 4-inch gash in the back of his head and also was taken to Creighton.
Smith was treated and released. Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning said Galle is expected to recover.
The incident unfolded as if from a movie script. According to Dunning:
Deputies Smith and Brenda Wheeler went to the Courtyard by Marriott, 10th and Dodge Streets, about 10 a.m. Wednesday after employees become suspicious of a couple who had checked in using what appeared to be a stolen credit card.
Smith, who has been with the Sheriff's Office 10 years, and Wheeler, a 16-year-veteran, headed to Room 416, where the couple were staying. As the two deputies left the elevator and headed down the hallway, they saw Galle and a 23-year-old pregnant woman coming out of the room.
Galle was carrying a rolled-up pair of blue jeans under his arm, and the woman was holding a black satchel.
Galle tried to hurry past the deputies and into the elevator, when Smith tried to stop him. As Galle pushed the deputy back, the jeans fell from his arm, and a .22-caliber pistol tumbled out.
The two men began to struggle while Wheeler took control of the woman, fearing that she, too, could be carrying a gun.
Smith then got one of Galle's wrists handcuffed, but Galle grabbed a heavy glass vase and smashed Smith across the back of the head.
Dunning said that by that time, the deputy was "fighting for his life'' and unholstered his Smith & Wesson 9 mm revolver.
Smith fired once, striking Galle in the chest.
Galle fell to the floor and curled up, bleeding so much that early reports indicated that he had been shot twice, once in the chest and once in the leg.
Smith was bleeding from the back of the head.
Deputies learned that Galle and the woman were headed to a room on the eighth floor where two other men were staying.
Additional deputies arrived at the hotel. Authorities headed to the eighth floor, where they found two men in a room with a copy machine and other instruments used for making false identification, Dunning said.
"I'm really having a good feeling that this will lead to the closing of an identity theft ring,'' he said.
Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said his office would review reports from the Sheriff's Office when the investigation is completed and decide what charges are appropriate.
The incident had its genesis in a Sunday morning church service at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, near 153rd and Pacific Streets.
A woman left her purse in her car while she attended Mass. Someone broke into the car and stole the purse, which contained cash, identification and credit cards.
Because the church is outside Omaha's city limits, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, not the Omaha Police Department, responded to the call and handled the investigation.
Wednesday, Galle and the woman arrived at the hotel and checked in using one of the credit cards. Hotel employees became suspicious of the two, so they called the name listed on the card. A person answered the phone and confirmed that the people staying at the hotel were not authorized to use the card.
That's when hotel employees called authorities. Marriott officials have declined to comment.
05/08/2008
Authorities say they broke up an identity theft ring Wednesday, but only after a violent struggle in a downtown Omaha hotel hallway in which a suspect was shot in the chest and a sheriff's deputy was hit over the head with a vase.
Jason Galle, 32, of Omaha was taken to Creighton University Medical Center in critical condition from the gunshot wound. Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Mike Smith suffered about a 4-inch gash in the back of his head and also was taken to Creighton.
Smith was treated and released. Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning said Galle is expected to recover.
The incident unfolded as if from a movie script. According to Dunning:
Deputies Smith and Brenda Wheeler went to the Courtyard by Marriott, 10th and Dodge Streets, about 10 a.m. Wednesday after employees become suspicious of a couple who had checked in using what appeared to be a stolen credit card.
Smith, who has been with the Sheriff's Office 10 years, and Wheeler, a 16-year-veteran, headed to Room 416, where the couple were staying. As the two deputies left the elevator and headed down the hallway, they saw Galle and a 23-year-old pregnant woman coming out of the room.
Galle was carrying a rolled-up pair of blue jeans under his arm, and the woman was holding a black satchel.
Galle tried to hurry past the deputies and into the elevator, when Smith tried to stop him. As Galle pushed the deputy back, the jeans fell from his arm, and a .22-caliber pistol tumbled out.
The two men began to struggle while Wheeler took control of the woman, fearing that she, too, could be carrying a gun.
Smith then got one of Galle's wrists handcuffed, but Galle grabbed a heavy glass vase and smashed Smith across the back of the head.
Dunning said that by that time, the deputy was "fighting for his life'' and unholstered his Smith & Wesson 9 mm revolver.
Smith fired once, striking Galle in the chest.
Galle fell to the floor and curled up, bleeding so much that early reports indicated that he had been shot twice, once in the chest and once in the leg.
Smith was bleeding from the back of the head.
Deputies learned that Galle and the woman were headed to a room on the eighth floor where two other men were staying.
Additional deputies arrived at the hotel. Authorities headed to the eighth floor, where they found two men in a room with a copy machine and other instruments used for making false identification, Dunning said.
"I'm really having a good feeling that this will lead to the closing of an identity theft ring,'' he said.
Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said his office would review reports from the Sheriff's Office when the investigation is completed and decide what charges are appropriate.
The incident had its genesis in a Sunday morning church service at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, near 153rd and Pacific Streets.
A woman left her purse in her car while she attended Mass. Someone broke into the car and stole the purse, which contained cash, identification and credit cards.
Because the church is outside Omaha's city limits, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, not the Omaha Police Department, responded to the call and handled the investigation.
Wednesday, Galle and the woman arrived at the hotel and checked in using one of the credit cards. Hotel employees became suspicious of the two, so they called the name listed on the card. A person answered the phone and confirmed that the people staying at the hotel were not authorized to use the card.
That's when hotel employees called authorities. Marriott officials have declined to comment.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Take steps to guard against identity theft
Published: Thursday, May 8, 2008
Not too many years ago, Petaluma residents didn’t worry about their mail being stolen or their cars being rifled by thieves during the night.
But times have certainly changed, and a couple of recent incidents highlight the importance of taking precautions to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.
Last month, residents of rural Oak Lane and Jessie Lane reported a series of in-cidents in which someone en-tered their parked, unlocked cars during the night. One of the victims reported his credit card was stolen from the glove box of his car. Others felt that the intruders were looking for financial information that they could use for fraudulent purposes.
“We didn’t have to lock our doors back in the ’80s,” said one of the victims, “but it’s different now.”
In another incident, two Vallejo residents were arrest-ed at a Petaluma motel on April 30 for allegedly stealing mail from up to 100 people in mailboxes in several Bay Area cities, and then committing forgery by altering checks.
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. Identity theft is serious and takes many forms. Some victims spend hundreds of dollars and many hours repairing damage to their good name and credit record.
According to the FTC, thieves use a variety of methods to get hold of your information, including:
Dumpster diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.
Skimming. They steal credit and debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.
Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
Changing your address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change-of-address form.
Old-fashioned stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records, or bribe employees who have access.
Pretexting. They use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.
While there is no fool-proof way to avoid ID theft, there are steps you can take to minimize your chance of becoming a victim, and steps to take to minimize the damage should a theft occur. The FTC recommends following the “deter, detect, defend” strategy:
Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your private sensitive financial information.
Detect suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements.
Defend against identity theft as soon as you suspect a problem.
Not too many years ago, Petaluma residents didn’t worry about their mail being stolen or their cars being rifled by thieves during the night.
But times have certainly changed, and a couple of recent incidents highlight the importance of taking precautions to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.
Last month, residents of rural Oak Lane and Jessie Lane reported a series of in-cidents in which someone en-tered their parked, unlocked cars during the night. One of the victims reported his credit card was stolen from the glove box of his car. Others felt that the intruders were looking for financial information that they could use for fraudulent purposes.
“We didn’t have to lock our doors back in the ’80s,” said one of the victims, “but it’s different now.”
In another incident, two Vallejo residents were arrest-ed at a Petaluma motel on April 30 for allegedly stealing mail from up to 100 people in mailboxes in several Bay Area cities, and then committing forgery by altering checks.
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. Identity theft is serious and takes many forms. Some victims spend hundreds of dollars and many hours repairing damage to their good name and credit record.
According to the FTC, thieves use a variety of methods to get hold of your information, including:
Dumpster diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.
Skimming. They steal credit and debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.
Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
Changing your address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change-of-address form.
Old-fashioned stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records, or bribe employees who have access.
Pretexting. They use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.
While there is no fool-proof way to avoid ID theft, there are steps you can take to minimize your chance of becoming a victim, and steps to take to minimize the damage should a theft occur. The FTC recommends following the “deter, detect, defend” strategy:
Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your private sensitive financial information.
Detect suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements.
Defend against identity theft as soon as you suspect a problem.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Hall Monitor: Councillor claims Facebook identity theft
An alarmed Toronto city councillor has alerted police after discovering someone has been impersonating him on the social-networking site Facebook.
Howard Moscoe (Eglinton-Lawrence) said he learned of the "identity theft" when a fellow councillor mentioned that he was his "friend." Unfamiliar with the term as Facebook lingo for being part of each other's online social cirlces, Mr. Moscoe asked for an explanation. He told his colleague he didn't even have a Facebook page.
Curious, Mr. Moscoe said he then called his daughter who had his granddaughter check out his profil. She reported back on the contents and his collection of "friends" – which besides other city councillors includes Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
In a letter he has addressed to Facebook administrators, he asks for their intervention to take down the page.
"It has just come to my attention that someone has registered with your service using my name, photograph and information without my knowledge, permission or consent," a copy of the email letter Mr. Moscoe distributed to reporters states. "The information that has been posted to the site contains statements, purportedly made by me, which can be considered defamatory to other persons."
Mr. Moscoe told reporters that some of the comments, which he did not make, concerned blustery city councillor Rob Ford (Etobicoke North). Mr. Moscoe called to apologize and to inform him that he had nothing to do with the remarks but said he didn't think Mr. Ford was anymore up on the Facebook concept than he was.
"I have advised our local police force of this identity theft and am now contacting you to request that you immediately suspend the user account," he furher wrote to Facebook administrators. "Thank you for your assistance with this unpleasant misappropriation."
Howard Moscoe (Eglinton-Lawrence) said he learned of the "identity theft" when a fellow councillor mentioned that he was his "friend." Unfamiliar with the term as Facebook lingo for being part of each other's online social cirlces, Mr. Moscoe asked for an explanation. He told his colleague he didn't even have a Facebook page.
Curious, Mr. Moscoe said he then called his daughter who had his granddaughter check out his profil. She reported back on the contents and his collection of "friends" – which besides other city councillors includes Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
In a letter he has addressed to Facebook administrators, he asks for their intervention to take down the page.
"It has just come to my attention that someone has registered with your service using my name, photograph and information without my knowledge, permission or consent," a copy of the email letter Mr. Moscoe distributed to reporters states. "The information that has been posted to the site contains statements, purportedly made by me, which can be considered defamatory to other persons."
Mr. Moscoe told reporters that some of the comments, which he did not make, concerned blustery city councillor Rob Ford (Etobicoke North). Mr. Moscoe called to apologize and to inform him that he had nothing to do with the remarks but said he didn't think Mr. Ford was anymore up on the Facebook concept than he was.
"I have advised our local police force of this identity theft and am now contacting you to request that you immediately suspend the user account," he furher wrote to Facebook administrators. "Thank you for your assistance with this unpleasant misappropriation."
Friday, May 9, 2008
Roboform Keeps Passwords and More Protected
Lisa wrote an interesting article on Roboform and how to keep Passwords and More Protected. Please see excerpt below:
"With technology comes convenience, but also threats to security. Each time a consumer accesses their bank or shops online their keystrokes may be recorded, hackers may obtain their financial information and personal information may be released. There is a software to protect Internet users, while they are doing any number of tasks from registering for travel to playing games online.
Today's technology offers consumers so many conveniences; on-line banking, internet shopping, on-line bill paying, research at our fingertips, e-mail, instant messaging, photo image storing and creation and so much more.
In addition to many important day to day financial and communication tasks, the internet offers many other opportunities for entertainment, free samples, and survey's, game and contests. But with all of the convenience of working and playing on-line, in addition to the security risks, most users still feel burdened by the amount of time it takes to fill in forms over and over. As we access any number of internet sites, we are required time and again to complete forms, create accounts, sign in and utilize passwords."
Click here for more of Lisa Carey's article on Roboform Keeps Passwords and More Protection
"With technology comes convenience, but also threats to security. Each time a consumer accesses their bank or shops online their keystrokes may be recorded, hackers may obtain their financial information and personal information may be released. There is a software to protect Internet users, while they are doing any number of tasks from registering for travel to playing games online.
Today's technology offers consumers so many conveniences; on-line banking, internet shopping, on-line bill paying, research at our fingertips, e-mail, instant messaging, photo image storing and creation and so much more.
In addition to many important day to day financial and communication tasks, the internet offers many other opportunities for entertainment, free samples, and survey's, game and contests. But with all of the convenience of working and playing on-line, in addition to the security risks, most users still feel burdened by the amount of time it takes to fill in forms over and over. As we access any number of internet sites, we are required time and again to complete forms, create accounts, sign in and utilize passwords."
Click here for more of Lisa Carey's article on Roboform Keeps Passwords and More Protection
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)