Identity Theft

Russian hackers target job-seekers with counterfeit scam

Beau Brendler Jul 29th 2010 @ 5:00PM EST Filed Under: Fraud, Identity Theft, Consumer Ally

A rogue Russian counterfeiting operation cranked out $9 million worth of fake checks and cashed them using two familiar ruses for duping consumers: posting fake "help wanted" ads to job-search sites, and convincing applicants to act as "money-mules" to bulk-cash bogus checks.

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Dangerous malware aimed at sports fans this summer

Beau Brendler Jul 28th 2010 @ 12:00PM EST Filed Under: Identity Theft, Consumer Ally

Criminals are capitalizing on a busy sports summer to fool people into clicking on soccer, golf and even paintball sites infested with malicious programs that can compromise privacy or worse, says a Czech Republic-based security software seller.

The sites are on what Prague-based Avast Software calls its monthly "Most Wanted" list. The World Cup, the LeBron James spectacle and baseball season are particular targets for search-engine gaming, the company says. Criminals seek to trick people into clicking on sites that seem to be legitimate -- or that are legitimate, but infected without the operator's knowledge -- so that malicious programs can be downloaded to personal computers.

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Are identity theft protection services a waste of money?

Mitch Lipka Jul 27th 2010 @ 5:30PM EST Filed Under: Fraud, Identity Theft, Consumer Ally, Credit Reports

With the constant headlines about data breaches and nightmarish stories about identity theft, it's easy for consumers to fall for the pitches made by identity theft protection and credit monitoring services.

But is there a value in paying the monthly fees for these services? For most folks, the short answer is no. Most of these companies offer services that consumers can do on their own for free or at a significantly lower cost. So consumers end up paying a premium -- typically $100 a year or more -- for the convenience of having someone else take care of things for them, even when they don't need them.

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Do this now, before you lose your wallet

Tom Barlow Jul 26th 2010 @ 1:00PM EST Filed Under: Shopping, Travel, Identity Theft

Most of us have experienced that stomach-churning moment when we realize we've lost our wallet. As Consumerist points out, a little preparation now can make that experience much less dreadful. Here are four things to do before you realize your wallet is gone, and one suggestion of how to avoid losing your wallet.

1. Know what you have in your wallet. Emptying mine, I find:

Driver's license
Two library cards
One credit card
One debit card
Proof of insurance
Car registration
Medical insurance card
Coffee shop gift card (a free $2.50 coffee with every $25 added; where else can you get 10% on your money?)
A list of my current medications
My glasses prescription
$1 cash (come on, payday!)
A blank check
One business card

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Thieves stealing credit card info from gas pumps, ATMs in Arizona

Stella M. Chavez Jul 20th 2010 @ 1:30PM EST Filed Under: Identity Theft, Consumer Ally

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard is warning consumers about using gas pumps and ATMs equipped with electronic devices to steal information from credit or debit cards. Known as "skimming," the small devices record credit or debit card numbers off magnetic strips as the consumer pays for gas or withdraws money.

Earlier this month, WalletPop reported on the sophisticated technology thieves are using to access personal identification information from ATMs. But crooks also are using gas pumps to steal information.

In some cases, miniature remote cameras have been installed on the machines to capture the personal identification number of the card user. Others are using wireless technology to intercept signals from the gas pump to the station's central computer networks, the office said in the consumer alert.

So far, skimming devices have been found on ATMs at two Scottsdale banks. One, however, reported many of its branches statewide have had customers notify them of problems with skimming.

This isn't the only trick in a thief's book these days. Consumer Ally recently reported on a fake ATM installed in Beijing.

The Atty. Gen.'s office offers the following tips for consumers to avoid being a victim of skimming:

Go inside the store to process transactions. Remain inside to sign all credit card receipts. Keep receipts in a secure location or shred them.
Select credit instead of debit at the gas pump. Your liability is limited to $50 when using a credit card.
If you suspect you're a victim of skimming, call police immediately and alert the gas station attendant. But don't rely on the attendant to call police. In some cases, gas station employees have been involved in such scams.

'Truth about Coca Cola' on Facebook: It's a scam

Jorgen Wouters Jul 16th 2010 @ 12:45PM EST Filed Under: Fraud, Identity Theft, Consumer Ally, In the News

The "truth" about a new Facebook campaign purporting to reveal the "truth" about Coca Cola is this: it's a scam designed to pinch your personal information.

The digital security firm Sophos exposed the scam, which begins with the following message making the rounds on Facebook: "I am part of the 98.0% of people that are NEVER gonna drink Coca Cola again after this HORRIFIC video. Find out the TRUTH about Coke!!!"

Clicking on the video link takes you to a Web site claiming that "9/10 People said they WOULDNT drink Coca Cola After seeing this video!!!" above a video still that says "Coca Cola can't hide its crimes."

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A Barefoot Bandit and other bad guys we love anyway

Jennie L. Phipps Jul 13th 2010 @ 9:10AM EST Filed Under: Make Money Fast, Fraud, Identity Theft, Banking - Checking Account, In the News

Colton harris-Moore, the barefoot Bandit

People always have a soft spot in their hearts for the underdogs, particularly when the economic going gets tough. The Barefoot Bandit, 19-year-old Colton Harris-Moore, who was arrested July 11 in the Bahamas after he stole a plane and flew himself there, is another in a long line of people who have captured the imaginations of millions, despite doing the wrong thing.

Reports on the life of Harris-Moore portray him as an abused child who has lived on his own since he was 7 or 8. He apparently taught himself to fly airplanes by playing video games. His capture in the Bahamas rivals a James Bond movie - and may well be one soon.

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Fake ATMs: Should you worry?

Jorgen Wouters Jul 7th 2010 @ 2:30PM EST Filed Under: Banks, Identity Theft, Consumer Ally

A couple of weeks ago, Chinese police arrested a man who installed a fake ATM in Beijing that managed to steal the account information of unsuspecting customers -- information that was later used to empty their bank accounts.

The ATM, which was purchased from a legitimate manufacturer, was installed on a busy corner in Beijing and claimed to accept most major credit and bank cards. All transactions, however, resulted in a "temporarily out of service" message, and "customers who used this 'ATM' soon found that all their money in the bank account disappeared without a trace," according to a Beijing news report.

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New ATM skimmers using more sophisticated technology to steal your money

Tom Barlow Jul 7th 2010 @ 12:00PM EST Filed Under: Fraud, Identity Theft, Credit Cards

Thieves are getting more sophisticated with the way they're using ATM skimmers to steal your bank account number and password. Now they're using wireless data transmissions and keypad pressure-sensing devices that make it much more difficult for law enforcement to track them down.

Used for years by crooks, skimmers fit so neatly over the card reader of an ATM that they are difficult to notice. When a card is slid into the ATM, the reader records the data. Using a pinhole camera mounted on the ATM, the crooks then also record the personal identification number, or PIN, that is being entered on the keypad.

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