ScamSafe

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.

Wash Post

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.

from GuardMyCreditFile

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.

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.

www.unisys.com

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.

from SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Calif. schools warned of identity theft

Missing hard drives put nearly 600,000 at risk

from MSNBC

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.

from The Daily News

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."

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.

from ACCESS

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."

from Monitor Today