February 14, 2006
Consumer Protection: It's the Name of the Game! For National Consumer Protection Week 2006
Ok, I’m a week behind in posting this, but what the hey…
Agencies in U.S. and Canada Promote Education, Awareness, and Partnerships
The Federal Trade Commission has launched the eighth annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), February 5-11, 2006, in cooperation with federal, state, and local agencies, and national advocacy organizations committed to consumer protection and education. At the Canadian Embassy today, the FTC, with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Postal Service’s Consumer Advocate, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, PhoneBusters, and Canada’s Competition Bureau announced their commitment to combat cross-border fraud as part of NCPW. The FTC also unveiled the “Grand Scam Challenge,” online, interactive games that teach consumers about topics such as identity theft, the National Do Not Call Registry, and spam.
More from the FTC: National Consumer Protection Week 2006.
Category: Consumer Tips
Posted on February 14, 2006 at 09:29 PM | Permalink
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February 13, 2006
Watch out for companies that use comment spam
I get quite a bit of comment spam on scamsafe.com. One of the most common is from PPL. More accurately, someone that is a PPL associate. PPL has an identity theft service and these associates think they will generate traffic and, thus, sales but posting a bogus comment on sites like mine, which are really poorly disguised ads. Since I now approve all comments, it's a total waste of time for them to try this on scamsafe.com.
Any associates who will stoop to this level, in my opinion, should be avoided.
What if you discovered that your identity had been stolen?
- Call your bank and/or credit card company
- Contact the three major credit repositories
- Go through the helpful but extensive steps recommended by the Federal Trade Commission in its 30-page consumer support publication
- Fill out and submit the affidavit form supplied by the FTC to dispute new, unauthorized accounts
- Spend on average $1,500 in out-of-pocket expenses to resolve the many problems cause by identity thieves
WITH THE IDENTITYTHEFTSHIELD: Get REGULAR monitoring of your credit report and let the proven leaders in the identity restoration and legal services fields assist you.
With no obligation, you can view a short presentation and learn more by visiting my website. See what we can do for you at: [deleted].
Category: Opinion
I keep seeing victims report getting hit by these scams. The fake companies offering great paying home employment continuously reconstitute themselves under different names. These scammers and fraudsters are so devious they even used the name of a victim that reported them on this web site. That's right, one of the people that first reported the work at home scams here on Scamsafe.com, back in 2004, had his name used as the "representative" of one of the fraudulent employers. And careerbuilder.com and the other job boards have utterly failed to protect consumers. Last year careerbuilder contacted me directly saying they were making a committment to deal with these scams. I don't feel they are making any impact. The solution they proposed was that consumers should report the crimes and they would follow up. That's totally upside down. The job web sites should be taking a proactive approach to this. eBay has over 1,000 people dedicated just to fraud investigations. There needs to be a similar thing going on at careerbuilder and the other sites like monster.com. Sorry to single you out so much careerbuilder, but a victim just reported losing $12,000 to a scam perptrated by one of YOUR customers. Go to this link and read the comments (at the bottom, as of today). The company is called Escrow Cheque Corp and the business is a scam. Click here to see, if you are in doubt (opens a Google search). I propose that the online job services work together and cooperate to close down these scams. They cannot rely on law enforcement because most of these scammers operate from overseas. Do you have any idea how difficult it is for law enforcement to crack down on a ring that is based in Russia or Nigeria?
Category: FRAUD ALERTS
From Truston… In Half of the Cases Where the Perpetrator is Known, Identity Fraud is committed by Someone Close to the Victim More: Truston's Identity Theft Blog.
Category: Identity Theft News
This site has been receiving incredible amounts of spam in the comments and trackbacks. I decided to turnoff trackbacks and turn on approval before accepting comments. That means comments may take some time to appear on the site. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Category: Opinion
Identity theft claiming more and more victims For Audra Schmierer, it began last January with a letter from the Internal Revenue Service claiming she owed $15,000 in back taxes on income earned in 2003. Inside Bay Area - Alameda Times-Star - Local News.
Category: ID Theft News
More: Three More States Add Laws on Data Breaches - Computerworld.
Category: Identity Theft News
More: Boston Man Charged With Ebay Identity Theft Scheme.
Category: ID Theft News
Some Bay Area ABN AMRO Mortgage customers this week are receiving the digital age's dreaded midnight knock on the door: A letter stating a data tape containing their Social Security numbers and other personal information had been lost by a courier.
Category: Identity Theft News
Link: GuardMyCreditFile: Illinois Poised to Become First State to Ban Sale of Phone Records. January 9, 2006 - On Friday, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced that he wants to ban the unauthorized sale of phone records within his state. The practice, know in the industry as "pretexting", occurs when someone pretending to be the phone company’s customer calls the phone company and gains access to all of the call information available for the actual customer. Surprisingly, no state currently outlaws this practice. And disturbingly, this lack of regulation has seen the birth of a new cottage industry that allows nearly anyone the purchase the phone records of any person they desire.
Category:
Financial giant H&R Block's TaxCut software is designed to help users avoid nasty surprises when calculating their taxes. But many past and present customers of Block were surprised in a different way recently, as they received unsolicited copies of TaxCut in packages that prominently displayed their Social Security number (SSN) on the outside. The recipient's SSN is embedded in a string of numbers printed on the shipping label, and many confused individuals had received a notice about the error long before they received the package. Some haven't received any package at all. More: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/01/block_id_theft.html
Category: FRAUD ALERTS, ID Theft News
***UPDATED 12/12/06. SCROLL FOR UPDATE*** I usually focus on identity theft and financial account fraud. But I couldn't help but hear about HeightMax, yet another consumer supplement product. Seth Godin, a prominent blogger, posted about it today. There's nothing new here, people have been hawking "snake-oil" type miracle cures and fixes for, I would guess, centuries. In recent times, I'm sure we've all heard of Focus Factor. It's a supplement (a pill) that's supposed to help you think clearer, focus better, etc. Yep, they got in trouble with the Federal Trade Commission . HeightMax' claim to fame is that its mix of vitamins, minerals and whatever else will help you grow taller. Once again, if it sounds too good to be true, and you have to pay for it, it usually is. When do products like HeightMax cross the line into unlawful claims? That's usually for the Federal Trade Commission to decide, which they only do when enough people complain. But HeightMax does shows ScamSafe's 4 signs of a scam: (1) Questionable testimonials. Lots of people on their web site or brochure claim it's a great product but you can't possibly find out who they are. HeightMax says it's founder is William Thompson, PhD. Who is he? I did a Google search on "William Thompson" and got 345,000 results. Think it's a coincidence they chose such a common name? Please be careful everyone. Believe it or not, it's super easy for a bad person to set up a business that takes advantage of people. And usually it's hard for them to get caught or punished. They know the system. **********
Category: FRAUD ALERTS
Fashion model Beverly Peele charged with identity theft - CourtTV.com - People SAUGUS, Calif. (AP) — Fashion model Beverly Peele has been charged with identity theft for allegedly buying about $10,000 worth of housewares, appliances and furniture with someone else's credit card numbers.
Category: ID Theft News
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - A computer with files that have the names and Social Security numbers of approximately 70,000 current and former employees of Ford Motor Company was stolen, the company reported. An investigation into the theft -- which is believed to have occurred in late November -- is ongoing, and Ford has notified the FBI, Secret Service and Federal Identity Theft Task Force. More: Tech crime gets personal at Ford; computer files stolen - Dec. 22, 2005
Category: ID Theft News
There are quite a few services out there popping up in the identity theft space. The credit monitoring services have been around for a while. Now there’s a number of services that claim to help prevent or restore your identity by doing background checks or giving you report based on pulling data from a variety of sources. These services tend to cost a lot and you have to pay up front. And the data they use for their reports nearly always comes from free sources. You’re paying them to pull it in and present it to you on a web site. I’ve seen these new services can cost $99 or more. And you have to pay up-front for so your risk is high. I tested one of these services on my own dime. It cost me $44.95 and what I got was not worth it in my opinion. The report had almost nothing in it and it was very expensive. I’m not going to do a comprehensive review of these ID theft resolution or background check services here or even call them out by name, just be careful folks. Review their web site carefully and take a deep breath and think before you sign up. If the company seems to be hiding behind their web site (they make it a challenge to contact them) it may be for a reason—they don’t want to deal with you or your complaints. There are inexpensive and free ways to protect yourself and we’re going tell you about how you can do that here in the future. All the best for a safe and protected 2006!
Category: Opinion
Last week a computer tape containing the names, addresses, account information, payment histories and Social Security Number of 2 million people disappeared while in transit. The tape, which contained data on all of LaSalle Bank’s mortgage customers, had been shipped via DHL to Experian by the bank in November. It then reappeared two days ago. The shipment of the computer tape to Experian was not out of the ordinary. Creditors routinely ship information to the nation’s three big credit reporting agencies (CRAs); Experian, Equifax and Trans Union. This process is conducted to keep credit reports up to date. More: GuardMyCreditFile.
Category:
Guidance Software -- the leading provider of software used to diagnose hacker break-ins -- has itself been hacked, resulting in the exposure of financial and personal data connected to thousands of law enforcement officials and network-security professionals. Guidance alerted customers to the incident in a letter sent last week, saying it discovered on Dec. 7 that hackers had broken into a company database and made off with approximately 3,800 customer credit card numbers. The Pasadena, Calif.-based company said the incident occurred sometime in November and that it is working with the U.S. Secret Service on a more detailed investigation.
Posted on February 13, 2006 at 05:25 PM | Permalink
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February 07, 2006
Work at home scams thriving as always
Posted on February 7, 2006 at 03:46 PM | Permalink
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February 03, 2006
ID Theft Is More Prevalent Offline with Paper than Online
SAN FRANCISCO, January 26, 2005 - The 2005 Javelin Identity Fraud Survey Report - released by the Better Business Bureau and Javelin Strategy & Research as an update of the Federal Trade Commission's 2003 Identity Theft Survey Report and Javelin's 2003 Identity Theft Report - shows that despite growing fears about identity theft and online fraud, of the victims that know the identity and method used by the criminal, these crimes are more frequently committed offline than online. Internet-related fraud problems are actually less severe, less costly and not as widespread as previously thought.
Posted on February 3, 2006 at 09:12 PM | Permalink
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January 25, 2006
Comments and Trackbacks
Posted on January 25, 2006 at 05:46 PM | Permalink
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January 18, 2006
Identity theft victim left with $1 million liability
Schmierer, 32, thought a mistake had been made. She hadn't worked since giving birth to her son in 2000. The next day, however, another letter arrived from the IRS — this one stating she owed more than $32,000 in back taxes from 2002. And so began a long nightmare that eventually saw the IRS accusing Schmierer of owing $1 million in back taxes on income she never earned.
Posted on January 18, 2006 at 09:09 PM | Permalink
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January 10, 2006
Three More States Add Laws on Data Breaches
Companies struggling to keep up with a patchwork of state laws related to data privacy and information security have three more to contend with, as a result of new security-breach notification laws that went into effect in Illinois, Louisiana and New Jersey on Jan 1.
Posted on January 10, 2006 at 04:51 PM | Permalink
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Boston Man Charged With Ebay Identity Theft Scheme
Massachusetts authorities have made an arrest in a hacking incident that resulted in dozens of eBay customers having their credit card data stolen
Posted on January 10, 2006 at 04:45 PM | Permalink
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Missing data recovered by ABN AMRO Mortgage
Posted on January 10, 2006 at 04:38 PM | Permalink
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January 09, 2006
Illinois Poised to Become First State to Ban Sale of Phone Records
Posted on January 9, 2006 at 02:37 PM | Permalink
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January 05, 2006
H&R Block's Blunders Put Consumers at Risk of ID Theft
Posted on January 5, 2006 at 05:24 PM | Permalink
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January 04, 2006
HeightMax and similar "scams"
(2) Tough to reach. Most scams make it impossible to reach them easily and usually hide their address. Often you don't find a telephone number or mangement's names on the web site. (Be warned though, lots of the top scammers use fake phone numbers and fake names to appear legit).
(3) Claims that are remarkable but truly impossible to back up. Super low interest rates, no fees, or a pill that will make you grow are just a few examples.
(4) SOMETHING THAT PROVIDES EASY RESULTS. Want to get respect, lots of dates, or beat up the bully? Take a pill and...grow tall. It's easy. So people pay the $59 for a bottle of HeightMax. The real winners in life had to work hard (although they usually make it look easy).
Update: I just posted important news on Heightmax on my new blog. The FTC has nailed the scammer behind Heightmax. Click here to read the article.
**********
Posted on January 4, 2006 at 09:24 AM | Permalink
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January 03, 2006
Fashion model charged with identity theft
Posted on January 3, 2006 at 09:36 AM | Permalink
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January 02, 2006
Data breach at Ford Motor Company--70,000 employees
Posted on January 2, 2006 at 09:57 PM | Permalink
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Identity theft services
Posted on January 2, 2006 at 05:29 AM | Permalink
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December 22, 2005
LaSalle Bank customer data lost, then found
Posted on December 22, 2005 at 08:48 AM | Permalink
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December 21, 2005
Hackers Break Into Computer-Security Firm's Customer Database
Washington Post: Hackers Break Into Computer-Security Firm's Customer Database.
Category: ID Theft News
Posted on December 21, 2005 at 09:34 AM | Permalink
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December 17, 2005
Update on Credit Freeze & Data Breach Laws
With the New Year almost upon us, a variety of new laws that impact identity theft and personal privacy will begin to go into effect.
A variety of states are gearing up to implement new laws that allow consumers to freeze their credit files. Connecticut, New Jersey and Illinois will all implement this type of law on January 1, but these states have very different visions of who should be given the ability to freeze their credit report...
Link: GuardMyCreditFile: Update on Credit Freeze & Data Breach Laws.
Category: Identity Theft News
Posted on December 17, 2005 at 01:30 PM | Permalink
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USATODAY.com - Meth addicts' other habit: Online theft
Identity theft has fast become the crime of preference among meth users for three reasons: It is non-violent, criminal penalties for first-time offenders are light — usually a few days or weeks in jail — and the use of computers and the Internet offers crooks anonymity and speed with which to work. Meth is a cheap, highly addictive street derivative of amphetamine pills; it turns users into automatons willing to take on risky, street-level crime.
Link: USATODAY.com - Meth addicts' other habit: Online theft.
Category: ID Theft News
Posted on December 17, 2005 at 01:24 PM | Permalink
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December 03, 2005
Be Alert Using Personal Information This Month
Be Alert Using Personal Information This Month, Cautions Identity Theft Assistance Center
Holiday Shopping, New Phishing Schemes, Ongoing Katrina Aftermath Make Consumers More Vulnerable
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Several factors have combined to make consumers especially vulnerable to identity thieves during the month of December, according to the Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC).
"Identity thieves don't take a holiday," said Anne Wallace, executive director of ITAC. "Consumers should be especially careful in the coming weeks about sharing their personal information, especially their social security numbers, whether it's a request from an individual or comes unsolicited through the internet," she adds.
Identity thieves use consumers' personal information to open financial accounts in their name. Wallace cites several factors that point to an especially bad month for consumers:
* Tax refund scheme. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has warned
consumers about a bogus email offering tax refunds. The emails, which
purport to be from tax.refunds@irs.gov, direct consumers to a website
where they are asked for their social security number and credit card
number to receive a refund.
* Holiday Shopping. Retailers often use the holidays to entice
consumers into opening store credit accounts. Wallace explains
consumers can decrease their chances of becoming victims of identity
theft by limiting the number of credit accounts, which generally
require a social security number. The holidays are also a good time
to cancel credit accounts that have not been used over the past 12
months.
* Hurricane aftermath. Authorities continue to report arrests related
to identity theft in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Criminals attempt to trick survivors into revealing personal
information, or may use information from abandoned personal documents
or intercepted mail to open accounts.
Category: FRAUD ALERTS
Posted on December 3, 2005 at 03:35 PM | Permalink
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New identity theft law put into effect (NC)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A new North Carolina law that went into effect Thursday will make it more difficult for identity thieves to operate.
The Identity Theft Protection Act, signed last fall by Gov. Mike Easley, will allow consumers to put a security freeze on their credit reports to prevent identity thieves from opening accounts and generating credit using stolen information.
Category: Consumer Tips
Posted on December 3, 2005 at 03:30 PM | Permalink
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December 01, 2005
Fake IRS E-Mail Scam Goes Phishing
Users are now being targeted with a new phishing attack posing as a tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service.
A new phishing attack posing as a tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service is using a configuration problem on the GovBenefits.gov Web site to fool users into thinking they're safe in offering up personal information such as Social Security and credit card numbers.
The fraud begins with an e-mail supposedly from the IRS, which claims the recipient is owed a tax refund. In the message from "taxrefunds@irs.gov," a link is embedded to a site where recipients can supposedly collect the refund.
More from InformationWeek
Category: FRAUD ALERTS
Posted on December 1, 2005 at 11:37 PM | Permalink
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Jacksonville Beach man recruited ex-cons for identity-theft scams
I agree that sometimes ID theft is over-hyped. Usually by “bottom feeders” trying to prey on our fears. But for those who poo-poo ID theft (I’m regualrly shocked by how many people laugh it off), check out this real world story on how criminals are latching on to this as “the” crime to get into. —Tom
A man who used a Florida Department of Law Enforcement Web site to recruit white-collar criminals for his identity-theft scams was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.
More from Dateline Alabama
Category: ID Theft News
Posted on December 1, 2005 at 10:16 PM | Permalink
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November 30, 2005
Scottrade Informs Customers of Third-Party Data Security Breach
This one is bad, because of what data was potentially stolen.
Scottrade, an online trading company, has informed its customers that the company's electronic checking provider, TROY Group, suffered a security breach which compromised personal data including names, driver's licenses, bank account and bank routing numbers and trading account numbers. The TROY Group acknowledged the security breach in an October 25 press release.
Category: FRAUD ALERTS
Posted on November 30, 2005 at 09:14 AM | Permalink
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November 28, 2005
New Identity Theft Laws Go Into Effect Over Next Two Months
November 28, 2005 – North Carolina and New Jersey both have strong, new identity theft laws that are set to go into effect. The North Carolina law will go into effect this coming Thursday and New Jersey’s law will be effective on January 1, 2006. Both laws give consumers a broad range of new protections. But both laws are also vulnerable to a proposed federal law misnamed the Data Accountability and Trust Act, which overturn certain provisions of the new state laws.
Both the New Jersey and North Carolina laws will allow consumers to place a freeze on their credit file. This is widely believed to be the only way to stop identity thieves in their tracks. Consumers who freeze their credit file are required to provide a Personal Identification Number (PIN) when applying for credit.
More from GuardMyCreditFile.
Category: Consumer Tips
Posted on November 28, 2005 at 06:12 PM | Permalink
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November 24, 2005
Checked your homeowners policy lately?
Many homeowners insurance policies provide identity fraud insurance. So check your discosure and see what you get. And if you get a renewal disclosure, double check your ID theft coverage again. My renewal showed that Travelers broadened my coverage significantly this year. For example, they eliminated the deductible, increased the lost wages component, and several other benefits. And for those with renters insurance, check your disclosure for ID fraud coverage as well.
--Tom
Category: Consumer Tips
Posted on November 24, 2005 at 09:04 AM | Permalink
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November 23, 2005
Worldwide Unisys ID Fraud Study Shows New U.S. Consumer Security Concerns
Half of Americans would switch banks for greater protection, and 40 percent willing to pay for more security compared to 27 percent last year; Banks need visibility into full impact of fraud to secure both brand and revenue.
BLUE BELL, Pa., November 11, 2005 – Americans are more willing to pay additional fees for greater protection of their bank accounts to assuage increasing fears, according to new research from Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) that polled 1,000 Americans as part of a broader worldwide analysis of identity fraud and bank security issues.
Category: Identity Theft News
Posted on November 23, 2005 at 09:07 AM | Permalink
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Stolen Boeing laptop held ID data on 161,000 people
Thousands of Boeing workers got some worrisome news Friday to end their workweek.
The company said personal information on 161,000 current and former employees was put at risk of exposure with the theft of a laptop computer belonging to a Boeing human-resources employee.
The exposed information includes names, Social Security numbers and, for some, birth dates, bank names and account numbers. Also on the stolen computer are some employees' home addresses and bank-account routing numbers for direct-deposit paychecks.
More from SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
Category: FRAUD ALERTS, ID Theft News
Posted on November 23, 2005 at 08:57 AM | Permalink
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November 20, 2005
Calif. schools warned of identity theft
Missing hard drives put nearly 600,000 at risk
Category: FRAUD ALERTS
Posted on November 20, 2005 at 07:51 AM | Permalink
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November 15, 2005
Portrait of an identity thief
Tina Kathreen Armstrong of Longview first made headlines in 1988 as Tina Lee, the HIV-positive teenage mother of a newborn daughter -- the first such birth in Cowlitz County and one of the first in Washington state.
Category: Identity Theft News
Posted on November 15, 2005 at 06:29 PM | Permalink
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California Bankers Association Helps you Avoid Identity Theft
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 2005--In an effort to help protect California's holiday shoppers from identity thieves, the California Bankers Association (CBA) today announced the launch of its identity theft prevention campaign.
"The California Bankers Association wants to help people protect themselves against thieves and fraudsters," said CBA president and CEO Janet W. Lamkin. "We have chosen the holiday shopping season to educate consumers because this is the time of year so many identity thieves choose to strike -- when consumers are caught up in and distracted by the frenzy of holiday shopping."
Category: Consumer Tips
Posted on November 15, 2005 at 06:00 PM | Permalink
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November 09, 2005
Trans Union Data Breach Exposes Consumers to Identity Theft
| November 9, 2005 - A desktop computer containing the names, Social
Security Numbers, and other personal information on more than 3,600
consumers was stolen from a Trans Union sales office last month. The
theft highlights the need for regulation of large data brokers, which
have exposed millions of American’s to identity theft over the past
year. It also showcases the need for Congress to leave in place strong
state laws that currently require consumer notification when this type
of theft occurs. More from ACCESS |
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Category: FRAUD ALERTS
Posted on November 9, 2005 at 06:48 PM | Permalink
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November 08, 2005
Despite Increase In ID Theft, 70% of Canadians Think It's Unlikely They Will be Victimized
TORONTO - TransUnion, a leading authority on consumer credit, today released a survey conducted by Roper Public Affairs on how likely Canadians think they are to become victims of identity theft. Despite manifold evidence of increased identity theft, a full 70 percent think it is "somewhat" or "very" unlikely that they will be victimized.
"Identity thieves are no longer common criminals sifting through your garbage. The techniques used by today's identity thieves evolve so rapidly that even technologically sophisticated people and organizations are at risk of having their information stolen," said Mark Merritt, Vice President, Customer Solutions of TransUnion in Canada. "Canadians are becoming more cognizant of this threat, but as the survey reveals, much more vigilance will be required."
More from Monitor Today
Category: Identity Theft News
Posted on November 8, 2005 at 08:55 AM | Permalink
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October 18, 2005
New Scam Targets Elderly Medicare Recipients
September 30, 2005 - Beginning October 1, 2005, approved companies can begin marketing their prescription drug plans to Medicare recipients. A new scam is using this event to target those on Medicare; gaining access to their personal financial information including Social Security numbers.
More at Guardmycreditfile.org
Category: FRAUD ALERTS
Posted on October 18, 2005 at 06:00 PM | Permalink
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September 14, 2005
FBI Fraud Alert
This poster has been created by the FBI to provide critical information about scamming and fraud devices used by criminals. (Click on this image to see a larger version.) Specifically, this poster addresses the Internet Fraudulent Check Scam, Foreign Lottery Scam, Nigerian Fraud Scam, Re-Shippers Facilitating Illicit Money Transfers, and the Phishing Scam. It also addresses these scams used in combination or in tandem. Many of these scams are perpetrated by foreign individuals and originate outside the United States. These individuals hide behind the anonymity of the internet and the inherent logistical and cultural barriers facing U.S. law enforcement in coordinating with foreign law enforcement to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The poster tells you what to look for. See further below for information on what to do if you are a victim.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OR SUSPECT FRAUD:
If you suspect a payment or check is fraudulent or a scam, contact your bank branch manager. Financial Institutions and/or customers who have suffered a loss are encouraged to report the loss to law enforcement. One avenue is the FBI's Internet Fraud Complaint Center website.
Category: FRAUD ALERTS
Posted on September 14, 2005 at 03:20 PM | Permalink
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September 07, 2005
Hacking fears bog down online banking growth
More: http://news.com.com/Hacking+fears+bog+down+online+banking+growth/2100-1038_3-5851061.html from News.com
Category: Identity Theft News
Posted on September 7, 2005 at 10:40 PM | Permalink
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September 05, 2005
Hurricane Katrina Relief Donations
Category:
Posted on September 5, 2005 at 08:43 AM | Permalink
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September 02, 2005
All US States Now Eligible for Free Credit Reports
As of September 1, 2005, residents of every state are eligible to receive their credit reports free of charge from the credit repositories (Experian, Equifax and Trans Union). These free credit reports were mandated by Congress with the passage of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) in late 2003. Under the law, eligibility to receive free reports was phased in nationally, from west to east.
The states gaining eligibility today for free credit reports include Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. Residents of Puerto Rico and all US territories also become eligible today.
More: GuardMyCreditFile: All US States Now Eligible for Free Credit Reports.
Category:
Posted on September 2, 2005 at 11:55 AM | Permalink
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August 26, 2005
Couple has home stolen via ID theft
What if you came home exhausted from an out-of-town trip, only to find someone changed the locks on your house and you couldn't get in? What if you discovered there was a stranger in your home and when confronted said he was the owner and you were trespassing?
That very scenario played out for James and Paula Cook in the middle of June when they returned to their home in the 2200 block of Fountain Glen Lane in the western Frisco subdivision of West Falls Village.
According to Frisco Police accounts of the case, the Cooks found two men in their home June 13. One has since been identified as Carlos Ramirez, a resident of The Colony. Ramirez said he was the owner of the home and another man said he made a $12,000 down payment on it, according to police information officer Sgt. Gina McFarlin.
Category: ID Theft News
Posted on August 26, 2005 at 09:38 PM | Permalink
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August 19, 2005
How can ID theft be any worse?
How can a potentially horrible situation be made worse? ID theft and scams often leave a trail of emotional destruction worse than the financial impact. Those of you looking at a stack of bills that you didn't have anything to do with might be shaking your heads. But here's how it's made worse: when you get falsely blamed for a situation when YOU are the victim. It happens often with ID Theft. Those of you that are serious ID theft victims know what I'm talking about. Those that aren't, here's an analogy.
Here's what happened to me: I purchased a service over the web for another business I'm involved in. It's an online equity compensation survey from the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). And when I logged in to get it, the web site crashed. I complained that I wanted a refund. I even sent them a screen shot (see it here: nceo_stock_survey_errors.pdf ) showing the error. I got emails back essentially saying that it was my fault. Being a technical guy, I knew it wasn't. I was asked to keep trying but I had no confidence in the web site or the survey any more--it crashed the first time I used it. I was peeved that I had wasted my time. So I demanded a refund. My email definitely had a "snotty" tone to it (I'll own that), but I did not insult anyone or use any "language". Well, on top of being told *I* was the problem, I got a nasty email back from the Executive Director! So not only was I accused of being wrong, I was insulted on top of it. I sent an email back (1) apologizing for being snotty and (2) telling them it was pointless, lousy marketing to blast me for having the gall to complain. They did eventually refund my money but they made it clear they thought I was a lowlife for asking (I got two more angry emails back!) It was all about them--how they had to protect themselves. Nothing about the customer. No acknowledgement that I had a bad experience! Astonishing.
Is it fraud to sell a service that doesn't work? Yes, but not in this case. I'm sure the survey site would work again if I kept trying. It was probably an isolated incident. However, there's no way I was in the wrong to ask for a refund--it didn't work and I proved it!! It's not my job to debug their problems. So the feeling I had spendng $75 on a service that was broken was slightly negative. But it was the reaction I received to my complaint and refund request that was totally infuriating.
I know that everyone reading this has felt that way. Especially if you've ever used air travel (no need to elaborate on that point). Well, take my harmless example and amplify it 10, 100, 1000X--now you're starting to understand the impact of ID theft. Collection agencies, creditors, banks, utilities often try to make you feel stupid and are suspicious of you, the victim. To make it worse, sometimes it's trusted friends, neighbors, and family members that are the fraudsters. It's heinous and "we" have to do something about it. And I am. More on that in the future...
--Tom
Founder & Editor, ScamSafe.com
Ps. Go ahead post your own story in a comment. Whether it's ID theft related or you're just sick of crappy service and the corporate culture that incubates it. People WILL read your comments! You will be heard!
Category: Opinion
Posted on August 19, 2005 at 12:00 PM | Permalink
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August 06, 2005
Listen up: Number of ID Theft victims
There are 220 million people (consumers) over the age of 18 in the US, according to the Population Division, US Census Bureau, February 2005. Gallup/Experian released a poll recently that states 18% of consumers (over age 18) reported being victims of ID theft. If you take the step of extrapolating those results across the entire population (18% of 220M), that means there has been a gross underreporting of the number of victims. The extrapolated number is 39.6 million identity theft victims (I'm assuming the Gallup poll meant at least once in their life). In the Experian article, they say the media tends to accurately report it. But I never see anyone define "consumer" anywhere. So if you say 15%, I will reply "15% of what?"
The press almost always reports 10 million victims in 2004 (or 9.9) which is based on one survey done by the FTC between mid-2003 and mid-2004. Reporters and marketing people continue to regurgitate that number over and over, even though it's not appropriate in most contexts. It doesn't even cover the second half of 2004! But the darn survey was released in December 2004 (if memory services), so everyone just assumes it's for all of 2004. Media folks, if you need accurate data for your articles, just send me an email and I will help.
Based on my own heuristic, combining several data sources (I have the sources buried in a document on my hard drive somewhere), I believe the number of ID theft victims in 2004 was closer to 15-18 million people. Of course, one needs to define ID theft victim first, before you can talk about the validity of any number. For example, you could probably safely say there are over 250 million people starving in the US each day, if you define starving as being "substantially hungry at least once a day". I tend to follow the same definition of ID theft as the ID theft resource center (www.idtheftcenter.org).
--Tom, Editor, ScamSafe.com
Ps. If you're curious how many people there are in the US today, the number is 296 million. That's from the US Census Bureau as well.
Category: Opinion
Posted on August 6, 2005 at 12:17 PM | Permalink
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July 13, 2005
Legislation update
This is an update on the rights consumers have regarding identity theft and what legislation has passed or is pending. Several states passed laws in just the last couple of weeks.
Security freezes: Things are changing fast here. As of today. residents of four states — California, Louisiana, Texas, Vermont — have the right to freeze access to their credit reports. To use this law, consumers generally must write — and often send a fee — to each of the three major credit bureaus, asking them to deny access to their credit reports. Without access to credit reports, lenders will not grant credit, and that stops identity thieves. (To unfreeze a credit report, consumers must use a personal identification number.)
Residents of additional states — Connecticut, New Jersey, Colorado, Maine, Illinois, Nevada and Washington — will have the ability to freeze credit reports within months, thanks to laws passed this year. Specific instructions on how to place a credit freeze on a California consumer's file can be found at http://www.privacy.ca.gov .
Fraud alerts: All U.S. citizens have the right to place a 90-day fraud alert on their credit file, requiring banks to take extra steps to verify their identity before issuing credit. This is no where close to a guarantee; you have no way of knowing which creditors will look at the alert and what they'll do if they see it.
Longer fraud alerts, lasting up to seven years, can be placed on files by identity theft victims who can provide the credit bureaus with a copy of a report from police or the state department of motor vehicles verifying the theft.
Credit reports: Federal law also provides the right to one free credit report each year. (Unfamiliar items on a consumer's credit report are often the first telltale sign of identity theft.) Anyone wanting a report, or wanting to know when they can receive one, can call (877) 322-8228 or go to annualcreditreport.com.
Pre-approved offers: Federal law allows consumers to opt out of pre-approved credit card offers. To opt out, call (888) 567-8688.
Notification: Fifteen states, including California, have laws on the books requiring companies to notify consumers when they lose track of their personal information, exposing them to identity theft, Smith said. The other states, which passed their laws this year, are Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. California law requires disclosure of only electronic data breaches, not loss of paper records.
Category: Consumer Tips
Posted on July 13, 2005 at 09:02 PM | Permalink
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June 17, 2005
Security Breach Could Expose 40 million to Fraud
By JOE BEL BRUNO, Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK - A security breach of customer information at a credit card-processing company could expose to fraud up to 40 million cardholders of multiple brands, MasterCard International Inc. said Friday.
The credit card giant said its security division detected multiple instances of fraud that tracked back to CardSystems Solutions Inc. of Tucson, Ariz., which processes transactions for banks and merchants.
More: Security Breach Could Expose 40M to Fraud - Yahoo! News.
Category: FRAUD ALERTS
Posted on June 17, 2005 at 03:33 PM | Permalink
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June 13, 2005
Attention victims of work-at-home scams
If you are a victim of a work-at-home check cashing scam which was posted on a job board web site like Careerbuilder or Monster, AND you are a resident of the NY Metro area, please read on.
I was contacted by someone writing an article for a major US newspaper. She wants to speak with people who live in the NY area that have been victimized by one of these work-at-home scams. She is happy to keep it anonymous if you don't want your name revealed in the article.
To contact her, send an email to tellmemoreplease@sbcglobal.net.
(She will only be taking inquries for a short time. This was posted on June 13 2005. )
Category: Identity Theft News
Posted on June 13, 2005 at 05:24 PM | Permalink
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June 09, 2005
3.9 Million Citigroup Customers' Data Lost
NEW YORK - CitiFinancial, the consumer finance division of Citigroup Inc., is notifying some 3.9 million U.S. customers that computer tapes containing information about their accounts - including Social Security numbers and payment histories - have been lost.
Citigroup, which is based in New York, said Monday the tapes were lost by the courier UPS Inc. in transit to a credit bureau.
More from The Desert Sun (AP)
Citibank
Category:
Posted on June 9, 2005 at 02:39 PM | Permalink
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June 08, 2005
You can help shut down job scams
Ok, readers. I've received thousands of emails (yes, thousands) from people that were victimized or have observed the bogus job postings on the job web sites. You know, the work-at-home, check cashing, & international shipping scams.
Now you can do something about it--at least on careerbuilder.com. I received an email from them today with directions on what to do (see the end of this post).
IF YOU NOTICE A BOGUS JOB POSTING THAT YOU SUSPECT IS A SCAM, CONTACT CAREERBUILDER.COM AT THE INFORMATION THEY PROVIDE BELOW.
Now we need Monster and the others to step up like careerbuilder has. And, despite this response from careerbuilder, we all should be intrepid and make sure careerbuilder.com actually shuts down these bogus postings FAST.
Careerbuilder.com, thanks for your response...and we are watching. Readers--by keeping an eye on careerbuilder and reporting bogus job postings, you will actively be helping someone else out there in the world. Your time is appreciated.
--Tom, Editor, ScamSafe.com
[Here's the email...]
"Dear Editor of Scamsafe.com,
We are writing you in regards to the information that you are telling people on your web site and this specific quote that was used in regards to job boards "(The job boards continue to aid and abet international crime rings. )". Careerbuilder.com does not endorse international crime rings or aid them in taking advantage of unsuspecting jobseekers or customers. In fact we at careerbuilder.com have established an actual team of specialists called the Site Integrity Team that prides itself in protecting our users and using various methodologies to prescreen any kind of questionable opportunities that fraudulent users try to put on the careerbuilder.com web site. As we know that you have a different perspective on this matter we would appreciate you giving people a place to contact the Site Integrity Team either by email at csi@careerbuilder.com or by phone at 1-866-438-1485 x3099. Again we appreciate what you do for your users and ask that you cooperate with us and allow us to assist you in any kind of questionable matters that may arise in regards to the careerbuilder.com web site.
Sincerely,
The CareerBuilder.com Site Integrity Team
1-866-438-1485 x3099
csi@careerbuilder.com"
Category: Consumer Tips
Posted on June 8, 2005 at 05:50 PM | Permalink
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May 15, 2005
What is FDIC-Insured?
Many consumers mistakenly assume that FDIC* insurance must protect them from a fraud or theft if the funds were taken from an insured account. But by law, deposit insurance only protects your accounts up to $100,000 if your insured bank or savings institution fails.
*=Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Category: Consumer Tips
Posted on May 15, 2005 at 05:58 PM | Permalink
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May 12, 2005
Receiving strange or random checks
Dear Readers,
One of the "newest" and increasingly popular scams today is electronic check fraud. The Internet has made it much easier for these scams to happen.
If you EVER receive a check (either on paper or via email) that you didn't expect to receive, do NOT cash it. Even if the bank says the check is legit and will clear. What do you do? Contact your local police or sheriff. Or stay tuned to scamsafe.com for more instructions.
Also, very important: NEVER give out your checking account and routing number to anyone. Even if they tell you they want to wire you money. If you're a business and you need to do wire transfers to operate, be absolutely sure you are working with someone you know and trust.
And if you ever receive a check, email or any correspondence that references "Qchex," please be very careful. We recommend that you assume anything with Qchex on it is a scam. The victim could be you or someone else (using you as the conduit).
I can't go into the details of how the scams work. But please--protect your checking account information as carefully as your social security number. And don't trust anyone asking you to cash checks on their behalf.
--Tom
Editor, ScamSafe.com
Ps. Food for thought. Why would someone send you a check for no reason? Or why would someone need you to cash checks for them (and give you a huge % to keep yourself). The answer is: no one legitimately would. And bear in mind...you could either 1) be a direct victim yourself or 2) help someone commit a felony--a Federal crime.
Category: FRAUD ALERTS
Posted on May 12, 2005 at 09:45 PM | Permalink
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March 14, 2005
Update on recent data security breaches
Since the ChoicePoint announcement, news about data breaches and information heists have become almost a daily occurrence. Here's an update courtesy of the US PIRG: -- Bank of America came clean that back-up data tapes containing personal information and account numbers of 1.2 million Americans including federal employees (and members of Congress) went missing. -- NY Senator Schumer blasted WestLaw for selling Social Security numbers to those who purchase access to its extensive databases of personal information. -- LexisNexis, another data aggregator similar to ChoicePoint and WestLaw, announced that thieves accessed personal information of 32,000 consumers of its Seisint division by misusing existing passwords of a legitimate account holder. -- Discount Shoe Warehouse disclosed that 103 of its 175 stores had customers’ credit and debit card information hacked. -- Paymaxx, an online payroll management company, may have exposed financial data including W-2 forms of as many as 100,000 workers.
Category: Identity Theft News
Posted on March 14, 2005 at 11:36 PM | Permalink
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Midwest Consumers Get Free Credit Reports
Midwest Consumers Get Free Credit Reports -- What to Know Before You Get Yours
A new federal law, known as the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, or FACTA, was adopted by Congress in 2003 and gives consumers nationwide the right to receive a free copy of their credit report. The law is being phased in through the U.S., starting on the West Coast on December 1, 2004. Now individuals living in the Midwest can receive their reports as of March 1, 2005. By September 1, 2005, consumers east of the Midwest region will get the same right as the law is rolled out across the country.
Starting March 1, consumers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin are entitled to one free copy of their credit report annually from each of the nationwide credit bureaus.
With access to credit reports free of charge, individuals can more readily monitor reports to learn if they are victims of identity theft or if their credit reports contain errors. Often, errors on a credit report cause consumers to pay higher interest rates for credit. A recent survey by US PIRG found a high degree of inaccuracies in credit reports: http://uspirg.org/uspirgnewsroom.asp?id2=13650&id3=USPIRGnewsroom&
Consumers can request their free credit reports through a web site, https://www.annualcreditreport.com, by calling toll-free 877-322-8228, or by filling out and mailing in the Annual Credit Report Request form available at: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/requestformfinal.pdf
The PRC suggests that consumers stagger their free reports over the course of a year by ordering one report every four months. Thus, consumers can monitor their credit throughout the year to alert them to possible identity theft.
For more information about free credit reports in the Midwest see:http://www.privacyrights.org/Media/FreeCR0503.htm
Category: Consumer Tips
Posted on March 14, 2005 at 11:33 PM | Permalink
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