Dedicated to helping you protect yourself from online credit card fraud -- consumer and small business! You will also find resources on how to avoid the most popular scams, viruses and urban legends involving credit cards on the internet today.
Microsoft says it provided information that helped Bulgarian authorities arrest eight people accused of operating an international Internet scam.
Those arrested are suspected of being part of a criminal network that commits financial fraud and steals personal data through the Internet.
The so-called "phishing" scam uses e-mails that appear to come from banks or other trusted businesses to induce recipients to verify their accounts by providing personal details, such as credit card information.
Microsoft investigators say the group sent e-mails that appeared to have been sent by Microsoft customer service representatives, and created fake Web pages that mimicked Microsoft-related pages.
Microsoft says the group then launched attacks on compromised computer servers in nearly a dozen countries, inviting users to update their personal information.
The stolen financial data was then used to make purchases and receive money transfers for more than $50,000 dollars on behalf of credit card owners.
Microsoft provided evidence of the attacks to Bulgarian authorities.
Spyware is software installed on your computer without your consent to monitor or control your computer use. Clues that spyware is on a computer include a barrage of pop-up ads, a browser that takes you to sites you don't want, unexpected toolbars or icons on your computer screen, keys that don't work, random error messages, and sluggish performance when opening programs or saving files.
To lower your risk of spyware infections:
* Update your operating system and Web browser software, and set your browser security high enough to detect unauthorized downloads. * Use anti-virus software and a firewall, and keep them up-to-date. * Download free software only from sites you know and trust. Enticing free software downloads frequently bundle other software, including spyware. * Don't click on links inside pop-up windows. * Don't click on links in spam that claim to offer anti-spyware software; you may unintentionally be installing spyware. * Consider using anti-spyware software.
Just when you thought you were Web savvy, one more privacy, security, and functionality issue crops up — spyware. Installed on your computer without your consent, spyware software monitors or controls your computer use. It may be used to send you pop-up ads, redirect your computer to websites, monitor your Internet surfing, or record your keystrokes, which, in turn, could lead to identity theft.
Many experienced Web users have learned how to recognize spyware, avoid it, and delete it. According to OnGuard Online, all computer users should get wise to the signs that spyware has been installed on their machines, and then take the appropriate steps to delete it. The clues that spyware is on a computer include:
* Barrage of pop-up ads * Hijacked browser — that is, a browser that takes you to sites other than those you type into the address box * A sudden or repeated change in your computer's Internet home page new and unexpected toolbars * New and unexpected icons on the system tray at the bottom of your computer screen * Keys that don't work (for example, the "Tab" key that might not work when you try to move to the next field in a Web form) * Random error messages * Sluggish or downright slow performance when opening programs or saving files
The good news is that consumers can take steps to lower their risk of spyware infections. Indeed, OnGuard Online suggests that you:
Update your operating system and Web browser software. Your operating system (like Windows or Linux) may offer free software "patches" to close holes in the system that spyware could exploit.
Download free software only from sites you know and trust. It can be appealing to download free software like games, peer-to-peer file-sharing programs, customized toolbars, or other programs that may change or customize the functioning of your computer. Be aware, however, that some of these free software applications bundle other software, including spyware.
Don't install any software without knowing exactly what it is. Take the time to read the end-user license agreement (EULA) before downloading any software. If the EULA is hard to find — or difficult to understand — think twice about installing the software.
Minimize "drive-by" downloads. Make sure your browser security setting is high enough to detect unauthorized downloads, for example, at least the "Medium" setting for Internet Explorer. Keep your browser updated.
Don't click on any links within pop-up windows. If you do, you may install spyware on your computer. Instead, close pop-up windows by clicking on the "X" icon in the title bar.
Don't click on links in spam that claim to offer anti-spyware software. Some software offered in spam actually installs spyware.
Install a personal firewall to stop uninvited users from accessing your computer. A firewall blocks unauthorized access to your computer and will alert you if spyware already on your computer is sending information out.
If you think your computer might have spyware on it, experts advise that you take three steps: Get an anti-spyware program from a vendor you know and trust. Set it to scan on a regular basis — at least once a week — and every time you start your computer, if possible. And, delete any software programs the anti-spyware program detects that you don't want on your computer.
You can be a victim of identity theft even if you never use a computer. Malicious people may be able to obtain personal information (such as credit card numbers, phone numbers, account numbers, and addresses) by stealing your wallet, overhearing a phone conversation, rummaging through your trash (a practice known as dumpster diving), or picking up a receipt at a restaurant that has your account number on it. If a thief has enough information, he or she may be able to impersonate you to purchase items, open new accounts, or apply for loans.
The internet has made it easier for thieves to obtain personal and financial data. Most companies and other institutions store information about their clients in databases; if a thief can access that database, he or she can obtain information about many people at once rather than focus on one person at a time. The internet has also made it easier for thieves to sell or trade the information, making it more difficult for law enforcement to identify and apprehend the criminals.
New Jersey has joined a handful of states with something that New York and the federal government lack — a law to give people some protection against identity theft. More than 55 million Americans became vulnerable to identity theft by computer breaches and break-ins alone in 2005, making it the worst year yet for cybercrime.
A new law went into effect yesterday that lets New Jersey residents freeze access to their personal credit reports to prevent thieves from using their data, even if they have the Social Security number. All businesses are now required to notify customers of security breaches that put their personal information at risk Consumer advocates consider the New Jersey law among the nation's best.
It was less than a year ago that the nation was shocked by the first widely reported incidence of potential identity theft. In March 2005, ChoicePoint, a Georgia-based information broker, revealed that the personal data of hundreds of thousands of Americans in all 50 states had been compromised. The revelation came only because a California law required customer notification of data theft. [Read more - The Journal News]
Some teenagers, navigating the delicate stage between childhood and adulthood, are being taught a life lesson by identity thieves.
Teenagers may not discover that someone's swiped their identities for years, says Judith Collins, associate professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University and an international expert on identity theft.
Don't carry your Social Security card with you. No other single piece of information about you has as much power as your Social Security number.
With it, thieves can open bank accounts and get loans in your name, stiff the bank and leave your good name and credit in tatters.
If you have a bank account, protect your bank statements and shred old ones.
They use "phishing" attacks that entice teens into sharing personal financial information through bogus e-mails and suspicious links.
Don't share passwords with your friends, because that enables them to break into your personal accounts and access personal information.
Unfortunately, teens also face the possibility of identity theft at the hand of a family member.
"It's the person who has the easiest access to information," says Linda Foley, co-executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center in San Diego.
"Mom or Dad will go and apply for credit, using the teenager's Social Security number, because the parents can't qualify," says Steve Camp, a banking lawyer at Gardere Wynne Sewell in Dallas.
College is also a vulnerable time.
"If the Social Security number is part of their student ID number, they are definitely in a more vulnerable position."
"You should be suspicious if they start getting credit card applications in the mail," Broder says.
That may indicate that someone has started a credit history in your child's name.
That's how Jan Hublein of Dallas discovered that someone had obtained a credit card using the Social Security number of her son, Evan.
Evan, now 19, attends Texas State University in San Marcos.
Hublein says she suspects that her son's identity theft occurred after he applied for a job at the mall.
The identity thieves charged "less than $1,000" on the cards they got using Evan's name.
The Hubleins didn't have to pay for those charges, because they were fraudulent, but Hublein was amazed at the speed at which the crooks applied for credit cards in Evan's name.
Despite the ongoing efforts of all banks and regulators to thwart online identity theft, customers start avoiding such transactions and overall tend to keep away from exchanging any personal information with the banks as network security is becoming a bigger issue everyday.
At an identity theft forum in New York on Tuesday, security experts discussed with bank representatives and confirmed that appropriate measures have been taken in order to stop online criminals. However, this proves more often that, in spite of these efforts, hackers still manage to penetrate the network and fool customers into providing personal information.
Even if users are savvy enough to follow every right procedure in the book and, in theory, avoid being hacked, somehow attackers seem to always be one step ahead and find a way to break into users' systems. "Consumers can do everything right -- not give out passwords or financial information -- and still become victims", said Susanna Montezemolo, a policy analyst at Consumers Union, in an interview.
Data from an October survey by Internet security company Entrust Inc. presented at the forum shows that 18 percent of Americans who have been using online banking services now do so less, or not at all, because of security concerns.
Customers see the threat of identity theft as a key obstacle to online banking's growth, according to a new report.
The report, "Online Banking Customers: Attitude and Activities," was released Oct. 19.
"Online banking must still contend with anxieties that most other forms of Internet commerce left in the dust years ago," said eMarketer senior analyst David Hallerman, the report's author. "Even though nearly three times as many U.S. online households cite financial transactions as a most important reason for using the Internet than those who mention purchasing products, the penetration rate among Internet users for online banking is less than 56 percent as compared to more than 63 percent for online buyers."
The United States has 40 million online banking households, eMarketer said, a figure estimated to reach 52 million by the end of 2010. Nevertheless, online banking customers want stronger online security guarantees and more rigorous online authentication.
"The causes of consumer anxiety are clear," Hallerman said. "Fears about identity theft, fanned by data loss, account attacks and phishing, continue to plague the online banking sector. These problems are worrisome across all aspects of Internet commerce, but consumers are far more conservative about their finances than they are about purchasing books, computers or three-week vacations to New Zealand."
Hallerman suggested that the best thing banks can do to encourage more online banking use is to offer a comprehensive security guarantee. That pledge exists in the form of the Federal Reserve Board's Regulation E, which requires all banks to reimburse customers if funds are pilfered. But first customers must fill out lengthy forms and confirm online user names and passwords. A better solution would be an all-inclusive guarantee that promptly reimburses the stolen funds from victims' accounts.
State officials on Friday began notifying 465,000 Georgians that they might be at risk of identity theft because of a government security breach detected in April.
Joyce Goldberg, spokeswoman for the Georgia Technology Authority, emphasized that officials had no evidence that any personal data had been used for fraudulent purposes. But she said officials are alerting 244,000 motorists and 221,000 retired teachers, state employees, school employees and others who participated in the state Health Benefits Plan in 2002 that a former GTA employee downloaded their personal information to his home computers. [Read more - AJC]
At the same time the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is busy attempting to combat identity theft; many other federal agencies like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Defense Department continue to use Social Security numbers for identification purposes.
The Los Angeles Times reported that roughly 8 million military men and women and their families are required to use Social Security numbers in order to gain access to computers at base commissaries or at work.
Although people are told all the time that they shouldn’t carry their Social Security number in their wallet, it’s already on their Medicare or Medicaid card or other type of identification.
Beth Given, executive director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is equally dismayed with the current process.
“The requirement that military personnel use the Social Security number for practically everything is nothing short of criminal,” she said. “I got an email from one military member who said he was required to stencil his name and Social Security number on his duffel bag. It’s really outrageous.”
Over the past few years the surge in identity theft has prompted insurance companies, colleges, and other private institutions and organizations to use alternatives to Social Security numbers for identification purposes. It is difficult to understand why the federal government has not followed suit.
The Identity Theft Unit of the Suffolk County Police Department is investigating a credit card scam that is taking place at several LI Target stores.
The scam began in February as unknown suspects were purchasing Target gift cards with “cloned” credit cards. Cards are “cloned” when a victim still has his or her credit card, but their same numbers appear on a different, false card. While there are several local victims, some of the “cloned” credit card accounts come from as far away as South Africa, Kenya and the United Kingdom. Police say that 22 accounts have been compromised.
With the stolen credit cards numbers, the suspects are purchasing Target gift cards and exchanging them for large purchases, according to police. In total, the suspects have purchased gift cards totaling nearly $18,000. [Read more - Long Island Press]
Welcome to the #1 website dedicated to helping you protect yourself from online credit card fraud -- consumer and small business! You will also find resources on how to avoid the most popular scams, viruses and urban legends involving credit cards on the internet today.
Plus, we have the latest links to news stories about credit card fraud and scams throughout the world. We want to be your resource for reducing the likelihood of you falling to a Credit Card scam.
Disclaimer: This web site and its links are a collection of relevant information collected from various credit card companies, credit card processors, gateways, newsprint, and other sources. It is presented here in one place so that you, the consumer and small business owner, can keep aware of the latest problems concerning Credit Card fraud and scams. Alerts, news items, and postings should in no way be taken as a condemnation or approval of any company, person or process. Information is presented for your evaluation.
Notice In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C., section 107, some material on this web site is provided without permission from the copyright owner, only for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of federal copyright laws. These materials may not be distributed further, except for "fair use" non-profit educational purposes, without permission of the copyright owner.