| Government says ID theft down but report is disputed
A government survey released this week questions the conventional wisdom that identity theft is a growing problem in the U.S. But don't toss out your shredder just yet. Consumer advocates are not convinced the Federal Trade Commission numbers are accurate, though they do agree on a key point highlighted in a footnote of the agency's report: the difficulty in coming up with a reliable assessment of the problem. An estimated 8.3 million Americans over the age of 18 were victims of identity theft in 2005, according to an analysis of a phone survey released Tuesday by the FTC. That represented a decline of about 16 percent from an estimated 9.9 million victims in 2003, when the agency last conducted its survey. While the FTC's identity theft survey is broad, the agency acknowledged in a footnote that its conclusion is not "statistically significant" because the sample size was too small.
Government report says ID theft down
A government survey released this week questions the conventional wisdom that identity theft is a growing problem in the U.S. But don't toss out your shredder just yet. Consumer advocates are not convinced the Federal Trade Commission numbers are accurate, though they do agree on a key point highlighted in a footnote of the agency's report: the difficulty in coming up with a reliable assessment of the problem. An estimated 8.3 million Americans over the age of 18 were victims of identity theft in 2005, according to an analysis of a phone survey released Tuesday by the FTC. That represented a decline of about 16 percent from an estimated 9.9 million victims in 2003, when the agency last conducted its survey. While the FTC's identity theft survey is broad, the agency acknowledged in a footnote that its conclusion is not "statistically significant" because the sample size was too small.
DataPlay Takes Leadership Role in TCG's New Optical Storage Subgroup
LONGMONT, Colo., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- DPHI, Inc. / DataPlay, a leader in advanced optical storage solutions, announced today its leadership of the Optical Storage Subgroup (OSS) within Trusted Computing Group's Storage Work Group (SWG). In this role, DataPlay will help set the design for the world's first optical burner to support Trusted Computing Group's storage specification. "We are pleased to contribute to the Trusted Computing Group and its Storage Work Group. There is a large market opportunity for a 'trusted optical drive,' which will serve as a remedy for data loss and identity theft. In a 2006 study conducted by Ponemon Institute LLC, 81% of companies it surveyed had lost one or more laptop computers containing sensitive information. A related study by the same group found 74% of organizations that experienced a data breach lost customers.
Critics pounce on FTC report that ID theft is down
A government survey questions the conventional wisdom that identity theft is a growing problem in the U.S.But don’t toss out your shredder just yet. Consumer advocates are not convinced the Federal Trade Commission numbers are accurate, though they do agree on a key point highlighted in a footnote of the agency’s report: the difficulty in coming up with a reliable assessment of the problem.An estimated 8.3 million Americans over the age of 18 were victims of identity theft in 2005, according to an analysis of a phone survey released by the FTC. That represented a decline of about 16 percent from an estimated 9.9 million victims in 2003, when the agency last conducted its survey. .
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.
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.
Opinion: Is cybercrime unstoppable?
Online crime is growing at breakneck speed while law enforcement, try as they might, have a hard time keeping up. Simon Moores reports on the state of cybercrime - and why it's so difficult to fight. The quiet bombshell dropped by Alan Jebson, chief operating officer at HSBC Bank, appeared to go unnoticed by journalists at last week's e-Crime Congress in London. In his keynote speech to 500 law enforcement, government and business leaders from around the world, Jebson suggested it would be reasonable to expect banks to provide online banking services only to those customers with a minimum standard of security, given many users' apparent unwillingness to take proper precautions against identity theft and other forms of online compromise. Last week's survey figures released by the UK National Hi-tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) revealed that net crime cost businesses �2.45bn in the last 12 months.
Holidays, parking lots can make for robberies
Still, when a stranger has your name and address and personal information, thoughts of identity theft haunt you for months. Parking lots at the holidays are prime targets for this kind of theft, even in our area. So keep valuables in your trunk, advises AAA Mid-Atlantic. Park in a well-lit place where people are constantly walking past. Try to survey your car as you approach it. Is someone suspicious lurking around? Have your keys out, and survey your car--are the windows intact? Are the tires deflated? Are there obstructions near your wheel? Try to park so you approach your driver's side door, AAA recommends. That way, someone won't surprise you as you open your door. And always check your back seat before you get in the vehicle. Dear Kelly: I've noticed there is a new traffic sign on State Route 218 toward Smith Body Shop (40 mph, watch for turning vehicles).
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