Online Social-Networking / ID Theft

If you’re a fan of Facebook, and an active user of the social-networking site, then you might be at risk of becoming a victim of identity theft. A story by the Miami Herald detailed all the ingenious ways that cyber criminals can steal your identity by using Facebook as the bait. The Herald story cites this popular scam: You’ll find a message in your Facebook inbox from either someone you don’t recognize or someone you rarely talk to. The subject line might be something like, “Is this you in this video?” When you open the message, you’ll find a link to a Web site. If you click on it, your computer will download a program that collects your personal information and then sends it across the Internet, where cyber criminals will happily collect it.

Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft

As social-networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have exploded in popularity, the risk of identity theft has skyrocketed. But social networkers can take steps to protect themselves. And most of these require little more than common sense. For instance, if you get an e-mail message in your Facebook inbox from someone you don’t recognize, delete it without opening it. If your curiosity gets the better of you and you can’t resist clicking open the message, don’t click on any links in the message. These links often lead to programs that will download your personal information. Be wary, too, of invitations to Facebook events from people you don’t recognize. Often these fake invites will take you to Web pages that look like Facebook events, but are actually Web sites that download malicious software onto your computer.

CBC News - Windsor - Private data of 8,600 Ont. teachers compromised

Laptops containing sensitive records belonging to thousands of Ontario teachers have been stolen, CBC News has learned.
The three laptops contained names, addresses, birth dates and social insurance numbers of about 8,600 teachers, most of whom work at elementary schools for the Toronto District School Board.
The computers were stolen from the Waterloo, Ont., offices of the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan on Dec. 3.
The organization provides insurance for teachers across the province. The affected teachers were informed of the theft earlier this week, said a spokeswoman for the non-profit insurance organization.
In a notice posted on its website, the organization said it found out about the theft Dec. 4. The group did not say when it determined that sensitive data may have been compromised.
"As soon as we did determine that there was member data involved we set out to put a plan together to notify the members who were affected," Julie Millard told CBC News on Wednesday.
The thieves also broke into a cafeteria cash register and tried to break into a closet containing office supplies, the organization said. No arrests have been made.
Waterloo Regional Police have characterized the theft as a routine "smash and grab."

Numerous possibilities for fraud

But Ken Anderson, Ontario's assistant privacy commissioner, said the situation may not be so cut and dried.
"There are actually professional theft rings now that are looking for laptops, BlackBerrys [and] other portable devices where they can get the information … they strip it out and it can be used in many ways."
For instance, the information can be used to obtain false passports and fake credit cards or for re-mortgaging a victim's home.
Anderson, who is charged with ensuring the government keeps public data safe, said it's "as important, and indeed in some cases, maybe even more important, that the private sector protects your information, especially if it's in a digital format."
Millard acknowledged none of the data on the laptops was encrypted but said the computers were password-protected.
She said a consulting firm is giving teachers advice about preventing fraudulent use of their information, including being told to call credit-rating agencies to flag the theft.
"We believe their identity is safe because of the measures we're taking to protect them," she said.
"Our goal right now is doing the right thing for the members that were affected and examining all of our security policies and procedures and improving [them]."
Teachers who think they might be affected by the theft but have not been contacted are advised to call the insurance firm at 1-800-267-6847.
News of the theft comes a month after a health worker in Whitby, Ont., lost a USB key containing the names and OHIP numbers of 80,000 people in Durham Region. Data on the key wasn't encrypted either.
This prompted Ontario's privacy commissioner to order government agencies to encrypt personal information on devices such as USB keys and laptops.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/windsor/story/2010/01/27/teachers-laptop-data494.html#ixzz0e266Qmqh
CBC News - Windsor - Private data of 8,600 Ont. teachers compromised

Beware Haiti Charity Frauds

Whenever a tragedy takes place in the world Americans step up and illustrate their generosity. In turn every well publicized event creates an opportunity that scam artists inevitable will use to their advantage. A few months ago it was fake Michael Jackson charities and now it is fake charities and scams using the names of legitimate charities to steal funds intended for those in Haiti who need our help.

Please make sure as you give and as you speak to others about giving to the assist those in Haiti, that we remind everyone to be aware of fraud, especially when someone contacts us seeking a donation. The following article reveals some of the scams that are currently being seen.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/13/cbsnews_investigates/main6092813.shtml

Phishing Application Appears On Google Android Market | Geeky Gadgets

Phishing Application Appears On Google Android Market | Geeky Gadgets: "It seems that an phishing app has made its way onto Google’s Android Market, in the form of a fake banking application published by an Android developer called ‘Droid09′.
The application was attempting to get hold of users banking information, and it was spotted by the First Tech Credit Union, here is what they had to say about it.

We recently learned that a fraudster developed a rogue Android Smartphone app. It creates a shell of mobile banking apps that tries to gain access to a consumer’s financial information.
Droid09 launched this phishing attack from the Android Marketplace and it’s since been removed. It’s called phishing because scammers go fishing for information about you or your financial account that may be used for identity theft."

Officials warn of possible ID theft in census count

Officials warn of possible ID theft in census count: "While recruitment has begun in Grand Junction for the 2010 census, the Better Business Bureau warns of the potential for con artists and identity theft over the coming months.

Legitimate census counters will not be asking for Social Security numbers, bank account or credit card information. Nor will they be soliciting donations, the bureau said in a news release.

Residents are likely to be contacted via mail, telephone or in person by someone with the census.

The workers knocking on doors “will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag and a confidentiality notice,” the release said."

Sex Offenders

TBG now provides members with free information about how to locate registered sex offenders in your area. Contact your TBG representative for more information.

ID Theft Is Set To Rise …

Like wolves to injured prey, identity thieves are out to turn the recession in to their own advantage.

There are lots of variations of old scams and the degree of sophistication in newer scams,” says  The Identity Theft Resource Center predicts an increase in the number of identity theft crimes and victims during the next two years. Particularly vulnerable are jobseekers whose desperate search for employment makes them easy targets for fake job listings and work-from-home scams. Also on the rise are the misuse of social media and phony ads on Craigslist and other Web sites for the purposes of obtaining credit card numbers or cash.

Most disturbing has been the growing problem of child identity theft, sometimes by the child’s own family. “The ITRC has noted that nearly 10 percent of its case load for the past six months involved child identity theft issues,” says founder Linda Foley. “It’s as if people have finally realized that a child’s Social Security number can be used for more than just opening a line of credit.” Visit the ITRC Web site to learn how to protect your personal data from thieves and hackers.”

Soapbox: Don’t let your business fall prey to scams

Identity theft is a serious issue, no matter who the victim is, but the situation can be more complicated when somebody tries to impersonate someone’s business.

Since businesses need to make themselves visible to prospective customers, they are compelled to share a lot of information with the public that individuals tend to keep private, such as their phone number and address. Easy access to private contact information means heightened vulnerability to identity theft.

According to security firm Panda Security, a significant percentage of small businesses haven’t taken very basic steps to secure their data assets. A recent survey showed that “97 percent of U.S. small businesses have installed anti-virus and 95 percent claim their security systems are up to date. Yet, 29 percent said they have no anti-spam in place, 22 percent are without anti-spyware technology and 16 percent do not have firewalls.”

In addition, 52 percent said they have no Web filtering solution in place. And 39 percent of respondents said that they have yet to be trained about IT threats.

All an identity thief has to do is open up a mailbox in your shared office building, create a fake letterhead and obtain your business license number, which many businesses are required by law to display. Then the thief is well on his or her way to opening up credit card accounts in your name, filing purchase orders and running up bills that will eventually come to you.

So, what can business professionals do to prevent identity theft? Consider these tips: Soapbox: Don’t let your business fall prey to scams: