| Consumers warned about holiday ID theft
Attorney General Bill McCollum today advised Floridians to be careful when using credit and debit cards to pay for gifts during this holiday shopping season in order to avoid becoming victims of identity theft. He also cautioned consumers about a "phishing" scam that has surfaced recently, threatening to expose consumers� personal financial information. McCollum noted that occurrences of identity theft often increase during the holiday season and encouraged residents and guests to be extra vigilant to protect themselves. "Identity theft can be devastating any time it occurs, but it is especially destructive during the holiday season when it could threaten personal financial information, travel plans and other seasonal aspects of our consumers� personal lives," said McCollum.
Cyber-crime 'worse than burglary'
Identity theft has become one of the most feared crimes in the UK, according to a study of more than 1,400 regular internet users, outranking burglary, assault and robbery. Around one in three respondents to the survey indicated that they had been the victim of some form of cyber-theft, including phishing emails, credit card fraud and unauthorised bank transfers. The research, commissioned by internet security software maker AVG, revealed that individual financial loss ranged from a few pounds to several thousand pounds. Some 90 per cent of respondents had threat protection software installed on their PCs, but a third remained unconvinced that these were adequate measures to protect them from cyber-crime. Liverpool topped the list of UK cities most afraid of cyber-theft with 93 per cent highlighting their concern.
Surfers still too careless with ID, says BT
BT has said UK web surfers are still doing too little to protect themselves against identity theft and has released a web user guide in an attempt to stop the problem escalating even further. The 10-point guide has been put together by BT in association with CPP, LloydsTSB, the Met Police and Yahoo! as well as the Get Safe Online initiative. Ray Stanton, head of security at BT Global Services, said identity theft is still on the rise, dubbing it a "silent part of fraud in the UK". Stanton cited figures from the UK government which suggest fraud accounted for �1.7bn in the UK last year. Although those figures have subsequently been subject to serious doubts, it's undeniable that identity theft is a major problem. BT also claims that eight per cent of UK PC users fall victim to online fraud and said too few are taking even basic steps to protect themselves, such as not handing over credit card numbers to unidentified third parties.
Identity theft common around Holidays
Identity theft crimes hit home for more than eight million adults in the US in 2005, according to a new report from the federal trade commission. In ten percent of cases, victims surveyed said they paid at least $1,200 to settle charges to stolen or fraudulent credit cards or bank accounts. Add to that the hours they spent repairing their credit reports. Nearly 40 percent of victims reported being harassed by debt collectors, denied credit or loans, having utilities cut off -- even getting sued. And more than half of victims said they still don't know how the thieves got a hold of their personal information. Experts at the non-profit identity theft resource center say the holidays are prime time for thieves. They recommend you leave your social security card at home -- don't carry it in your wallet.
New bill boosts war on identity theft
The federal government took a landmark step toward battling the explosion of identity theft by introducing legislation yesterday making it illegal to collect personal documents belonging to others in order to commit fraud. Under the new bill, part of the government's toughened fall law-and-order agenda, it will become a crime in Canada to obtain, possess or traffic another person's passport, credit cards, drivers licence or other identity documents for the purpose of committing fraud. The legislation is meant to close a gap in the Criminal Code. While it's currently illegal to commit fraud with another person's credit card or other personal information, police have no ability to take action against criminal rings collecting documents belonging to others. That gap has severely hindered the ability of police to catch criminals who engage in identity theft and related fraud, because such crimes are often perpetrated electronically or over the Internet by large groups that the police have difficulty tracking down.
BEAU TIE FOR SEXY 'GRIFT' GAL
Alleged identity-theft tart Jocelyn Kirsch's cheating extended into the bedroom, her former ex-boyfriend and best friend say. The 22-year-old busty brunette, who Philadelphia police say fleeced her neighbors to finance a jet-set lifestyle, even two-timed her alleged accomplice in the phony credit-card scheme, according to friends and the boyfriend she cheated on him with. In 2006, Kirsch met her soon-to-be alleged cohort: then-23-year-old Edward Anderton, a cocky 2005 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania who talked big and loved to show off his swimmer's physique. She started dating him at the same time she was already seeing a fellow Drexel University junior, a music major from Saratoga County. "Eddie was hotter. She liked how confident he was. [Her existing boyfriend] was shy and quiet.
Scam alert: That's not the IRS
If you've been getting unsolicited e-mail from the Internal Revenue Service, ignore it: You've been the target of another Internet scam.The bogus e-mail claims that you are owed a refund and sends you to a Web site at which you are asked to provide your Social Security number and credit card information.Just remember this: The IRS doesn't send out unsolicited e-mail messages.Mark Hanson, IRS spokesman for the Carolinas, said the scam has the potential to confuse people, because it's modeled on a refund program that the agency conducts each year, the undeliverable refund list.The best way to avoid becoming an identity-theft victim is to press "delete," Hanson said."Don't let the idea of free money bait you into the scam," he said.Hanson said the legitimate IRS undeliverable refund list will be posted on the agency's Web page this month.
Trusted waitress stole diners' data
A waitress at Mister B's used a magnetic card reader she kept hidden in the kitchen to swipe credit card information from some 150 customers of the Germantown restaurant, according to police reports. The restaurant owner, tipped by customers, called in the Germantown police. And now the Secret Service is investigating, trying to crack an identity-theft network. .
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