New Paypal Scam Asks for Passport, Drivers License and Credit Card (comments)
A new scam going around the internet, originating from "security@paypalfraudcheck.com", tells Paypal users that their account has been limited, and to remove the limit, they must scan and email a copy of their passport or driver's license, a copy of their Paypal credit or debit card, and a copy of a recent utility bill.

40 Million U.S. Credit Card and Debit Card Numbers Stolen by War Driving Identity Theft Ring (This article has 2 comments)
In what is being called the "largest hacking and identity theft case" ever, eleven men have been indicted for allegedly stealing the numbers of more than 40 million U.S. credit cards and debit cards. Let me repeat that: 40 million. The entire population of the United States is only 301 million! That means that for every seven or eight people you see, the odds are good that one of them had their credit card number stolen, and their account drained.

Scam Identity Theft Calls to Cell Phones Tout Expiring Auto Warranty, Coming from 408-587-2116 and 623-238-6228 (This article has 36 comments)
People across the country are reporting telephone calls coming from the numbers (623) 238-6228 and (408) 587-2116. These calls claim that your car warranty is expiring, but they are really scam artists trying to steal your personal information and identity. So if the number appearing on your cellphone screen is either (623) 238-6228 or (408) 587-2116, don't answer it! Other numbers generating these spam identity theft calls include (202) 552-1332, (702) 520-1105, (609) 948-0971 and (562) 289-8136.

Want Identity Theft Protection? Call CardCops for the Ultimate in Identity Theft Insurance: Identity Theft Prevention! (comments)
If you want identity theft protection, you'll find a friend in Card Cops. One of the best ways of preventing cyber identity theft - the best identity theft insurance - is nipping it in the bud before it can happen, and that's just what CardCops does through their I.D. Protect program. So when Card Cops come a'calling you, saying that someone has your information and is in the process of selling or stealing your identity, pay attention!

To Catch an Identity Thief - How an Identity Thief Named Maria Nelson Became Karen Lodrick - and Then Was Apprehended by the Real Karen Lodrick (This article has 8 comments)
Identity theft is a crime, and criminal identity theft comes in all forms. We have several articles concerning identity theft right here on our identity theft blog pages, and yes, there is now identity theft insurance, often available through your own insurance agency, your bank, or even your local state laws. But this is a new twist: read this true story about how Maria Nelson stole Karen Lodrick's identity - became Karen Lodrick for several months - and then was apprehended by the real Karen Lodrick!

Domain Tasting - The New Evil (This article has 2 comments)
Domain tasting may sound like a funny term, but it's no laughing matter. But exactly what is domain tasting? Sometimes called "Domain Kiting", domain tasting is when someone registers a domain name for the express purpose of testing it out during the five-day grace period to see whether it will receive enough traffic to pay for itself, usually with just the clickthrough advertising on the site itself.

Get Your Stuff Back with StuffBak! PDAs, Laptops, Cell Phones - Protect Them All! (This article has 1 comment)
Now this is a fabulous theft and loss insurance for your phone, PDA or laptop! It's called StuffBak (because it helps you get your stuff back, get it?) and it's kind of like those microchipping i.d. services for pets, only it's for your portable electronic devices, such as your laptop, your PDA, and your cell phone! It's basically loss and theft insurance for your portables! And through a partnership with The Internet Patrol and StuffBak, you can get a 10% discount off their already incredibly reasonable pricing!

EFF Proves Secret Embedding of Machine Identification Codes in Xerox Printer Output (This article has 3 comments)
The machine identification code of your printer may be being embedded on every single page you print, including the date, the time, and your printer's serial number. Is our technology spying on us?

Identity Theft Protection Available from Banks - For a Price (This article has 2 comments)
Bank of America and other banks' customers are often the victims of identity theft. Now the banks are offering identity theft protection, but they are charging customers for the protection.

California Offers Identity Theft Protection With a New Anti-Phishing Law, with Private Right of Action! (This article has 11 comments)
Identity theft protection in the form of a new phishing law has come to California. It not only outlaws phishing, but gives individuals who were scammed by phishers the right to sue.

Internet Banking Check-Issuing Services Not Safe! (This article has 5 comments)
Internet banking is very convenient, and is generally safe. But Internet banking services which provide for check-issuing can be very dangerous.

Worst Problem on the Internet is Stupid Users, Survey Says (This article has 9 comments)
Stupid users are the worst problem on the Internet, according to this survey of more than 600 Internet users.

Free Credit Report Online (This article has 1 comment)
Free online credit reports are now available as required by a new credit score reporting law, the FACT Act, passed last year. Under the new rules you are entitled to a free credit report online every year from the big three credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Your Online Resume Fertile Ground for Identity Thieves in New Scam (This article has 5 comments)
Your online resume may be ripe for a new scam by identity thieves in which they simply lift all of your personal information from your resume and assume your identity.

LifeLock Offers Identity Theft Protection with Money Back Guarantee (This article has 9 comments)
Lifelock identity theft insurance promises that that "If an identity is ever stolen while a LIFELOCK program membership is in effect, LIFELOCK will fix all issues arising from the theft and will reimburse any out of pocket expenses lost up to $1 million dollars." They offer this program direct to individuals, and they also hope that employers will offer it as part of a benefits package. Not only an interesting idea, but a sign of our times, unfortunately.

Millions of Windows Users at Risk by Massive ID and Bank Account Theft Piggybacking on CoolWebSearch (This article has 4 comments)
The implications are staggering. Internet security software company Sunbelt Software was investigating CoolWebSearch, a spyware package, when they noticed that stowing away in the CoolWebSearch download were two trojans, a spam zombie engine, and a keystroke logging program. It was the ...

Free Internet Identity Theft Protection DVD (This article has 2 comments)
This offer for a free Internet identity protection DVD came across our desk this morning. We don't know Mr. Bell, so can't vouch for him, but we did look at the site, and it does indeed appear to be a genuine offer: "Free ...

Ten Tips to Protect Yourself against Identity Theft (comments)
Things we all have heard before, but it's good to be reminded: FRAMINGHAM, Mass., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- A new CSO Magazine Security Sensor(TM) survey of 389 chief security officers (CSOs) and senior security executives reveals the majority of security chiefs believe taking the ...

Visa and American Express Dump Security Blackhole CardSystems (comments)
Both Visa and American Express have announced that they are severing business relations with security-beleagured company CardSystems, Inc. You may recall that CardSystems, Inc. was recently sued as a result of a security breach which lead to the compromise of the credit card data ...

Identity Theft - It’s Not Just for Grownups Anymore (comments)
We've had lots of stories on identity theft lately. That's because it's happening to a lot of people. People whose credit card information has been stolen (ChoicePoint, Lexis Nexis). People whose college admissions and academic records have been hacked (Stanford, ...

Company Creates “Identity Theft Protection” Software (This article has 1 comment)
This is an interesting concept, although Aunty's not sure how this differs from just getting online and searching for your information yourself, other than that you have to pay for one, and the other is free. MyPublicInfo has created identity theft protection software after ...

Identity Fraud Strikes One in Five Americans (comments)
A survey of nearly 2,000 people by the Chubb Group of Insurance Agencies has found that one in five Americans believe that they have been the victim of identity fraud. According to a press release by Chubb, other findings include: "Twenty-seven percent of respondents reported ...

University of California at San Diego Computers Hacked, UCSD Students and Staff Compromised (comments)
The University of California at San Diego announced this week that hackers have again broken into their computer system, compromising the personal data of thousands of UCSD students, staff, and faculty. The UCSD machines which the hackers accessed contained the trifecta payload ...

California “Identity Information Protection Act” Would Limit Use of RFID (comments)
If California State Senator Joe Simitian gets his way, California will come to the fore of states passing laws which restrict the uses of the controversial RFID chips. South Dakota is presently considering a law which prohibits implanting an RFID chip ...

New Study by Identity Theft 911 Shows Severe Impact of Identity Theft on New York State Residents (News Release) (comments)
Wow, identity theft is a hot topic in the news this week! SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study focusing on identity theft in the state of New York reveals just how seriously this crime threatens New York residents. The study, "Analysis ...

The Scary New World of Identity Theft: Grand Theft Identity (comments)
The Scary New World of Identity Theft: a Newsweek article gives readers the nitty gritty about why identity theft is so rampant, and so easy.

Identity Theft Impacting the Uptake of On-Line Banking & E-Commerce (comments)
Are you one of the people mentioned in this release who are now avoiding Internet banking due to fears of identity theft? DALLAS, June 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Entrust, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENTU) today released the findings of its second Internet Security Survey. Conducted by an ...

What Everybody Ought to Know about Protecting Themselves from Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft (This article has 1 comment)
Protecting yourself from credit card fraud and identity theft has become even more important with the unrelenting succession of security breaches, such as last week's theft of 40 million credit card numbers. Here are seven specific things you can do now to help ...

U.S. Voters Express Dire Concern About Identity Theft and Information Security (News Release) (comments)
Entrust Calls for Renewed Focus on Increased Consumer and Business Adoption of Solutions to Address Identity Theft and Protect Sensitive Information DALLAS, June 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Entrust, Inc., a world leader in securing digital identities and information, today ...

Georgia Federal Credit Union Teams With Identity Theft 911 to Protect Members (News Release) (comments)
DULUTH, Ga., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- "Identity theft is the greatest single threat American consumers face today," said Warren Butler, CEO of Georgia Federal Credit Union. "This crime attacks the very foundation of our economy -- and recent events have shown that anyone can become a ...

How Can You Protect Yourself from Identity Theft? (News Release) (This article has 2 comments)
Identity theft is on the rise and affects millions of people each year. For information on some of the best ways to protect yourself and your family, go to www.SafeguardYourInfo.com and get a free report. (PRWEB) May 25, 2005 -- Identity theft has reached ...

Are You an Ameritrade Customer? Ralph Lauren? LexisNexis? If So You Could Become a Victim of Identity Theft (This article has 7 comments)
Joining the ranks of Choicepoint and LexisNexis, Ameritrade and Ralph Lauren (Polo) have both acknowledged that private data belonging to their customers has been compromised, meaning that those customers could be at risk for identity theft. Also, LexisNexis this week announced that ...

Identity Theft Insurance Now Available (This article has 8 comments)
Identity theft insurance? It's obviously an idea whose time has come. In fact some would say that identity theft insurance is an idea whose time is long overdue. Just ask anyone whose personal data has recently been compromised by either ...

ChoicePoint Syndrome: Lexis Nexis Hemorrhages Personal Information of Thousands to Identity Thieves (This article has 1 comment)
Lexis Nexis has been compromised and has hemorrhaged the personal information of tens of thousands of individuals whose data was stored with Lexis Nexis. Identity theft is a real possibilty for these people. Many will remember that this exact same thing ...

ChoicePoint Sued Over Hacking, Identity Theft (comments)
Do you remember when Aunty told you that ChoicePoint had been hacked, leading to dozens of thousands of people having their private information which had been stored on ChoicePoint's servers compromised, including credit card numbers, social security numbers, and other personal information? And do ...

Jigsaw - The Website that Encourages People to Sell Your Personal Contact Information (This article has 2 comments)
Jigsaw - it's like the illegitimate love child of eBay and Linked-In. Jigsaw is a new start-up headquartered in San Mateo, California, that has decided that it would be nifty cool to incentivize people to rat you out by posting your personal contact information from your business card to the Jigsaw database, which seems to be the functional equivalent of the world's largest business card Rolodex, cross-referenced by name, address, area code, and for all one knows, shoe size. If you have ever given your business card to a Jigsaw user, odds are that your contact information is already in there.

AOL Offers Security Key, Adds Double Layer Log-in Authentication for Users (This article has 1 comment)
Two-factor security key being offered by AOL is just the thing to help thwart phishers and identity theft.
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