The Financial and Time Investments in Recovering from Identity Theft
-Victims of identity theft are left with an average of $1,884.00 of out of pocket expenses to clear up misinformation. These out of pocket expenses included postage, photocopying, childcare, travel, records, fees, legal help and investigators.
-It can take an average of 97 hours to resolve identity theft involving existing accounts.
-It can take an average of 231 hours to resolve identity theft involving new accounts.
-59% of victims say that it took up to a year to clear up the consequences of identity theft.
-14% say that it took up to two years.
-29% report that it took more than two years.
Dr. Charles Nelson, a psychologist who specializes in crime victims, finds that many victims of identity theft also suffer from socially and emotionally. Many victims reported strain in their relationships with significant others, stress within their family life. Some reported sleep disturbances and others shared that the crime was also affecting their children.
Dr. Nelson explains, "Although there is no direct physical injury in this crime, identity theft victims know all too well the psychological, emotional, social, and at times physical destructive swath of pain that has been cut through their lives."
Victims often used language to express how that felt that is strikingly resembles the language of a victim of assault or sexual assault including phrases such as "dirty, defiled, embarrassed, guilty, ashamed, an outcast, undeserving of assistance or having brought this crime upon myself."
Identity Theft Victims Symptoms are Similar to Those with PTSD:
Victims of identity theft described themselves as being:
-Annoyed
-Exhausted
-Too tired to fight
-Suicidal
-Angry
-Betrayed
-Unprotected by police or laws
-Deeply fearful for personal financial security
-Powerless
-Helpless
When the perpetrator of identity theft is a family member the emotional impact appears to be heavier. Dr. Nelson explains that the challenges resemble the challenges felt by those who are physically or repeatedly abused by family members as the victim is in a "self preservation vs. pleasing family members who take the side of the perpetrator." Many victims of identity theft crimes perpetrated by family members felt that family were unsupportive and were often torn regarding filing charges. Dr. Nelson feels that therapy is indicated in most of these cases.
If you or someone you know has experienced identity theft, do you agree or disagree with the comparison to PTSD?
]]>How does the Golden Cash Network work?
The process is easy and straight out of a B rated horror film with the use of "bots" and "zombies." Basically, cyber criminals create a bot to harvest information through fake websites. As these websites are accessed your computer is infected by Trojan viruses that report information back to the Golden Cash Network. These websites perform in zombie mode, gathering information through the use of malware, quite unaware that they are being accesses or used to access other computers. Other computers are infected through a file transfer protocol (FTP), which is sent to legitimate websites allowing these information harvesters access and control of legitimate sites. This allows for even more "zombies" that are simply sitting on legitimate websites and that are waiting to gather information.
According to the Crime Intelligence Report for 2009, over 100,000 legitimate domains, including some corporate, were identified as stolen and used for information harvesting and spamming.
How much did this "service" cost these criminals?
The cost of this service is between $5.00 and $100.00. That's quite an inexpensive "start up" amount for a new business of stealing information. Compromised PC's in western countries are more expensive.
The malware is then "recycled" and used by other customers allowing criminals to have a "collective" resource to turn to in order to collect your personal, financial and important information.
This network that laid the golden malware on many computers and websites was hosted in Texas, the registrant country is China and the "proxy" or main server that was used to distribute this malicious software was hosted in Russia.
What can be done to protect your computer?
Setting your antivirus controls to high, as well as using ones that detect harmful bots and malware can help. Many of these malicious viruses can be detected as is seen by a report on the Finjan's Malicious Code Research Center blog. Perform regular virus scans and be careful which websites you access. Be aware that links in email messages are the most common form of access to your computer.
For more information:
New malware appears everyday
Bot's Friend or Foe
Technical information on the Golden Cash Network is available on
Finjan's Malicious Code Research Center blog
Terms you should know:
Malware is actually a combination of terms, malicious and software. Malware is software that is specifically designed to cause harm to your computer systems. There are different types of malware, which include Trojans, Spyware and Viruses.
Bots: can be a type of malware that allows a hacker to take control of several computers at a time, effectively turning them into "robots" that accept commands from the computer hacker and work to spread bots to more and more computers. This type of computer virus can then be used to spread spam and commit various types of identity theft and other online fraud.
Information on the Golden Cash Network was originally posted on
CNET News
What do you do now?
1. Contact your local police department and file a report.
2. Look around the immediate area, usually a purse snatching is a crime of opportunity and they often take what they can quickly and dump the purse, bag or wallet. Check the ground and near any business dumpsters. You never know what you may recover.
3. Make a list of what was in your purse; be sure to include your cell phone, check book, credit cards, even your membership cards to a local gym club or movie rental store like Blockbuster.
4. Using your list start contacting businesses immediately. The most important thing is to make sure to move quickly and hopefully stop the thief in their tracks.
Among those you should contact and report the theft to include: your bank as both your debit card and your checkbook has now been put at risk. Contact your credit card companies. Call your gym and get a new card and membership identification number. Stop in Blockbuster and make sure that you don't get stuck with unreturned game or movie charges on your credit card after the thieves load up on media that they never return. Contact your school or work not only to obtain replacement identification but also to protect your information, identity and privacy. Even your library card puts you at risk.
5. Get a new Driver's License; "cancel" the old one and hopefully your Social Security number was safe at home. If it was in your purse or wallet, visit the Social Security website to request a new card. Unfortunately you cannot get a new number except under very specific circumstances.
6. Contact your health and car insurance carrier and notify them of the theft and request new information. A health insurance card and Driver's License can get your thief a tummy tuck or breast enhancement all on your dime.
7. Change the locks on your doors and car. Your purse may have contained your main or your backup set of keys. With those keys and your Driver's License the thief will have access to your home and car. Contact the car dealership to see what changes can be made to your car locks.
8. Contact your cell phone company and ask that service is suspended. Trust me you won't enjoy the $400.00 cell phone bill that comes your way as it did for my babysitter. When you get your new phone they can reactivate your old number and SIM card so that you don't have to worry about changes.
9. Contact the three credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You really only need to contact one and the information can be shared. Once placed companies that attempt to obtain your credit information for any reason will be notified of the possibility of fraud.
10. Freeze your credit reports. By freezing your credit report no information can be provided without your permission. You can always remove the freeze. Some states may require a payment to either initiate the credit freeze or to lift it.
It is important to make sure you get all the report information before the officer leaves. This information will be needed at each and every stop along the way to protect you from identity theft, medical and credit card fraud. It can help you with your insurance claims, obtaining new documents and protecting your good name and credit. For now, it may be the most important document you have, in your new purse.
The way Civilrecords.org works is simple. You start by inputting the first and last name of the individual you wish to search, followed by the state of residence. These fields are required and can not be left blank. If you know more information, like the city of residence, the middle initial, and/or the approximate age, these also can be entered and they can help to narrow down the search results. Once you have confirmed the person you are searching for, it is only a matter of confirming that you agree with the terms of service and then selecting a service option, which presently inlcudes an instant records check or a one- year unlimited search pass.
Cindy is concerned that her present boyfriend may already be married. She is also concerned that he isn't financially responsible and may have a summary judgment against him. She has pressed him for answers, but isn't completely sure he is telling the truth. What could he be hiding?
Jim wants to know if a co- worker in his office, Mike, has a criminal past. He has been working with Mike for years, but has some concerns and suspects Mike isn't telling the truth about his personal history. What if there is something criminal in Mike's record?
These are both valid concerns- one from the perspective of an individual citizen and another from the perspective of a business. With Civilrecords.org, a report is generated that utilizes information such as:
Nationwide and State Criminal Records
Federal and State Inmate Search
Over 300 Million Criminal Files
Address History and Property Records
Sex Offender Database
Arrests, Convictions, Misdemeanors, Felonies and DUI's
Neighbors and Relatives
Marital Status and Aliases
Death Index and Date of Birth
Phone Numbers
Civilrecords.org doesn't offer a free preview report, like some other sites. You can lookup names and locate someone, but you cannot preview an actual report without selecting one of the services and making a purchase. The cost of this service is presently set at $29.95 for an Instant Record Check, but customers can add $9.95 to this price and receive unlimited reports for a full year. There are no hidden charges and you are never billed again.
Civilrecords.org contains over one billion records. It offers unrestricted access to all of your search results; instant lookup and criminal reports; cross database searches; data from both public and private sources; and excellent customer support. The search function is user- friendly and very intuitive.
Finding court records and other personal data for individuals used to take so much time and effort, it often wasn't worth the trouble. But with Civilrecords.org, finding the truth is fast and efficient. It provides answers to many pressing questions without the hassle associated with making special trips to different government agencies.
Paul L. Kelly, who was formerly an Eau Claire County, Wisconsin district attorney, is now a convicted felon. Kelly was convicted of 35 out of 43 charges including identity theft, fraud and forgery. These were all charges in which his daughter, Kori Kelly, was the victim. More charges are pending on identity theft crimes against his grandson.
Paul Kelly's Identity Theft Crimes
-Forged a Power of Attorney for his daughter.
-Purchased a $7,500 car in his daughter's name.
-Purchased a $7,200 conversion van in his daughter's name.
-Took out a $128,000 mortgage in his daughter's name.
-Then he filed bankruptcy on his daughter's behalf.
Additional alleged crimes against his grandson, who was eight years old at the time, include using his grandson's social security number on a land loan application. Again, Kelly claimed to have power of attorney for his grandson, however, he claimed that his grandson was a 25 year-old construction worker. Kelly sweetened the fraud by bringing along forged W2 forms and a man posing as his grandson. The loan was ultimately denied because the man accompanying Kelly could never produce a picture I.D..
The number of counts of identity theft, fraud and forgery are so high because Kelly was charged with one count for each and every document forged in his efforts to acquire fraudulent loans.
Paul L. Kelly has a history of shady behavior. After acting as a district attorney from 1965 to 1968 Kelly was disbarred under accusations including:
-unprofessional conduct
-misusing clients funds
-filing false reports
-refusing to cooperate with an investigation
Kelly, who has also worked in private practice, chose to represent himself in these cases although his license was revoked in 1982 and has never been reinstated.
Presiding Barron County Judge James Babbit is ordering a pre-sentencing investigation and describes the Kelly case as "uniquely different."
How common is family identity theft?
According to a study called the "The Aftermath: 2007" by the Identity Theft Resource Center, in cases of child identity theft, over 50% of the time the identity theft crimes were perpetrated by a parent or step parent and another 18% of he cases were perpetrated by another family member. In 52% of the cases of family identity theft the victim claimed that the family member was an addict.
One survey respondent shared her desperation and frustration following being a victim of family identity theft:
"ID theft nearly ruined my life. The police will do nothing because he was my husband. I am still reeling from the financial losses. I lost my house, my savings and those of my children, good credit record, and my marriage. He should be in jail but no one does anything as he continues to approach others to victimize them!"
Victims of identity theft face many obstacles and emotions but when identity theft is committed by a family member, victims face additional hardships such as torn family relationships, lack of support for filing charges by all family members and family members who urge the victim to drop charges.
The Identity Theft Resource Center survey and the case of identity theft by former district attorney, father and grandfather, Paul L. Kelly reminds us that often we need to protect ourselves not just in the forest but in the family tree as well.
]]>But the new and improved methods for stealing your credit and debit just keep coming, and the most recent one involves ATM/Credit/Debit Machine fraud. In 2003 reports regarding ATM fraud included the use of telescopic cameras, card skimming devices that record from the card's magnetic strip. Quite possible the most notable ATM fraud in recent years includes real ATM machines where people made legitimate withdrawals never knowing that their ATM card information was being stolen and recorded. Over 21,000 accounts in Florida, California and New York were compromised using this fake ATM machines.
The latest round of ATM fraud in the United States involves credit and debit card use at the pumps. As people just like me use their credit card to avoid charges and pay at the pump because of children in the car, technology in the form of malware and skimmers are being used to collect and record ATM information to be used for fraud and identity theft. In Fresno, California deputies are warning of "skimmers" that are being installed both inside and outside ATM machines in order to collect credit card numbers, and then that information is used to make fraudulent purchases.
ATM fraud isn't just happening at the gas pump, or even just in the United States. Australia has had its share of instances of ATM fraud. On June 4th 2009, the WA News for Perth, Australia reports an investigation into ATM machines that were "compromised" during the period of February to June. Two suspects are currently under investigation.
In Eastern Europe malware programs have been discovered in use to steal credit card information from ATM's. According to security vendor Trustwave the malware is, " installed on ATMs running Microsoft's Windows XP operating system that records sensitive card details." This software can be used to collect credit card data from the back of the card as well as PIN (personal identification number), software is then used to encrypt the data and printed out on the ATM's own printer. "The malware contains advanced management functionality allowing the attacker to fully control the compromised ATM through a customized user interface built into the malware," Trustwave wrote.
What are some ways to avoid ATM fraud?
Deputies in Fresno, California suggest the following to keep your credit card information safe:
-go inside the store to make your purchases whenever possible
-get a receipt
-carefully check your statements each month
-if you discover a pump that appears unusual report it to the attendant
-report any discrepancies or oddities at ATM's to the authorities, don't count on the attendant to do it.
Verizon Customers Beware of Emails Bearing Account Information News
Verizon Wireless customers may have recently received a phishing email scam message: that is one of two. However, both yield the same results, that of releasing your information to an unknown person. Verizon however, seems to be on top of the problem and has listed on their website Verizon Announcement, https://www.verizon.net/central/vzc.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=vzc_help_announcement&id=phishing_09_05 a copy of the email message you may receive as well as several different variations of it. The all yield the same result, releasing your:
* Username:
* Password:
* Date of Birth:
* Country or Territory:
Another version of the current Verizon Phishing scam simply provides a link to a site that you sign into, Of course that means you have now giving these thieves all they need to know about your Verizon account. Not only does this provide information to important account information but can also lead to Cell Phone Tapping: The Scary Truth about this Techno Crime.
Verizon customers, Report and delete this message.
Follow Up to Supreme Court Takes another Look at Federal Identity Theft Law
Just a few weeks ago we brought you information on a pending Supreme Court case regarding immigrants with illegal status and identity theft penalties. At that time, the Supreme Court was reviewing the law which permitted extending sentences to those who used fake identities to obtain employment, often with social security numbers that were not simply fake, they were someone else's.
The Law under Review:
The law is intended to punish identity thieves committing financial fraud has been used or threatened in immigration prosecutions in cases where the social security numbers used turn out to be actual social security numbers with owners.
Justice John Paul Stevens, just one of the justices concerned about the interpretation of the law by the government, said, "There's a basic problem here." He added, "You get an extra two years if it just so happens that the number you picked out of the air belonged to somebody else."
The federal government was not only adding additional time to sentences for immigrants using identities that were stolen, but also using these convictions as a means for deportation. The question is should someone who unknowingly uses a fake identity that in the end belongs to someone else be given harsher punishments than someone who simply uses a fake identity? Immigrants have no way of knowing that these identities that they purchase belong to someone else.
The Supreme Court agrees with defense attorneys that argue that there must be proof that the person charged with a crime (defendant) knew the social security number actually belonged to another person, in order to receive harsher penalties. They decided that if "a person is arrested for the federal crime of aggravated identity theft for possessing or using a fake social security card, the government must prove that the defendant knew the social security number belonged to another person."
As a result, if there is no proof that the thief was aware that the identity belongs to someone else, the punishment is less harsh. For example, if Uncle Joe applies for a credit card or job using your or your child's social security number that you gave him to set up a so called guardian account then his penalty would be more severe than someone who is simply using what they thought was a randomly generated Social Security number. After all he knew he was "borrowing" a current Social Security Number.
As identity theft and fraud becomes an ever increasing concern it is good to see that both companies and the law are making efforts to keep up with the increases in and new methods of phishing scams and financial frauds that take place daily with protection and punishment.
As expected, this action has raised many concerns about privacy rights and the overreaching arm of the law. Lundsten concluded that tracking someone's movements via GPS is no different from visual surveillance, which is a legal. It was also legal, according to Lundsten, for the police to secretly attach the GPS to Sveum's vehicle because they attached it to his car while it was parked in the driveway. A driveway is considered a public place, and therefore no violation of privacy had occurred.
Rulings like this raise many important questions about constitutional rights, the public safety, and how much power police should be granted in order to fulfill their duties. Should the police be given the power to spy on others without a warrant? Some would argue that law enforement already has the right to watch whomever they choose. However, does that mean we, as a society, should allow police the ability to secretly attach tracking devices to our vehicles? If this is legal, then what will come next? Civil rights activists worry that this is only the beginning because once we allow law enforcement the right to attach tracking devices to our vehicles, it is only a matter of time until they try to track us in other ways, including through the internet, on our person, and ultimately, inside our own homes.
Many worry that civil liberties and the right to privacy are going by the wayside and some fear that the United States Constitution is becoming a document of wishful thoughts rather than the supreme law that the Founding Fathers intended. Almost daily, we hear about the loss of rights we once took for granted, usually under the pretense of "safety", "public interest", or some other dubious claim.
There is another side to this issue, of course. Public safety, some will argue, is enhanced when we allow actions like this to take place. If we permit law enforcement to track the whereabouts of potentially dangerous criminals, then policemen might be able to prevent a serious crime from taking place. Warrants can take time to obtain and during the waiting period, a crime might take place that otherwise could have been prevented. Constitutionalists respond strongly to this way of thinking, pointing out that the basic rights of individuals should never be compromised for the gain of temporary safety. Corrupt law enforcement can create a phony safety concern, if necessary, and use it to violate individual rights. This concern isn't as far- fetched as it sounds and in many parts of the world, law enforcement and governing bodies have already used the premise of safety to justify erosion of basic rights. It has happened in other countries and it can happen in the United States, too.
Wanting to protect the public at large from dangerous criminals is one thing, but what if doing so involves surveillance and other violations of privacy? Where do we draw the line between public interest and the U.S. Constitution? Today, the issue involves a GPS, but it could be something far more serious tomorrow.
What do you think?
(
Is it Really MySpace ; Don't Play Games with Your Identity , and
What You Can Get Besides a Job by Posting Your Resume On Line )
This was my week once again, to be under attack from a variety of sources, including my Facebook account.
My week starts out like many others. On Sunday I stop by Facebook to find a message from a friend. The message said simply, tinyurl(dot)com/insert combination of numbers and letters here. Knowing this friend is a busy mother of 4 children, I thought she may have simply sent a link but, being the suspicious sort (look at the site I write for how could I not be?) I opened a separate window and hand typed in the URL address shown.
Tinyurl.com is a site that many people use to shorten a long URL (internet address) into a short one. You can use them on blogs, in email, and in newsletters (or on Twitter since you only get 140 characters) to post a site address.
There are good reasons to use Tinyurl, but they also help to hide a phishing scam that much better.
The page that appears from her suggested link is a Facebook sign in page, like that which you get when you type your password in wrong. But before I decide to include my email address and password, I think, "You know the color and placement is just a little off, and why should I type in my sign in information again to access a page that I am already in?" Looking even more closely I realize that the page is just not "quite right." Close but not exactly the same. I send a message to all the people who got this link invitation and state I suspect it to be a phishing scam and guess what, it was! The person whose account it came from later sent out a message that she didn't send it. It was reported to Facebook, but it makes you wonder how many people got their addresses and passwords hi-jacked before it was noticed that it was a scam. I know of at least three who sent a message out saying, "I did this it didn't work." It's unfortunate, and I recommended the notify Facebook and change their password immediately.
A similar instance happened a few weeks ago to my nephew's Facebook account. Luckily being online almost all the time he noticed his phantom message and sent another out saying his account was hijacked and to ignore any messages from him.
Next I am reading a recent article about Twitter, one of the newest crazes out there for social networking. In this article Tweeters (those who use Twitter) should beware of an email harvesting scam taking place on Twitter. Apparently many people actually do post their email in a message or on their "homepage" and after doing the search myself I was easily able to harvest many email addresses. Good thing I am not a scam artist, identity theft or phishing scam.
My week rolls on, and I receive several spam messages in my private email. I am actually very disappointed that these messages got through the MSN spam filter. Up until today I thought they were doing a very good job of catching scams and hoaxes. But several spam emails in one day were able to get through the filter. One asked me to help someone in China. Another pretended to be a charity needing donations. A third was another lottery scam, a version of the Nigerian Lottery scam. Now this is my personal email address, used only for friends and family, not business or even junk mail use. But yet, somehow the address has gotten out. Report, delete, report, delete. Time wasted but at least I knew what they were.
How can you protect yourself from these scams? As one friend on Facebook told me today, "I wish I had paid more attention to your articles, you knew right away it was a scam." She will be reading more often I am sure. Knowledge is essential, and when you next see an article in the news about these scams take a minute to learn about it. Hopefully our reporting from both personal and professional experience will keep you informed also of the latest and not so great Internet, social networking and email scams, hoaxes and phishing schemes.
Other tips: use a unique password for your social networking, email and other Internet sites, set up a fake email address for "junk mail" and be sure to exercise caution before simply clicking a link inside any message to you.
]]>In some ways the internet has made it easier to access information on people but you need to know that you're getting information on the right person. You also want to know that the information is reliable and complete. Half the story isn't enough when you're trying to protect your children, your aging parents or your business.
CourtRecords.org can help and they can help today. In just minutes you can access a database of both private and public records and print out the reports you need. No one even has to know you searched.
People have many reasons for needing to research people who've showed up in their neighborhoods or community groups. CourtRecords.org may be legally used for the following reasons:
*Fraud prevention
*Asset verification
*Location of criminals, witnesses, beneficiaries or heirs
*Research for debt collection
*Child support enforcement
*Compliance with federal, state or local laws or regulations
If you've got nagging questions you can get answers today at CourtRecords.org where you can find the following:
*Bankruptcy Records
*Birth Records
*Business Records
*Comprehensive Background
*Court Records
* Criminal Records
* Death Index
* Email search
* Federal Records
* Legal/Civil Judgments
* Marriage/Divorce
*People Search
*Property Records
*Relatives search
*Sex Offender Search
*Warrant search
*State Criminal Check
*Nationwide Criminal Check
*Phone Numbers
*Address History
*Neighbors' Names
*Neighborhood Info
*Aliases
*Sex Offender Check
*Possible Deceased Records
*Property Information
*Liens, Bankruptcies, and Judgments
CourtRecords.org does NOT disclose social security numbers but can only verify accuracy.
At CourtRecords.org all transactions are ONE-TIME only. You can choose Premium - Unlimited Criminal Searches for 1 Month for only $39.95. A Basic - One Time Criminal Report is $19.95 or you can add Unlimited People Search and Reports for $9.95. The 100% guarantee and No-Hit No-Charge Policy guarantees that if your query offers no results, you will not be charged.
CourtRecords.org is the most reliable and comprehensive records search site. CourtRecords.org:
* has over 15,000 visitors each month
* is updated daily with more than 600 new records weekly
* includes more than 1,247,528,873 records
* includes 1,592,733 database photographs
New people are entering our lives all the time including coaches, counselors, new neighbors, on line friends, on line dating service matches, potential business associates and so on. When you need to know more and you want to know now, CourtRecords.org is the fastest and easiest answer to all of your questions.
So what are you waiting for? CourtRecords.org is used and endorsed by private investigators. You can do your own private investigation today right at your own computer. You can have all the records you need for peace of mind or protection in your hands in minutes. CourtRecords.org is the one stop shop for court records and more.
According to Rick Mislan, former military intelligence officer and current cyber forensics teacher at Purdue University's Department of Computer and Information technology, "It's real, and it is pretty scary." Mislan says, "I think a lot of people think their cell phone calls are very secure but our privacy isn't always what we think it is."
It happened to Heather and Courtney Kuykendall who told NBC's Today Show that stalkers were "listening to us and recording us," and "we know that because they will record us and play it back as a voicemail." The Kuykendalls are featured on a YouTube video of a channel 13 WTHR investigative report by Bob Segall. The Kuykendalls, from Tacoma, Washington, were not only spied on and tracked but Courtney, a teenager, was harassed and threatened by an unknown caller for four months. Even after the family changed cell phones the calls continued. Once the FBI was brought in, the cyber stalking stopped but the stalker was never identified.
How does cell phone tapping work?
Cell phone spyware is marketed on the web by sites offering the latest spy technology and tempting customers with idea of catching a cheating spouse, listening in on a boss or coworker or even spying on a babysitter. Web sites claim that you can spy without anyone ever knowing. Most of these services are offered from Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom and vendors charge anywhere from $60.00 to $3,000.
Are cell phone tapping programs legal?
No. Using these programs without permission is illegal. That doesn't mean it isn't happening and a lot more often than most of us ever knew.
"These are gross violations of the federal and state laws," said Joe Farren, a spokesperson for CITA-The Wireless Association, an industry organization representing the nation's major cell phone manufacturers. Farren adds, "It's very clear, without their express permission, you can't listen in to someone's phone calls, you cannot read their text messages, you can't track their movements. You can't do any of those things and there are numerous laws being broken."
Reporter Tests Out the Cell Spyware
Reporter Bob Segall use a cell phone spyware program on a producer's cell phone, with her permission. He admitted that downloading the spyware took several attempts and some patience but once it was up it worked just as the vendor as promised. This demonstration reveals what can happen when your cell phone is tapped:
Segall could her hear her phone conversations that she was having her home on his own cell phone from outside of her house. He also received constant satellite updates on her location and he could read all of her text messages. Unbelievably Segall could hear her conversation from four miles away when her cell phone was in the room, even though the cell phone was not turned on.
Can You Tell if Your Cell Phone has been Tapped?
You may very well never know but here are signs to look for:
- If your cell phone battery is warm even when your phone has not been in use.
- If your cell phone lights up at unexpected times, especially if the phone is not even in use.
- If you hear unexpected beeps or clicks during phone conversations.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
-Keep a close eye on your cell phone (don't leave it in an unlocked gym locker) so that no one has an opportunity to download information such as spyware
-Install and use a security password on your phone
-Take the battery out of the phone when not in use
-Only use new, prepaid cell phones for especially sensitive information
Be aware that high-end cell phones that allow for internet or online access are the most vulnerable.
Think that no one would be interested in boring phone cell phone conversations? Consider these questions. Have you ever called your bank and given your social security or credit card or debit card numbers over the phone? Have you ever called a catalog company and placed an order using your debit or credit card? Have you ever called your doctor's office and been asked for your date of birth? These cell phone spyware programs make identity theft, as well as a host of crimes easy to commit and difficult and to trace.
]]>The Incident:
On May 3, 2006 computer equipment was stolen from the Virginia home of an employee of the Department of Veteran's Affairs. The Federal Bureau of Investigation recovered the computer equipment on June 28, 2006.
The Risk:
The information on the stolen Department of Veteran's Affairs employee's computer included personal information for veteran's, spouses of veteran's and military employees including:
-Names
-Social security numbers
-Dates of birth
-Disability ratings for some individuals
Reportedly there were no health records or financial records included.
The Rub:
When the FBI recovered the stolen computer, the review of the computer equipment showed that the data had not been assessed. Of course this assurance would not be enough for some individuals who were rightly concerned about the risk of identity theft.
The Court Findings:
The Defendants in this case include the United States Department of Veteran's Affairs, the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary and the involved employee of the Department of Veteran's Affairs.
The court did not find for the Defendants or the Plaintiffs in the case. Instead both agreed to a settlement to resolve the case and provide payments to those directly affected. Legal notices advise that the settlement does not mean that any law was broken and the Defendants deny call claims of wrongdoing in this case..
Well, don't we all feel better knowing that it is really O.K. for government employees to take home our personal information on a computer and then not even protect the computer from theft?
Who's Entitled?
A $20 million settlement fund has been established for anny veteran, spouse of a veteran or military employee who had actual damages between May 3, 2006 and February 11, 2009 that were directly related to the computer theft.
Actual damages may include:
-Out of pocket expenses incurred as a direct result of the theft
-Money used to protect or monitor financial information
-Physical symptoms of severe emotional stress
-Purchases of credit monitoring to prevent identity theft
The minimum payment for each valid claim is $75.00 and the maximum payment will be up to $1,500.00 per member as long as fees remain. If there are remaining funds after all fees and claims have been paid, the monies will be donated to the Fisher House Foundation and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
Claim forms must be accessed at www.VeteransClass..com or 1-888-288-9625 and filed by November 27, 2009.
Of course even if you are qualified to be part of this settlement but you do not wish to agree to the terms of this settlement you must exclude yourself no later than June 29, 2009 and the court will hold a hearing on this case on July 28, 2009.
Readers we'd love to know what you think about this story!
A government employee takes home your personal information, it is stolen and the government agency claims no wrongdoing. How do you feel about these situations and being put at risk for identity theft? What would you have done? Would you accept this class action settlement or no? We'd love to hear your reaction.
]]>In this video you can hear from her as well as Wells Fargo and the Police Department that arrested her. What has happened? After 2 years of legal battles and over $50,000.00 in expenses trying to clear her name, charges against Margo Somerville have been dropped. That's the good news. The bad news is that the District Attorney's office dismissed the charges based on a "lack of evidence." See for yourself what evidence they had against her and if it convinces you.
Margot Somerville did everything right. She didn't carry her Social Security Number with her. She reported her cards stolen, as well as her purse. But this still happened to her - a respected member of her community, a former bank president and grandmother. Not only do we need better protection from identity theft, but we need a better understanding of the harm that identity theft does to its victims by law enforcement officials and law makers.
This is not the first case, what about "Identity Theft Lands Pregnant Woman In Jail: An Identity Theft Tragedy" and "But Officer, I'm A Victim of Identity Theft"
Share with us your stories. Have you experienced being a victim and the accused? What do you think can be done to protect victims of identity theft crime?
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]]>Patrice Thomas of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida went to extreme measures to give herself an extreme makeover. She was arrested on April 9 and is charged with identity theft and fraud after paying for $14,000 worth of cosmetic surgery using stolen credit.
Last August the defendant applied for a credit card on line using another woman's stolen identity. After receiving the credit card, Thomas obtained a photo i.d. card at a passport shop with the other woman's identity. She used the photo i.d. and first credit card to pay an initial $9,000 towards cosmetic surgery including a tummy tuck procedure at Weston Cosmetic Surgery Center. She then charged the remaining $4,000 on another credit card that prosecutors claim was also fraudulently obtained.
Records show that Dr. Charles Messa removed excess skin and fat from Thomas' abdomen on November 2.
How was the Tummy Tuck Identity Thief caught?
Federal agents discovered four credit cards carrying different names during a search of Thomas' home in an unrelated case. The tummy tuck apparently wasn't her first theft.. Thomas has a prior record for grand theft, drug possession and using false identification.
This tummy tuck fiend is currently tucked away in Miami's Federal Detention Center on $100,000 bond. If convicted Thomas could get up to four years in prison.
Sound familiar? It's actually happened before.
Last year a California woman used another woman's identity to get not only a tummy tuck and liposuction but also a breast lift. The cosmetic surgery was scheduled last February but Londie Bowman only had $12,000 of the $20,000 needed to cover her body makeover. The thirty two year old presented a debit card to pay the balance and when the transaction was declined, she called a bank supervisor who approved the transaction over the phone for a Plastic Surgery Specialist worker. Bowman almost got away with it.
Plastic Surgery Specialists sent a get well recovery bouquet to the patient's Martinez address but it was received by Maija Lamberts who said that her purse, along with her bank cards had been stolen several months earlier.
The identity theft trail may have gone cold there but Bowman called back for a follow up because her navel was itching. Police were waiting when Bowman arrived for check up and she arrested and received a nine-month sentence.
Eva Bennett, the deputy public defender in the case said "I'm shocked that for this kind of nonviolent crime that Ms. Bowman got this kind of time at the district attorney's insistence." Her client could have actually gotten a sentence of up to four years in jail.
We have to wonder if the newly implemented procedures stemming from the Red Flag rules would have sent up red flags in either of these cases to protect the victim's from identity theft.
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