Another insider was unable to resist the temptation to take advantage of his access to reams of personal information and sold the information belonging to 2.3 million consumers to a data broker, who then sold it to marketing companies.
A senior database administrator a subsidiary of Fidelity National Information Services stands accused of swiping the information [...]

A new study by the GAO, otherwise known as the Government Accounting Office, shows that there are serious weaknesses in the laws that govern the use of social security numbers by private agencies and organizations.
The laws currently on the books seem to be intended primarily to govern the way that social security numbers are used [...]

Give a criminal a resource — just about any resource — and he will probably find away to use it for some type of criminal activity.
This time, it’s criminals that are already behind bars who have managed to pull off a clever scam using the telephone.
An inmate in jail will make a collect call to [...]

In yet another variation of the phony check scams that have become so popular, this one involves sending a check to someone who has been involved in mystery shopping.
Mystery shopping, also called secret shopping is a legitimate employment opportunity if you are dealing with a reputable company. In fact, I did a little of it a [...]

As the rate of foreclosures rises, the scam artists are ready and all-too-willing to take advantage of homeowners who are already in trouble.
Known as “equity stripping,” the various scams involve contacting homeowners who may be having difficulty making their mortgage payments and could be facing foreclosure.
The scam artists offer the homeowner cash to help them [...]

I was reading an interesting article about how just about anyone can get free identity theft protection if they are willing to put in the time and effort to do it on their own.
There were a number of nice tips in this article that I was not previously aware of, including:
You can place a “Fraud [...]

In yet another case of it-didn’t-happen-because-of-the-Internet Identity theft, an Oklahoma identity theft ring has been put out of business by law enforcement authorities.
This gang had an interesting and quite low-tech approach when it came to gathering information on their potential victims. They simply cruised through neighborhoods and wrote down addresses of homes where they thought [...]

The state of Ohio seems to be taking steps to improve its electronic security. With two recent security incidents involving personal data being lost by state employees or contractors, state officials must be feeling the heat these days.
The latest news is that the state is working on a project to remove all social security numbers [...]

It’s so convenient to make purchases these days. Walk into the store, make your selection and then go to the cashier and “swipe” your debit card, punch in your PIN and be on your way. Who needs to carry cash?
I’m not advocating an end to debit or credit cards — heck, I use them all [...]