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Identity Theft
March 08, 2006
Identity theft in Canada is growing
Canadians worry about identity theft. Poll conducted in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, shows that 25 percent of the population know someone who has been a victim of identity theft. In 2005 there were over $8.5 million Canadian dollars in losses, and 2006 threatens to break it with $2.2 millions in January alone. Majority didn't realize that they were taken advantage of until it was already well too late.
We recommend check is you can Freeze Credit Report in Canada and read our identity theft related pages:
Identiry Theft Protection, Social Security Protection, Computer Identity Theft.
Posted at 01:29 PM
February 03, 2006
National credit report freeze gets support
Nationwide credit report freeze bill is promoted by California State Senator Debra Bowen. Credit report freeze lets consumers ability to lock-down their credit reports so no one can gain unauthorized access.
Posted at 09:50 AM
January 26, 2006
226,000 Ameriprise Financial customers and employees have been at risk of computer identity theft
Laptop containing Social Security numbers, account numbers and names for 226,000 customers and employees of Minneapolis-based Ameriprise was stolen sometime in late December somewhere outside Minnesota.
The good news are that only 68,000 current and former financial advisers had their names and Social Security numbers stored on that laptop. Roughly 158,000 clients were lucky enough to have only their names and internal account numbers stored on it.
So far no signs of any computer identity theft.
Posted at 10:20 PM
January 12, 2006
Brett Favre credit card was used over 40 times by a crook
2005 was very rough on one of the best ever quarterbacks, and now Phoenix police arrested criminal that used Favre's credit card one time too many. Total billed was over $10,000. No matter how rich and famous you are, your identity is still very vulnerable ...
Posted at 11:26 PM
December 29, 2005
Computer identity theft has become very real in 2005
Identity theft involving computers, both personal and corporate, and related hardware like hard dives and tapes has flourished in 2005. According to USA Today, there have been 130 reported computer related security breaches. Total of more than 55 million Americans are exposed to potential identity theft. Here are the latest breaches:
On Wednesday, the 26, backup computer tapes disappeared from an Orlando office which belongs to the time-share unit of Marriott. 206,000 employees and customers personal data that includes names, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers can be compromised.
Last week, 70,000 current and former employees of Ford Motor Co were told that a computer with data, including Social Security numbers, was stolen from a company office.
On December 16, ABN Amro Mortgage Group said a tape containing data for about 2 million customers was lost as it was being transported by DHL. The tape was later found in Ohio. To rectify this blunder, ABN Amro offered all 2 million customers a free credit monitoring.
Sam's Club announced around December 2, that at least 600 credit card holders who bought gas at its fuel stations may have been affected by fraud. It is being investigated.
See more stories on Wachovia warning in Florida, CardSystems fiasco and USB memory chips.
Posted at 10:47 AM
December 22, 2005
Credit card identity theft can be a problem this Christmas
High tech credit card identity theft at the cash register? You better believe it. The crooks use the cell phones with built-in cameras. When paying by credit card, make sure you block the number with your fingers when you swipe it. Don't leave it on the counter while signing the receipt. Otherwise someone can take picture of your card and get the name, number and expiration date. That is all needed in most cases. Stay alert, this is your best move.
Posted at 04:41 PM
December 21, 2005
LaSalle found the missing tape
LaSalle couldn't wait any longer as it was looking for a missing tape with mortgage accounts of more than 2 million customers for several weeks.
Few days after coming out with the story, the tape was found.
Posted at 12:42 AM
December 16, 2005
Identity theft threatens 2 millions customers of LaSalle bank
ABN AMRO mortgage group which is a subsidiary of LaSalle Bank just announced that the tape with the information on 2 million customers gone missing while it was transported by DHL from Chicago to a credit bureau facility in Allen, Texas.
According to the Suntimes, tape has everything an identity thief would crave for, social security numbers, names, account information, etc.
Hope you don't have your mortgage with LaSalle, what else I can say.
Posted at 11:17 PM
September 20, 2005
Credit report can be protected with Active Duty alert
Your credit report can have special protection when you are deployed anywhere in the world. Obviously you don't want to think about identity theft crooks while serving your country.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you now to have a special "active duty alert" in your credit report. It requires creditors to contact you in order to verify your identity before granting credit in your name.
If contacting you is impossible, you can assign a personal representative to place or remove an alert. Active duty alerts on your report are effective for one year, unless you request that the alert be removed sooner. If your deployment lasts longer, you may place another alert on your report.
Here are the contact information for three credit reporting agencies:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com
Contact just one agency (I would recommend TransUnion) with the request to place active duty alert. The contacted agency must contact the other two, so they put the alerts as well. If your contact information changes before the alert expires, remember to update it.
Posted at 12:12 PM
August 17, 2005
Identity theft is easy on campuses
Once you enroll in college, your personal information is kept in the college database. It is stored somewhere on disks, tapes, drives or whatever. Your data must be maintained, say what courses you completed with what grades, which ones you failed, what scholarships if any you get and so on. Along with your social security number, date of birth, addresses, etc.
Now, imagine how many financially naive students like yourself are studying around the country, I would say few millions. Each has a rather fat file stored somewhere in huge, decentralized database.
Add to it an abundance of computer equipment and you have a very lucrative target for identity theft types, and not surprisingly, roughly half of the publicized incidents of data breach since January happened at universities, according to the San Diego-based Identity Theft Resource Center.
So once you are on campus, watch out.
Yahoo news.
Posted at 03:51 PM
August 15, 2005
Computer technology makes identity theft easy if not careful
If you are not careful, one of the most popular computer related gizmoz can actually help identity theft crooks. I am talking about USB flash drives. For those who don't know, USB flash is a small sized memory chip that can be carried on a key chain, in a pocket or whatever one fancies. Available in any brand from Lexar to Sony to Iomega, they are very easy to use and don't require CD burning software. All you need is USB port in your computer or laptop to plug it in. You can store anything on it, just like on your hard drive. Some USB flashes have amazing 4 GB of storage.
Many people use USB drives to keep their resumes, bank account statements, family pictures, even credit report dispute letters containing social security and account numbers.
The problem starts when it is lost. I have recently seen several of those left on the public transportation, let's say New York CTA or Greyhound Bus for the sake of argument. Just happened to have friends who work there. Both contained stuff that would make any slightly computer literate identity theft fella drool all over.
No need to look for not shredded credit card statements. Those USB flashes had all kinds of papers with several names, addresses, credit card numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth, you name it. I immediately contacted the rightful owners by the way and mail them.
The point I am trying to make here is, you use it - don't lose it.
More on computer identity theft
Posted at 06:25 PM
August 13, 2005
Identity theft with the help of cell phone cameras
This is from LA Times and sounds pretty bizarre. Cashier takes picture of your credit card with the cell phone to help facilitate identity theft, or simply help himself with you credit or debit card, just in front of you while checking you out of the supermarket.
Sounds pretty ingenious and simple and explicit. But who knows ...
Posted at 02:36 PM
August 09, 2005
Congress is closing on identity theft legislation
The site www.cioinsight.com reports that "Congress Nears Final Identity Theft Legislation".
There are three main legislative components that have credit industry and consumer advocate groups at each other throats.
First, the bill doesn't specifically exempt encrypted data.
Second, even single consumer data breach would trigger automatic notification. Under other provisions, consumers only were to be notified if security breach would impact several thousand consumers.
Third and the most heatedly debated is the consumer's right to freeze credit report.
The story goes on saying that this legislation will likely be "watered down" because of industry opposition to the credit report freeze. What is interesting though, as it points out, only "4,000 Californians had frozen their credit reports in the three years of the law's existence."
That is quite stunning considering all the news we have been getting lately about identity theft and personal data security breaches. May be this number is old and folks will catch up. If not, then credit industry has nothing to worry about.
Posted at 03:39 PM
August 05, 2005
Pennsylvania reintroduces six new bills aimed to combat identity theft
Business Journal reports that "state Rep. Michael McGeehan, D-Phila., announced the reintroduction of six bills on Thursday aimed at protecting consumers and businesses against identity theft. Among the proposed bills is a measure that would address the role the state plays in identity theft, McGeehan said."
Several identity theft related offences are going to be designated as felonies if and when these bills are passed.
Posted at 01:27 PM
August 04, 2005
Computer identity theft is under attack from Anti-Phishing Working Group
Good guys are after computer identity thieves. According to Businness Wire, a very serious group of people is going after the latest computer related identity theft with more zeal and resources than ever. The Anti-Phishing Working Group or APWG "has expanded its charter to encompass broader identity theft issues on the Internet ... to encompass emerging identity theft problems including pharming (DNS attacks) and crimeware (malicious spyware designed to steal identities)."
This is good news for an everyday consumer. The APWG consists of more than 1,000 financial institutions, internet service providers, security vendors and law enforcement agencies worldwide.
Automated phishing systems and criminal spyware are highly sophisticated identity theft tools and while relatively recent, have resulted in million dollar losses and untold amount of grief for many unsuspected consumers. Read more about it on APWG website.
Posted at 11:58 AM
Identity theft threatens Wachovia customers of
Just when you'd think it can't get any worse, Wachovia Bank notified its Florida customers that their personal data was possibly compromised when computer hackers broke into Card Systems Solutions computer system several weeks ago.
As you likely recall much maligned CardSystems Solutions, Inc is the company that processes check and credit card transactions for banks and credit card issuers. CardSystems recently stated that it may close the doors for good after Visa and American Express decided to find another data processor.
Posted at 11:34 AM
August 01, 2005
Senate Judiciary Committee considers Identity Theft Protection Act
The new law S. 1408, the Identity Theft Protection Act "would require data brokers and others covered by the law to develop, implement, and maintain an effective information security program to protect sensitive information. The safeguards include encryption, truncation, and other security measures currently available or under development."
This is according to ConsumerAffairs.com publication.
Last eighteen months or so haven't been good. Personal records of million Americans were jeopardized be security breaches at banks and credit card processing companies.
Under proposed law data brokers would have to immediately report security breaches that compromise 1,000 or more consumers to federal government and consumer agencies. Right now only California requires consumer notification. That is why a comprehensive federal law is needed.
The newly considered bill is already under attack from opponents who are lobbing to block new regulations such as consumer ability to freeze credit reports, tougher data security rules and mandatory notification of security breaches. They don't want state governments to have much stricter identity theft prevention laws.
Supporters demand even stronger measures claiming that proposed legislature doesn't go far enough. They want even tougher data security measures and special protection for Social Security Numbers.
Posted at 02:33 PM
July 29, 2005
Colorado takes further steps to prevent identity theft
To battle identity theft more efficiently the National Notary Association (NNA) is joining the fight.
As a part of their nationwide campaign, the NNA conducts three-city sweep in Colorado on August 2-4. The goal is to provide Notaries Public with the tools to detect and deter identity theft.
Market wire reports that Colorado ranks fifth in identity theft victims per 100,000 population, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Mr. Mike Shea, Co-Director of the Division of Licensing and Enforcement who oversees Colorado's 100,500 Notaries Public, will participate in all three symposiums.
Notaries play very important role as professional identity screeners.
They participate in real estate sales, mortgage refinances and granting power of attorney. All these transactions are excellent opportunities to detect and deter identity fraud
At the Identity Theft Prevention symposiums, notaries will receive intensive training. It will include recognizing false driver's licenses, forged signatures, fraudulent identity cards and handling suspicious document signers.
Also joining is Sergeant Robert J. Ryan, who oversees the Financial Crimes Unit of the Colorado Springs Police Department. He will describe Colorado's growing identity fraud crisis and how the his Financial Crimes Unit is working to combat identity theft.
Identity theft represent a very real danger. Many hours are have to spend to clear your name and it will cost money too. For some it is very hard to recover completely.
Posted at 12:21 PM
July 27, 2005
Washington state enacts new laws to prevent identity theft
To help combat ever rising identity theft Washington legislature passed several bills that address "security breaches, access to credit reports, and Internet scams such as "phishing".
These bills will be in effect next week.
Govtech.com reports that Washington state attorney general, Mr. Rob McKenna takes identity theft crime very seriously.
Mr. McKenna said that he will dedicate very significant resources to fight identity theft and vigorously persecute offenders.
The newly enacted laws are SB6043, SB5418, SB5939 and HB1012, HB1888, HB1185. SB and HB stands for Senate Bill and House Bill respectively.
Here are the short descriptions of these bills:
SB6043 requires companies that own and license personal digital data to notify clients if a security breach occurs and this personal data is compromised.
SB5418 allows those whose identity had been stolen before to freeze their credit reports thus banning credit agencies from releasing information without explicit permission.
SB5939 amends Washington's identity theft statute to require identity theft victims to file police reports in order to seek further protection such as a credit freeze.
HB1012 is dealing with computer identity theft. It makes it illegal among other things for anyone to transmit or install software on someone else computer that modifies its security settings and collect personal identification information.
HB1888 "amends the state's spam statute to specifically prohibit "phishing" scams, in which identity thieves try to trick consumers out of personal information by sending e-mails that appear to come from a business, such as a bank or online auction site."
HB1185 bans the disclosure of personal wireless telephone numbers without obtaining an explicit consent in writing or electronically before publishing a wireless phone number in a directory.
Posted at 12:03 AM
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- Identity theft in Canada is gr...
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- 226,000 Ameriprise Financial c...
- Brett Favre credit card was us...
- Computer identity theft has be...
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- LaSalle found the missing tape...
- Identity theft threatens 2 mil...
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