Archive for the ‘Identity Theft’ Category

« Older Entries

Trolling using someone else’s Facebook profile is identity theft? One judge says yes

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

A California judge has ruled that using another person’s Facebook account password to gain access to their profile, and then trolling using that account, is identity theft.

A juvenile received an unsolicited text message with the victim’s e-mail password. He used the password to gain access to her profile, and posted several inappropriate messages from the victim’s account. He sent posts to her friends, and changed her profile as well. Many of the posts were of a sexual nature.

The victim, also a juvenile, said she suffered stigma as a result of the posts, and is struggling with the attention it brings her at school.

The juvenile was prosecuted under a California statute which applies to anyone who willfully obtains personal information from someone else and uses it for any unlawful purpose, including “to obtain, or attempt to obtain, credit, goods, services, real property or medication information.”

The judge ruled that despite the fact that the information was unsolicited, the defendant did willfully use the information for an unlawful purpose. The juvenile said he meant his comments to be taken as a joke.

The court found that, since the defendant conceded that his conduct satisfied the requirements of a civil defamation claim, the defendant’s act constituted libel and is a criminal offense. The defendant’s actions violated section 653m, which makes illegal any contact with another person using “obscene language by means of an electronic device, with the intent to annoy.”

Could this set a precedent for other states? Stay tuned to find out. In the meantime, don’t use other people’s passwords or profiles, and guard your own.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Identity Theft | No Comments »

What is identity theft?

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Identity Theft | No Comments »

Be careful where you send that donation

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Donations have poured in since the tornado in Joplin, Mo. and the surrounding area on May 22. Some of the donations haven’t reached those who need help, however, because there are those who take advantage of others in their time of need.

Scam artists often surface when there’s a natural disaster such as the tornados that ripped through the central portion of the U.S. in late May. Consumers have to become more educated on how to fend off scam artists, and learn to understand charity fraud, contractor scams, identity theft and price gouging.

First of all, if someone asks you for a donation to a charity but denies a request for written information about the charity, it’s a huge red flag. This is often the first sign of a scam artist.

Unless you have contacted a specific organization that you want to give money to, don’t give money over the phone. You can’t be sure of the person at the other end of that line, and you don’t really know for what purpose they are requesting your personal or financial information. It’s best to stick with organizations that are well known, like the Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse or United Way.

To give through the Red Cross, go online at https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=4993&4993.donation=form1, or call 1-800-REDCROSS. You can also text RED CROSS to 40999.

To give through the United Way, you can go online to www.liveunited.org/give.

To give through Samaritan’s Purse, go online at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/mb/pray_for_missouri/. You can also call 1-800-528-1980.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Identity Theft | No Comments »

FTC seeks to educate people on ID theft with gaming site

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

The Federal Trade Commission is getting serious about helping educate consumers about protecting themselves against Internet fraud and identity theft – so the FTC is playing games.

Well, the agency is inviting consumers to play games. Taking advantage of the love people have for video games, the FTC has developed a site, onguardonline.gov, which uses games to teach. The games include “The Case of the Cyber Criminal,” “Phishing Scams” and “Invest Quest.”

In the first game, a techie spy backed by his crew attempts to get his hands on your personal information. In order to protect yourself, you have to know what to o to prevent him from getting it.

in the game, “ID Theft Face-Off,” players become victims of identity theft and must work to get their identities back by correctly answering questions about identity theft protection. In “Beware of Spyware,” gamers are challenged to keep their computers free of spyware, which can give scammers access to personal information, including credit card numbers and bank account information.

Other games on the site educate consumers on smart investing decisions, how to protect their laptops, spotting risky shopping offers online, understanding health products and information online, and peer-to-peer file sharing understanding.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Identity Theft | No Comments »

New scams rising up, warns FBI

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

The FBI released today an alert about new cyber scams currently circulating on the internet.

In the reshipping scam, criminals hire individuals to receive, readdress and forward or “reship” packages to addresses generally found in the United Kingdom or Nigeria, but also sometimes Russia.

The reshipped merchandise is purchased with compromised credit cards. Those being used in the scam are a mixed lot – some recognize that what they are doing is a crime, while others are completely unaware there’s any funny business going on. The scam gets busted, usually, when reshippers get calls from the companies that sold the merchandise or from the owners of the stolen credit card numbers.

There’s also a new version of the scam, in which people are hired as “gift wrapper associates” to receive and gift wrap merchandise, then ship it to a given address. Those who were hired in this instance most often said they were hired through Craigslist ads. During their interview process, they were required to provide personal identification information and, after hiring, were provided with the supplies to wrap the merchandise.

Another scam involves counterfeit checks. Subjects attempt to convince victims to cash checks or money orders, then wire a portion of the funds overseas. After wiring the funds, the victim discovers the check was fraudulent, and he is now responsible for the check amount.

The latest version of this scam targets realtors and real estate attorneys. People claiming to be overseas have contacted U.S. realtors and real estate attorneys, indicating they’re interested in purchasing property. Once the deal is done, the realtor or attorney receives a check, only to find out the check is fake. During the transaction, before the check has cleared the bank, the attorney or realtor is instructed to wire a portion of the funds to the “buyer’s” overseas account.

The FBI is warning consumers to be wary of these scams.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Identity Theft | No Comments »

Child Identity Theft

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Display the above infographic on your blog or website.
Just copy and paste the following code:

Imagine this: you’re preparing for your high school graduation, and you’ve been accepted at “the” university. Everything’s in place, except for financing. So you begin to apply for student loans, excited at the prospects before you.

But your loan application is rejected. Again and again. Why? Because according to your credit report, you haven’t made a mortgage payment in four months, and you’re behind on other bills as well.

The thing is – you haven’t even finished high school, you’ve never lived anywhere but with your parents, and those other bills? Well, you’re clueless about them also.

You’ve just become the victim of identity theft.

Child identity theft is all too common, and it’s often the type of theft crooks choose because it’s often years before the theft is discovered. A child’s credit is pristine, and if a thief can get his hands on a child’s information, he can rack up debt long before the theft is uncovered. Which means when that child is ready to apply for his first car loan, he’ll likely be rejected.

If you’ve been victimized by an identity thief, there are steps you should take to get things back on track. First, report the crime to the police. Retain a copy of the police report for your files. Make sure you report the crime, even if it is a family member – you’ll never clear your name until you do.

You should also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the office of the attorney general in your state. This will help to make your case stronger and will garner you the help you need.

Next, you should contact the three credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. You’ll want to obtain a copy from each, which you can get for free. Review each one, taking note of each creditor listed.

Send each creditor a letter with a copy of your birth certificate, strongly communicating that you were not old enough to open the account or take out the loan listed on your credit report. Demand that all accounts, applications for credit and collection notices be erased from your credit report. You can do so via letter or by speaking on the phone to the fraud specialist employed by the creditor. If you cannot speak to a fraud specialist, file a formal fraud dispute claim with each of the credit bureaus.

Get your parents’ help and with them, contact an attorney about changing your Social Security number. This can help protect your future credit history.

Don’t give up if you have a bit of a struggle setting things right. Remember that these things take time, and it’s worth the struggle. You’ll be glad you and your parents were able to set things right once you start college.

Tags: ,
Posted in Identity Theft | No Comments »

Get smart about ID theft – get the help you need!

Friday, March 25th, 2011

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Display the above infographic on your blog or website.
Just copy and paste the following code:

Recent headlines about data breaches and losses of personal information have prompted many companies to advertise products or services to help consumers prevent or minimize their risk of identity theft.

The Federal Trade Commission urges consumers to be sure they understand what they’re getting when they sign up for a product to protect their information. Consumers should also be aware of the rights and protections available to them under federal or state laws – these can help protect your identity, as well as help you recover from identity theft at no cost. Knowing your rights can help you determine what commercial product or service may be appropriate for you.

Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, you may be entitled to two kinds of free fraud alerts: initial and extended. An initial alert can be placed if you suspect you are about to become or have become a victim of identity theft. It’s good for 90 days. An extended alert stays on your credit report for seven years. To place it, you will need to have been victimized and provide a police report stating so.

You can also place a credit freeze on your credit report, which will mean potential creditors and others can’t access it unless you lift the freeze either permanently or temporarily. A freeze is different from a fraud alert in that it stops all access to your credit report, while an alert allows creditors to get your report after verifying your identity.

Identity theft protection companies offer a range of products and services. Some of them only offer to lock, flag or freeze your credit report, something you can do yourself.

Other services will monitor your credit report, and notify you of the activity. Again, this is something you can do yourself. Still other services offer to help you rebuild your identity in the event of an identity theft. These require a power of attorney, so that they can act on your behalf when dealing with credit bureaus or creditors.

Many companies offer additional services, including removing your name from mailing lists or pre-screened offers of credit, while others offer reimbursement if you experience a financial loss due to ID theft. There are also those that monitor your personal information online, and notify you if your identity has been exposed to possible theft.

Before you sign up for any of these services, compare what they offer, read the fine print, and determine what will work best for you.

But do something. Statistics show that millions of Americans became victims of identity theft last year, and the numbers are growing. Be a smart consumer and get proactive when it comes to your personal information.

Tags: ,
Posted in Identity Theft, Uncategorized | No Comments »

FBI agent gives advice on how to protect your identity

Monday, March 21st, 2011

Want to know how to protect your identity? Just ask an FBI agent.

Craig Sorum, who oversees the Minnesota Cyber Crimes Task Force, protects his identity by using some basic and quite low-tech practices.

• He doesn’t carry a lot of credit cards in his wallet, and he uses a low-limit card to make his online purchases.

• He protects his computer with spyware, anti-virus software and downloads the latest updates and patches to keep his security up to date.

• He saves any sensitive material on an encrypted hard drive or thumb drive stored away from the computer, which he turns off when it’s not in use.

• He picks his mail up each day.

• He uses a shredder on all documents that contain his personal information.

• He steers clear of social networking, and cautions that if you are online using social media, don’t reveal anything you use as a password or security question. You should also make sure your privacy settings are set properly as well.

• Sorum cautions that if you must write your passwords down, which he doesn’t like to do, make sure that you don’t list what account they’re for. And he says you must remember to regularly change your passwords.

The best word of caution Sorum or anyone else, expert or not, could pass on would be to not take anything at face value and be overly cautious. It’s better to err on the side of caution than spend months, or even years, cleaning up after an identity thief.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Identity Theft | No Comments »

Oil spill-related ID theft scam hits Gulf Coast

Friday, March 11th, 2011

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Identity Theft | No Comments »

Work at home? Scam or legit employment offer?

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

We’ve all seen them – the ads that promise opportunities to make extra money or work from home and make a fortune. But the fact is that many of these are scams that take an applicant’s money up front and then never delivers what was promised.

But how do you know if an ad is bogus? It’s often not easy to tell if an ad is fraudulent, but there are certain clues that give it away. One is the type of business opportunity being advertised. Fraud is most often associated with vending machine, display rack, medical billing, mystery shopping, work at home and some Internet-related business opportunities.

Fraudulent opportunities are quite common – you can find them in newspapers, magazines and online every day. The bait is similar in all of them: excellent pay and the ability to set your own hours, be your own boss and work from home.

If you are considering a business opportunity, be sure to thoroughly check it out first. Read the ad carefully. If it claims you can earn a certain income, it must also give the number and percentage of previous employees who achieved these earnings. The seller is violating the law if this information isn’t there.

Get information in writing about how much money you can make. Be sure to study all the materials about the opportunity. Ask to speak with other employees, at their place of business.

You should contact the Better Business Bureau, attorney general’s office, and state or county consumer protection agency to find out if there is any record of unresolved complaints on the company. Do an Internet search on the company name and the CEO or president, along with words like “complaints” and “scam.”

If a business opportunity involves selling products from well-known companies, call the legal departments of the companies behind the merchandise and find out if the company is truly affiliated with the promoter.

Be sure to consult an attorney, accountant or business adviser before you sign anything or hand over any money. If the promoter requires a deposit, ask your attorney to establish an escrow account where the deposit can be maintained by a third party until the deal is closed.

Take your time. Promoters behind fraudulent offers will often try to push you toward signing on the dotted line. Don’t rely on a money back guarantee or refund policy as your get out of jail free card. If the business is legit, it will be there after you’ve done your homework and are ready to make a decision.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Identity Theft | No Comments »

« Older Entries