Latest Identity Theft News:
SecureID to combat ID Theft
“Identity theft and fraud is the fastest growing crime in the United States, and government-issued documents like our driver’s licenses and ID cards are targets for people who commit these crimes. In fact, the BMV today has over 500 active cases of identity theft or fraud.” – Andy Miller, commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
The SecureID initiative to combat identity theft and enhance the security of driver’s licenses and ID cards was announced last week.
Effective January 1, 2010, all Hoosiers will need to complete three simple steps when renewing, amending or applying for a new driver’s license or ID card: 1. Assemble appropriate documents proving their identity, 2. Present those documents at a local license branch, and 3. Receive their driver’s license or ID in the mail after security checks are complete.
Read Entire Article Here: http://www.carrollcountycomet.com
State Protects ID Theft Victims
State protection for victims of identity theft
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) – Millions of people become the victim of identity theft in the US every year, but the State of Utah has set up a website to make it easier for ID theft victims to protect themselves.
“Identity theft is a crime of opportunity, what we encourage people is take away the ability for somebody to do it to you,” said Utah Attorney General’s Office Chief Deputy Kirt Torgensen. He said the state spent hundreds of hours creating the id theft site because of the overwhelming increase in id theft crimes.
Read Entire Story Here: http://www.abc4.com
Identity Theft Top Complaint
FTC: Identity Theft Top Consumer Complaint in 2008 – FOX NEWS
According to a report issued by the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft accounted for 26 percent of all consumer complaints received in 2008.
The report says among the most common forms of identity theft, credit-card fraud was tops at 20 percent. Following close behind were government documents/benefits fraud and employment fraud, both at 15 percent.
Entire Article on FOX: http://www.foxnews.com
Hackers Sell Your Identity
Hackers Can Sell Your Identity for Pennies – Associated Press
- Stolen credit card numbers now go for as little as 6 cents each, if they’re bought 10,000 at a time.
- Access to hijacked e-mail accounts: 10 cents to $100.
- Bank account credentials: $10 to $1,000.
“The pipeline for stolen data is being replenished by phony “phishing” e-mails that are becoming more common as the economy worsens. Three-quarters of the phishing e-mails Symantec examined were banking-related, for things like low-interest loans and mortgage refinancing. When people pay for those services, their money vanishes.”
“It estimates that more than 5 million U.S. consumers lost money to phishing attacks from September 2007 to September 2008 — a 40 percent increase over the estimated number of victims a year earlier”
Read Entire Article: http://www.foxnews.com
ID Thieves Attack Neopets
Popular Children’s Web Site Under Attack by Identity Thieves – FOX NEWS
“Passwords to banking sites, account information, Social Security and credit card numbers all become fair game.”
“The threat of malware isn’t just isolated to one hacker stealing one person’s information, say security experts. Devious software can sniff out passwords stored in browsers or word documents on a computer that hold personal information, and then pass this data along.”
Read Entire Article: http://www.foxnews.com