Identityfraudresources.com

Online Identity Fraud – Becoming A Victim At The Click Of A Mouse!

Online identity Fraud and Theft has been billed by some as “The crime of the century!” Criminal identity theft is steadily becoming more sophisticated and tech-savvy, and for good reason. All new technology is quickly embraced by two groups of people from the outset.

Usually, the first group to embrace it, are the young professionals. They like new techno-gadgets and can afford them. Surprisingly, the next group to embrace new technology is the criminal element. They don’t embrace it for it’s novelty. They see it for it’s potential financial windfall.

Why then should the Internet be any different?

Computer hacking and identity theft stories have been around longer than Microsoft according to some identity fraud statistics! The legendary computer hacker, Robert Mitnick will vouch for that.

Viruses, worms and trojans are not new to the scene. If anything, they have evolved into more potent forms. No longer are they just released to cause mischief on the internet. They are now coded to perform specific tasks, such as collecting sensitive data,  committing internet identity fraud, credit card identity theft and then “calling home” with all of that valuable information.

A worm may lie dormant for any length of time, then upon activation, either at a preset date or by the fulfillment of certain criteria, harvests sensitive information and secretly dials it’s home computer to pass it on.

Everywhere around the world today, worms are tirelessly carrying out their jobs, committing online identity fraud for their masters. They are harvesting Social Security Numbers, Bank accounts, Passwords, the works. Basically, worms and trojans can be programmed to harvest any information that is resident on the infected computer.

The World Wide Web has really opened up the playing field for credit theft. Internet crime is actually ahead of the crime fighters for the exact reason given above. Early adaptation of new technology by the criminal element. Here’s a recent example:

“A major credit card processor, CardSystems Solutions Inc. , had personal information hacked and compromised! Total At Risk: A whopping 40 Million people!”

Online Identity Fraud, a “New Past-time” for Identity Thieves.

Corporations, universities, insurance companies financial institutions and even Government Agencies collect personal information on everyone with whom they do business. All are potentially new online identity theft victims.

This data is then stored on computers and so-called “secure servers.” Applying what we learned about the “early adapters” of technology, it’s clear to see that that information is really just waiting for a determined hacker to take it. Several internet criminals did just that.

Here are 5 more examples of the many successful assaults being launched against these databases daily. Please bear in mind that these examples are documented facts that can be easily researched.

No one is saying that ALL the incursions are accounted for, that’s just too scary to want to delve into.

• CardSystems Solutions Inc. A major credit card processor, was hacked and compromised. Information that they were not even supposed to be storing anyway, became at risk!Total clients at risk of credit card identity fraud: 40 Million.
• DSW Shoes. Lost information, including credit card and checking account information from more than 100 of their retail store branches. Total customers at risk for credit card fraud and identity theft: 1.4 Million.
• Seisint, a unit of LexisNexis. This unit compiles information from Government records and reportedly holds information about MOST American citizens. The unit is under repeated and continuous attack by identity thieves. In 59 successful attempts over the past two years, the names, SSN’s, addresses, and driver’s license numbers of thousands have been compromised. Total ID’s at risk of online identity fraud: 310,000.
• San Diego State University. Their Server was compromised by hackers. Students, alumni and employees’ names and SSN’s were harvested. Total potential id theft victims: 178,000.
• The University of Colorado. Hackers from around the world (France and Eastern Europe), successfully gained access to files containing Social Security Numbers, addresses, and dates of birth of students, faculty and staff members. Total identity fraud victim count: 49,000.

Please note that we are only refering to Online Identity Theft facts. Off-line identity thefts have been no less spectacular. Most memorable recent breach was the 27 million names and other personal information of veteran and other active duty personnel. This information was “stolen” on a laptop out of a Veterans Affairs employee’s home, no less!

There is also the ever-present scourge called identity theft scams. These are becoming more sophisticated as the internet matures.

Anonymous web surfing, reporting internet fraud, the use of anonymous proxies, and id theft insurance are just a few measures being put in place to combat this onslaught.

Yahoo has just, (Sept. 2006) implemented a seal program that lets you verify the “Yahoo Mail sign-in” website you are looking at is really Yahoo’s! A very cool and functional anti-phishing tactic!

If Yahoo is concerned about the security of your personal information, why aren’t you?

Still feeling that your personal information is “safe” from the online identity fraud tidal wave? We hope not! After all, we believe that by educating the general population, we will raise their awareness level enough to not stop identity theft, but at least provide some measure if identity protection by slowing it down.