Seattle Firm Suing Texas Debt-Resolution Company

Today's down economy and credit squeeze has more and more people looking for help in resolving their problems with debt.

The largest debt-resolution company in the country is called Credit Solutions, but many of its customers claim it has caused them credit problems. It promises to help the growing number of people who have problems with their credit. But now a Texas-based company is being sued by a Seattle firm, accused of doing more harm than good for thousands of consumers.

Now a class action lawsuit has been filed in Seattle against the company, Credit Solutions of America, since one of the alleged victims is from here. She wouldn't go on camera, but plenty of others would, including Misty Adams and Darlene Bradford.

"They promised after three years I'd be completely out of debt," Bradford said.

"They were going to lower my debt by about 50 percent," said Adams. "It sounded like a good deal."

Both had gotten deeply into credit card debt. But they said after going to Credit Solutions for help, they found themselves deeper in the red. And they aren't alone.

More than 1,000 complaints against Credit Solutions have been registered with the Better Business Bureau in the past three years, leading the B.B.B. to warn consumers that there are bad actors in the debt-resolution business.

"If they're asking you for money up front, (that's) a huge red flag. Typically you don't pay someone $500 that can look at your debt and help you get out of it," said Paula Fleming of the B.B.B.

Credit Solutions charges a fee of 15 percent of the debt amount. It promises to negotiate with the lenders so the client can pay less -- up to 60 percent less.

But Darlene Bradford said she paid Credit Solutions $1,000 in fees and got no relief from her debt.

Tyler Weaver is with the Seattle law firm filing a national class-action lawsuit against Credit Solutions, accusing the company of violating consumer protection laws. MORE

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Lawsuit accuses collector of harassment over invalid debts

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Monday sued an Illinois debt-collection agency for attempting to collect invalid debts from Minnesotans.

"This debt collector crossed the line by pursuing debt people said they didn't owe and failing to verify that they did owe it," Swanson said. The office received more than 50 complaints about AFNI Inc., a collection agency in Bloomington, Ill., that's been in business for 70 years. Swanson said she's seeing an uptick in the number of debt-collection complaints as the economy falters. Indeed, complaints about collection agencies are on the rise nationwide: The Better Business Bureau reports that it received more than 18,000 complaints in 2007, up 26 percent compared to 2006. The agency's Minnesota and North Dakota branch saw 29 percent more complaints in 2007, for a total of 798.

The lawsuit, filed in Hennepin County District Court, alleges that in addition to not verifying debts, AFNI collectors would "badger Minnesota citizens into paying debts that they do not owe, improperly reported illegitimate debts to credit bureaus, and refused to take steps to remove the debts from Minnesota citizens' credit reports," violating state and federal collection laws.

AFNI, a member of the Edina-based collections industry trade group ACA International, said it had not seen the lawsuit and declined to comment.

Megan Simonson of Minneapolis had difficulty buying a home because of a blemished credit report due to a debt she did not owe, according to a sworn affidavit. A victim of identity theft, she tried countless times to resolve the matter with AFNI and failed. At one point she resigned herself to paying half of the debt in order to close on her home purchase, but changed her mind when the company told her payment would be an admission of guilt.

"In addition to having one AFNI agent lie to me and attempt to defraud me, AFNI simply would not act to address my concerns and resolve the problem with the false debt in time for me to close on my house," she stated.

The complaint also said some debts that AFNI attempted to collect were as much as a decade old. And proving that the debts weren't theirs fell on the shoulders of the consumers, not the agency, according to the suit. The term "zombie debt" has been coined for old debt that's hard to verify and won't go away. MORE

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For more information of you rights under the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act see earlier blog:

Debt Collectors Gone Wild

How to deal with abusive Debt Collectors -Do you Know your Rights?

Appeals Court Rules Aggressive Debt Collector Violates Consumer Rights

For much more information, news of recently filed lawsuits, tips and debt collection rights visit Attorneys John Watts & Stan Herring's informative  Law Blog

The Federal Reserve Board and two other federal banking agencies have released a proposed rule that aims to reform some of the most unfair credit card tricks.

But this important new rule of fair play is just a proposal.  The banks are fighting hard to weaken the rule before it becomes final.
 

Guests: Sarah Byrnes from Americans For Fairness in Lending (affil.org) and

Ira Rheingold, Executive Director and General Counsel for National Association of Consumer Advocates
NACA.net

discuss their collaborative effort calling for re-regulation of abusive credit and lending industry practices. Find out what you can do to help -and what "tricks and traps" to beware of!

Abusive lending practices are hurting Americans.

Credit card contracts are packed with fine print tricks and traps to increase the likelihood of paying fees and penalties!

Have you received your credit card bill, only to realize that that it was due so soon that you have to pay it right away?

Has your credit card company raised the rate on money you've already borrowed for no reason or for a flimsy reason?

These are just a couple of the many unfair rules that credit card companies created and insist you play by. When those who profit also write the rules, the cards are often stacked against us.  It's time to play fair...Don't let the banks win!

Please Tell the Feds about your experiences Before Monday!

Go to AFFIL.org

Learn more about the proposed rules and fill out a simple form here to send an e-mail to the Federal Reserve Board sharing your opinion or experience with unfair credit card practices. 

 Take Action now -before the comment period closes on Monday! 

The proposed rule includes these important credit card reforms:

• Gives you more time to pay. A payment can't be treated as late for fees or negative credit reporting unless the bill was mailed or delivered to you at least 21 days before the due date.  This helps end card companies' ever-shrinking repayment periods.
• Ends tricks that increase your finance charges. Card companies routinely require you to pay off low-interest balances (like transfer balances at teaser rates) before  allowing you to touch higher-interest debt (like new purchases). That's never in your best interest. The rule requires that your payments must be allocated to give you the full benefit of a discounted promotional rate.
• Prohibits rate increases on your existing balance. Today, when a card company jacks up your interest rate, for whatever reason, it applies that rate hike to your current balance. Under the new rule, rate increases can be applied to your prior balance only if you have a variable rate card, your promotional rate expires or is lost, or you pay your bill more than 30 days late.
• Eliminates hidden interest charges. Today, some card companies charge interest even on debt repaid during the grace period. The proposed rule would end that.

To download, share or listen to the show go to: ListenToSpotLight.com

or simply listen here...

Information about some current and former employees of Anheuser-Busch was stolen during a recent burglary at a company office in St. Louis, according to a statement.

Several laptops were stolen during the burglary and one contained password-protected, encrypted information about employees and family members, according to the statement from Tim Farrell, vice president of the company's corporate human resources department.

The company reported the burglary to police and is working with investigators, the statement says. It did not say when the burglary occurred, how many people were affected or whether any Hampton Roads employees or ex-employees of Busch Gardens were included.

So far, company officials don't know of any illegal use of the personal information, the statement says. Employees whose information was on the machine were notified and were being offered free credit monitoring for a year, the statement says. Employees who need more information on this data theft should call 800-913-4502.

Source: Hampton Roads.com

Update:

150,000 across the country affected by Anheuser-Busch data loss

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Reports indicate a laptop is stolen every 12 seconds.

If your concerned your laptop could be next, you might want to consider a product that not only tracks the whereabouts of the stolen laptop, but once connected to the Internet, the software silently retrieves, and then deletes, files from machine and returns the data to the rightful owner. See earlier blog:
Laptop Theft on the Rise: GPS for laptops

Insurance benefit letters sent to wrong addresses by Blue Cross and Blue Shield reveal claim histories, open door to ID theft.

Georgia's largest health insurer sent an estimated 202,000 benefits letters containing personal and health information to the wrong addresses last week, in a privacy breach that also raised concerns about potential identity theft.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia said Monday that the erroneous mailings were primarily Explanation of Benefits (EOB) letters, which include the patient's name and ID number, the name of the medical provider delivering the service, and the amounts charged and owed.

"A small percentage" of letters also contained the patient's Social Security numbers, said Cindy Sanders, a Blue Cross spokeswoman. The EOB forms were mailed to the addresses of other Blue Cross policyholders.

The security breach may be a violation of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which protects patients' medical information. The privacy rules were fully implemented in 2003, but few fines have been assessed under the law, experts said.

While the insurer said it was still determining the number of letters involved, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, whose office is investigating the problem, gave a preliminary estimate of 202,000.

That figure does not equal the number of patients affected, though, because some would have received multiple EOBs if they had visited several medical providers, Oxendine said.

"This is very, very serious," Oxendine said. A person with knowledge of medicine or billing, for example, could determine if the patient was treated for cancer, HIV or fertility problems, he said.

Blue Cross said the mix-up was caused by a change in the computer system that was not properly tested.

"As soon as we became aware of the mailing error, we worked to determine the exact cause, and we have made changes to prevent it from happening again in the future," Sanders said.

Blue Cross has 3.1 million Georgia policyholders.

The error occurred statewide and affected both employer and individual health benefit plans. The company has many state employees and schoolteachers as members, as well as large and small corporate customers. Blue Cross declined to identify large employers that it serves. MORE

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NEW LONDON - A Connecticut College library system was breached by hackers apparently looking to set up chat rooms or send spam e-mails, the school reported Friday.

The hackers broke into two servers holding data for a consortium of Connecticut College, Wesleyan University and Trinity College. The servers are located at the consortium's headquarters at Wesleyan.

The database includes the names, addresses and Social Security or driver's license numbers of approximately 2,800 Connecticut College library patrons, 12 Wesleyan University patrons and three from Trinity.

There's no evidence that personal information was stolen, but affected individuals will be mailed letters with information on how to enroll in an identity protection service. All personal information has been deleted from the database and steps were taken to secure the servers. The consortium gives library patrons access to the resources of all three member colleges' libraries.

Individuals with questions may email Ruth Seeley, manager of computer support services, or  call 860-439-2052

Source: CT Courrant.com

Earlier posts have talked about underground chat rooms and websites that are frequented by thieves who sell your your personal information such as credit card numbers, Social Security Numbers, birth dates, drivers license numbers and more. These bits of identifying information have a growing market and are bought and sold every day multiple times and to multiple people!  You may spend months or years trying to restore your good name, only to find out you and your information is still in an underground chat room -for sale!

Here's a portion of a story from the Baltimore Sun that details how easily your information is sold...with you none the wiser....

Black market in stealing your data is thriving

Baltimore Sun: It wasn't clear what freaked Jerrell Ellerbe out more: when I read him his mother's maiden name, or the part when I told him his date of birth.

I'm guessing, though, that what disturbed him most was when I supplied his e-mail address and then read his complete Social Security number to him.

"Who are you again?" the 25-year-old data entry specialist said, clearly shaken. "Tell me who you are again?"

If I were someone with wicked intentions, I might have shaken him down for money. Or heck, not call him at all and just taken his data on a shopping spree.

But since I'm just your friendly neighborhood consumer columnist, I identified myself to him again and then explained why I was doing this: I wanted Ellerbe to know that his confidential information was floating out there on the World Wide Web on international chat rooms, message boards and Web sites that specialize in buying, selling and trading personal and financial data for criminal activities.

"I think I feel sick," said Ellerbe, who lives near Washington, D.C.

"The thought of it just turns my stomach. I had no idea my information, all that information, was out there. You can't even live a peaceful life anymore. There's always someone out there doing something crazy to you," he said

Little do many people such as Ellerbe know there is a thriving online black market in credit card account and PIN numbers, Social Security numbers and all manner of sensitive data for prices as little as $6 to $14 per victim. Every time a laptop goes missing, a corporation's security network is breached or a consumer gets duped into sharing passwords and financial data online, security and law enforcement experts say it's likely that information ends up in an online auction.

Security firm Symantec Corp. says it has seen a rise in the amount of data theft and data loss to the online black market. Dean Turner, director of Symantec's Global Intelligence Network, says, "If I had to guess, I'd say the losses could reach multimillions, if not billions, of dollars worldwide."

Steve Sakamoto-Wengel, the Maryland attorney general's consumer protection counsel for regulation, legislation and policy, agreed and said, "Remember the TJX Companies data breach last year? That was 47 million credit card numbers, maybe more, obtained by hackers just for those purposes.""A lot of these chat rooms and Web sites are international, based in other countries," Sakamoto-Wengel said. "It's hard to track who is behind them." Many consumers might not even realize their data have been compromised.

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An earlier blog has a link to a video that shows just how much information is bought and sold in underground chat rooms.

See blog, video and tips on what you can do to protect yourself see earlier blog:  The Dateline Investigation...What should I do?

 

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Some unsuspecting residents are on the receiving end of some phony phone calls that could leave their bank accounts dry.

Identity thieves are posing as UPS workers but the only thing they're delivering is deception.

Chris George, manager of the UPS Store in Springfield has been fielding phone calls from concerned customers. Scammers have skimmed the 1-800 phone number of his Sixteen Acres store to call unsuspecting residents across western Massachusetts, hoping to steal someone's identity.

"We got a call from a gentleman in Amherst saying he had received a phone call from a party alleging they were from UPS or package delivery service, trying to obtain and confirm his address in hopes of getting more personal information," said George.

Fortunately the man had his guard up and scared the swindler away. Meantime, Springfield police are working the phones to try and trap the thieves.

"Reputable companies do not look to the Internet or phone for date of birth or bank accounts, that's not how business is done," said Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney. This shady business is not only over the phone lines, but online as well.

"We have gotten word from UPS there's a separate e-mail scam," recalled George.That scam was sent to the inboxes of 22News employees with an embedded virus. It could take some time to find these perpetrators, possibly hiding anywhere across the world.

38 accused in identity theft scheme
Ring stole more than $230,000 over 14 months

More than three dozen people have been indicted in what Fort Bend County authorities said was a fraud and identity theft ring that stole more than $230,000 from lending agencies.

The 38 people indicted in May and June stole hundreds of identities between December 2006 and February 2008, sheriff's spokeswoman Terriann Carlson said Thursday.

Carlson said a yearlong investigation conducted by the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office and other local law agencies focused on hundreds of fraudulent short-term loans, commonly known as "payday loans."

Police said the suspects would obtain a person's identity information and use it to obtain a loan. Money was to be deposited in checking accounts opened in the Houston area. Once the money was wired to the account, one of the suspects would withdraw the funds.

Carlson said the investigation led detectives in February to a home in northwest Harris County in the 10800 block of Waterfern Court where Wesley Thomas Dixon, 48, was arrested. He has been charged with fraudulent use and possession of identifying information.

Barbara Maria Guinn, 33, and Sequietta Combs Grevious 33, were also arrested. Carlson said Guinn and Grevious are accused of recruiting people for the alleged scheme and of providing support to Dixon. They were indicted on charges of theft. Dixon and Grevious are being held without bail, and Guinn's bail was set at $50,000.

Carlson said police believe Dixon used identities of more than 500 people to apply for more than a thousand loans valued between $200 and $800 each.

Two others, Tracy Spencer Gilmore, 34, and Chante Monique Small, 32, were also indicted on charges of stealing information from their employers and providing the stolen identities to Dixon, Carlson said. Gilmore is still at large and Small was released from jail on $20,000 bail.

Carlson said evidence indicates that Gilmore was employed by Kelsey-Seybold Clinic and Small was employed by HCA-Clear Lake Regional Medical Center when they stole information from patient records.

Two others, Chace Barrett, 20, and Tadrick B. Goodman, 30, have been taken into custody.

Carlson said police are seeking the remaining 31 people who were indicted.

Source: Houston & Texas News

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DMV puts Colorado residents at risk of ID theft

The Denver Post

The Division of Motor Vehicles put 3.4 million Coloradans at risk of identity theft due to flaws in the way driver's-license information is handled, lawmakers recently learned at an interim transportation committee hearing.

The DMV regularly sends large batches of personal information over the Internet without encryption and has failed to properly limit access to its database, according to a recent audit.

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UnitedHealthcare insider charged in Cal data theft

IDG News Service -A former UnitedHealthcare employee has been charged with stealing customer data in connection with a rash of identity thefts at the University of California, Irvine.

Mike Tyrone Thomas Jr., 27, was arrested at his Fort Worth, Texas, home on July 7 and now faces a fraud charge in connection with a scam that hit 163 students enrolled in the university's Graduate Student Health Insurance Program. He also faces a charge of aggravated assault relating to a November 2007 incident, although it was unclear if the charges are related.

Thomas accessed the customer data, which he was not authorized to see, in late October, according to authorities. In February, U.C. Irvine graduate students started noticing that their 2007 tax returns had already been filed by someone else, apparently in the hope of collecting their tax refund checks.

At the time he allegedly accessed the data, Thomas was working for UnitedHealthcare's student resources department, a division of its Dallas group, said U.C. Irvine campus police chief Paul Henisey. He didn't know if other UnitedHealthcare customers were affected by the breach but said it's a possibility. MORE

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Man Gets 4 Years for ID Theft, Software Piracy

A 23-year-old Oregon man was sentenced this week to four years in federal prison for using computer viruses to steal financial data from dozens of consumers. Investigators say the man used the information to set up multiple eBay and PayPal accounts, which helped him sell more than $1 million worth of pirated software.

Jeremiah Joseph Mondello, of Eugene, Ore., admitted distributing keystroke logging programs via online instant message networks. Investigators say he then used bank account credentials stolen from victims to set up more than 40 online auction accounts in the victims' names. MORE

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This week's reported data loss:

Ohio University - July 25th
Names and Social Security numbers posted on the internet 

University of Houston - July 24th
Social Security numbers and names found on web 

Hillsborough Community College - July 24th
Social Security numbers, names, addresses, and routing numbers of 2,000 stored on stolen laptop 

Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center - July 24th
128,000 notified about possible database intrusion)

Village of Tinley Park, Illinois - July 24th
Lost backup tape contains Social Security numbers of 20,400

Minneapolis Veterans Home -July 20th
Stolen server contains Social Security numbers, addresses, and medical information

Click here for earlier July

A woman in Taunton, Massachusetts killed herself after faxing a letter to the mortgage company saying that she would be dead by the time they foreclosed on her home.
 

Police said 53-year old Carlene Balderrama fatally shot herself with her husband's high-powered rifle Tuesday afternoon, 90 minutes before the couple's foreclosed home was to be sold at auction.
 

The mortgage company called police after they received the fax.

Officers found Balderrama's body shortly afterward.

Police officials said Balderrama's husband never saw it coming.

"He had no idea. She handled all the bills and he just had no idea. This really is a tragedy," said Taunton Police Chief Raymond O'Berg. Authorities said Balderrama left a note for her family that said her life insurance money should be used to pay off the house.

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A recent email: A desperate homeowner seeking help...

Our Lender or the loans servicer has put us in foreclosure and is returning the payments.

The issue is over a payment they say they did not receive.

We are being bullied even though we have the canceled check in question.

Their entire push is to have us sign a document that makes us pay all kind of fees and late payments.

This amount is over $10,000 and will be attached to the loan balance.

They say this is the only way to stop the foreclosure.

We don't have the money to fight this in court!

Where can we go for help? We have all the documented facts if we can get someone to listen.

If you can help please email

ineedmortagehelp@gmail.com

For more information on Mortgage Servicing Fraud:

See a few of my earlier blogs:

Former EMC employee publicly discloses the Ugly truth
and the many links on that entry.

Also see: Jack Wright's story:  Here's why we need the right to receive monthly statements!

See Mike Dillon's story: At GetDShirtz.com

We've all heard the reports. Illegal immigration costs the country billions of dollars each year. How  much does it cost you personally?

How do you think we should handle immigration reform?

Listen to opposing viewpoints and you decide...

Part I Guests: Edwin Rubenstein; author of several reports on the subject and Ira Mehlmen of Fairus.org will represent their position.

Part II Guests include: Mike Farrell,  Activist, Actor, and Author of the new release Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist and Roberto Lovato, blogger and Contributing Associate Editor of New America Media  will share another viewpoint.

Additional Guests and date & time for Part II will be announced as soon as details allow.

 

The Costs of Illegal Immigration Part 1 of a 2 Part Series

 

Date / Time: 7/24/2008 1:00 PM 

If you miss the live show -it will remain available immediately after the show here and on spotlight!

Show Call-in Number: (718) 664-6583

 The phone rings, you pick it up, and the caller identifies himself as an officer of the court. He says you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant is out for your arrest. You say you never received a notice. To clear it up, the caller says he'll need some information for "verification purposes"-your birth date, social security number, maybe even a credit card number.
 
This is when you should hang up the phone. It's a scam.

Jury scams have been around for years, but have seen a resurgence in recent months. Communities in more than a dozen states have issued public warnings about cold calls from people claiming to be court officials seeking personal information. As a rule, court officers never ask for confidential information over the phone; they generally correspond with prospective jurors via mail.

The scam's bold simplicity may be what makes it so effective. Facing the unexpected threat of arrest, victims are caught off guard and may be quick to part with some information to defuse the situation.

"They get you scared first," says a special agent in the Minneapolis field office who has heard the complaints. "They get people saying, 'Oh my gosh! I'm not a criminal. What's going on?'" That's when the scammer dangles a solution-a fine, payable by credit card, that will clear up the problem.

With enough information, scammers can assume your identity and empty your bank accounts.

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For more info on "phishing" scams search the archives or read a few earlier posts:

Beware of Phishing Scams

Scams Related to Flood Clean-up

IRS Warns of Email Scam

(aside from the warnings in the above IRS warning of email scams,  the IRS has issued a warning of additionally known scams you should not fall for. They include:

Substitute Form 1040 Fax Scam

This scam consists of a cover letter and form that are faxed, rather than e-mailed. The letter says that the IRS is updating its files. The attached form requests a large amount of detailed personal and financial information. It asks the recipient to sign and fax back the completed form, as well as a copy of the recipient's driver's license and passport.

Company Report Scam

This e-mail appears to come from an IRS.gov e-mail address, addresses recipients by name and references the company the recipient works for. The e-mail says that the IRS has a report on the company and asks the recipient to review a copy by clicking on a link to download the report. However, when the link is clicked, malware is downloaded to the recipient's computer.

Tax Court Scam

In this scam, an e-mail that appears to come from the U.S. Tax Court contains a petition involving a court case between the IRS and the recipient. The document instructs the recipient to download other files. The downloads transfer malware, or malicious code, to the recipient's computer.

The truth is that the Tax Court is not e-mailing notices to anyone who currently has a case before the court.

What to Do

To access the IRS Web site, type www.irs.gov directly into your Internet browser window, NEVER click on a link in an e-mail, (dial a provided phone number)  or open an attachment, by clicking on provided links you may download malicious code or be sent to a phony Web site.

 

Rapper DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was arrested in a Phoenix mall Saturday and charged with identity theft in relation to a hospital visit, police said.

Simmons gave a false name and Social Security number to a hospital to get out of paying for medical expenses.

According to the Associated Press, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said that DMX went to Scottsdale's Mayo Clinic in April, under the name "Troy Jones" and then he failed to pay a $7,500 bill, worth of medical care for pneumonia.

The rapper's attorney, Cameron Morgan, declined to comment on the matter.

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There are two facets to medical identity theft; one is financial and the other involves your health care. Medical identity theft happens when a thief uses your social security number or health insurance to obtain medical services and health care benefits -including prescriptions, without your knowledge. Medical identity theft can carry with it damaging, far-reaching effects. Not only is medical id theft hard to detect, it is even more difficult to correct than the more commonly recognized -financial identity theft. 

Victims of medical identity theft have found their medical histories contaminated with false diagnosis, billings for surgeries they never had, prescriptions they never received and bogus allergies and blood type notations -all services and notations that belong to someone else -the thief!

What to Watch For:

• When you receive a notice from your insurance company, open it immediately. If you receive any notices for treatment that you don't recognize -dispute with your insurance company. After reading these notices, make sure you shred them before throwing them in the trash. Closely review your "explanation of benefits" statements.

 

• Check your credit report regularly. If you find medical bills on your credit reports that you don't recognize, dispute them with the credit reporting agencies and notify your insurance company.

 

• If you receive mail from hospitals where you have or haven't been a patient, don't assume that this mail is junk mail and throw it away. It could be a notice of a data breach or data theft. If you get this type of notice, you should notify the Credit reporting agencies and have fraud alerts placed on your credit file.

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UMD Released Students' Social Security Numbers

The University of Maryland said Thursday they accidentally released the addresses and social security numbers of thousands of students. The University of Maryland's Department of Transportation Services sent all students, a total of more than 23,000, registered for classes a brochure with on-campus parking information. It was sent by U.S. Mail.

The University discovered the labels on the mailing had the students' social security numbers on it as well. The brochure was sent using third class delivery and some students may still have not received the item.

The University said they apologized and deeply regretted the mistake. "We are initiating immediate action to ensure that this error does not recur. We strongly recommend that you take appropriate precautions to mask, black out or destroy this document after use," stated an e-mail, signed by DOTS Director David Allen.

The mailings were sent out July 1, but the problem was not discovered until July 8. A website was set up in response to the mistake. The university is offering free credit reports to students for free.

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Bristol-Myers: Tape With Workers' Personal Data Was Stolen
 

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) said a backup computer-data tape containing employees' personal information, including Social Security numbers, was stolen recently.

The New York drug maker learned of the theft on June 4, and began notifying current and former employees by letter in the past few days, spokeswoman Tracy Furey told Dow Jones Newswires Thursday afternoon.

It was the latest in a series of security breaches involving customer or employee data in the corporate world. A Bristol-Myers rival, Pfizer Inc. (PFE), said last year that personal data for some of its current and former employees were exposed. MORE

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Social Security Numbers Breached in University of Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) -- The personal information of almost 2500 University of Texas students and faculty has been exposed on the Internet.

An independent watchdog discovered more than five dozen files containing confidential graduate applications, test scores, and social security numbers.

The files were inadvertently posted by at least four different UT professors to a file server for the School of Biological Sciences.

The files were discovered in January 2008 and University officials restricted access to the files at that time, but copies remained in the Yahoo search engine caches until at least late May.

The person who made the discovery says it indicates systemic deficiencies in the way the University trains staff and scans servers for sensitive information. MORE

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Breach puts Missouri soldiers' personal data at risk

The Missouri National Guard has called for a criminal investigation after it learned that the personal information of as many as 2,000 soldiers had been breached.

"I am distressed that sensitive information has been compromised," Major General King Sidwell said in a prepared statement.

"I am especially concerned about the problems and inconveniences this may cause for our Missouri National Guard Citizen-Soldiers and their families," King said.

The Guard would not release how the personal information had been taken -- whether by computer hackers or other means -- because it has asked for a "full law enforcement investigation into the matter, the statement said. MORE

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Metro Mistakenly Publishes Employees' Social Security Numbers
 

WASHINGTON -- Metro accidentally published the Social Security numbers of almost 4,700 past and present employees on its Web site last month, according to the transit agency.

The numbers were posted with a solicitation to companies for workers' compensation and risk management services. They were online from June 9 until June 25.

The employees received a letter warning them about the breach. Metro is providing them with a year of free credit report monitoring, $25,000 in identity theft insurance and counseling services.

The employees are being urged to watch their credit reports for signs of identity theft. Officials are continuing to analyze the solicitation in case of other data breaches.

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I can't help but notice that each time one of the many data breaches occur, those who may be affected are offered free credit report monitoring. With the continued reports of lost data, hacked information, of course the recently reported rings of criminals using "skimming" devices on ATM's and the ease of obtaining card readers, are just a few of the reasons people should ensure they are taking the preventative steps necessary to lessen the odds and impact of an id theft. Scrambling around after the fact, can be damaging and costly for your family.

Don't be caught off guard! Protect your identity, time, money (& sanity) before it's too late. If you can't take the time to do so -hire a company who will and here's why.

Our identities are at risk 24/7. I want to ensure that when an identity theft occurs (again) someone will be there to do the clean up work for me! Have a plan of action so that when you receive a notice that your information has been put at risk -you know what to do!

For more info and tips on how to figure out the best way to protect your personal information, search this blog for earlier posts...here are a couple to get you started:

Identity Theft: Kids are just as much at risk at you!

Free Credit Monitoring & Credit Score...How Good is it?

A glitch in a test version of Facebook's Web site inadvertently exposed the birthdays of Facebook's 80 million members this week. The bug was discovered over the weekend by Sophos Senior Technology Consultant Graham Cluley. While checking out Facebook's new design, Cluley noticed that the birth dates of some of his privacy-obsessed acquaintances were popping up when they should have been hidden. MORE

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If by any chance you use your birth date as a part of your password -change it!

Note: You should never use birthdays, pets, kids or spouses names, your address, favorite sport teams, etc., as thieves are trained to take bits of your public profile, string together, and then they easily crack your password.

When you update your profile on social networking sites such as Facebook, are you helping thieves to empty your bank account? Or ruin your credit? A Baltimore teen learned the hard way about some of the new ways private information can be used against you online.

A teen had his identity stolen when he gave personal information to a game.
 

Lisa Lockwood knew about her 17-year old son's Facebook page, but what she didn't know about were the games attached to the site he was downloading and playing -- until she got a phone call.
 
"I received a phone call from a Heritage Subaru Volkswagen about my son's credit card application for a vehicle.

I spoke to the gentleman, and I said, 'My son hasn't filled out any credit applications. I don't know what you are talking about. He is underage,'" Lockwood said.

Lockwood found out what others have found out, that not everyone on Facebook is a friend, and some of the games that are offered come with liabilities.

One of the games Lockwood's son was playing on his Facebook page offered extra points in exchange for filling out an application that asked for a Social Security number.

He provided the information, filling out a total of seven loan applications, a decision he now finds embarrassing. MORE.

Tips for keeping your kids safe online:

For the majority of teens and tweens, networking online isn't just a game, it's a necessity. But parents worry their children don't fully grasp the ramifications of posting personal information online.

There are ways to protect your child. Cybersecurity expert Parry Aftab, who is also the executive director of wiredsafety.org, tells you the five things your child needs to know to keep safe on sites like Myspace and Facebook.

Find Your Teen's Profile

The first thing parents should do is find their child's profile, according to Aftab. Many kids have more than one online profile, so you have to find out how many your child has and where they are. You are entitled to know and the best way to find out is by asking your kids, she said.

You don't want a confrontation. You just want to make sure your kids are safe. Giving them a day to clean up their profile will allow them to cleanse it if they have information or pictures posted that tell too much about themselves, she said.

Tailor the Profile to Fit Needs

You need to understand why your child has a profile. Once you know why your child is on the site, you can make sure they're only giving the information they need to, Aftab said.

If it's to communicate with kids from camp, then there's no need for them to post information about where they live, or anything that a predator could use to find them, she said. If it's to advertise a band or a cause, then your children may have to give out more information, but they can keep the information specific to their goals.

According to Aftab, knowing why your child is interacting online will help you guide them and make sure they're not taking unnecessary risks.

Follow the Four Ps

Don't let your child post anything publicly that parents, principals, predators or the police shouldn't see," she said. Everyone is looking. And what you post on the Internet stays there forever.

Let your children know that it may affect whether they get into college or get a job, she said. It's amazing how many pictures there are of children showing themselves drunk or doing drugs or at a party when they were supposed to be at home because they had a big game the next day or a curfew, Aftab said.

Use Privacy Settings

Make sure your children use the most restrictive privacy settings available on the social networking site where they have a personal profile.

Both Myspace and Facebook allow your children to restrict access to their profiles to friends. That's great, she said, but you also have to make sure no one slips in the back door. Anyone can request that your child make him or her a friend, Aftab said. Do only let your kids have their real-life friends as Internet buddies  the people you know about.

The only exception would be if your child is trying to advertise a band or an event. Then he or she will need to let everyone see it. But your child doesn't need to give personal information out. Make sure what is put out isn't anything you don't want a stranger to know.

Do Online Snooping

Snoop on your children. You're allowed to do that. Follow the trail of cyber breadcrumbs. Look at their profiles regularly, and click on their friends' profiles.

You want to see both what your child and her friends are saying. Often, it's your child's friends who are posting pictures of them that shouldn't be online, or giving details about their lives that could make them vulnerable, she said.

Also, click on the links your child is following. You want to know what they're looking at, so you can stop them if they're going to dangerous sites. You also need to make sure your kids aren't hiding a profile.

If your kids are 13 years old or younger, they shouldn't have access to Myspace or Facebook at all, Aftab pointed out. The sites are illegal for children that age, and it's just too dangerous to let them go on.

They could join club penguin, which is a part of the Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ABC News, or www.webkinz.com, which are social sites for children. Parents can block their younger kids from other sites with a good parental control program like McAfee.

Source: ABC News

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For more tips for social networking site safety see some of the earlier blogs:

Students Beware Id Thieves are Studying you!

Students may find more than a Degree in their future...

A rash of ATM thefts have been taking place in many cities. It seems teams of organized criminals are installing "skimming" equipment and cameras on legitimate bank ATM's to steal both your ATM card number and the PIN  needed to access your accounts.

Aside from using hand held readers, thieves have been installing reading devices and cameras in a variety of ways on the ATM's.

In one scenario, the team sits nearby in a car receiving the information transmitted wirelessly from equipment they already installed on the front of the ATM. 

The equipment used to steal your ATM card number and PIN are cleverly disguised to look like normal ATM equipment.

A "skimmer" is mounted to the front of the normal ATM card slot that reads the ATM card number and transmits it to the criminals sitting in a nearby car.

At the same time, a wireless camera is disguised to look like a leaflet holder and is mounted in a position to view ATM PIN entries.

The thieves copy the cards and use the PIN numbers to withdraw your money - in a very short time directly from the bank ATM.

See photos here and if you see an attachment like this, do not use the ATM and report it immediately to the bank.

This is just one of the many ways thieves have figured out how to skim and steal your data.

For more info on "skimming" and various tools thieves are using to steal your information, please read my earlier blogs, view the pictures and watch videos too;

Swiping your Card can be Dangerous

A Warning About ATM Fraud -Know what to watch for!

Who's Swiping your Card?

Hackers Can Purchase Tool to Steal Your Data

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night trying to remember if you paid a bill? What if you woke up because you knew you did?

Are you dealing with abusive debt collectors?

Are you being harassed for payment on a debt you don't owe?  

Don't just pay it thinking it will go away...

Find out why and what to do when debt collectors go too far. 

John Watts a top consumer protection attorney talks about your rights, how to deal with abusive debt collectors, the debt buyer industry and what you need to know when it comes to protecting your credit and your rights!

 

Don't worry if you missed the live show -here it is!

"Skimming" is one of the newest ways thieves have found to steal your information from credit and debit cards. For as little as a hundred bucks, criminals can purchase card readers to use as a handheld device or installed into ATM machines to swipe your card -and information, without your knowledge. Rogue employees in restaurants, stores and gas stations, simply slide your card through the device and information on your card is easily copied. The card is then returned to you, and the stolen information is later downloaded to a computer where the information can either be sold on the web, or deposited onto a blank credit card.

Here are a few of the latest stories:

Using an ATM can be convenient, but it can also be risky if you're not careful.

 Experts said identity theft involving ATMs is on the rise.

A new study found that there is a higher rate of identity theft involving ATMs in convenience stores because they are more susceptible to tampering. It's a process called skimming.

"There are devices that can be inserted into the card slots of ATMs that will copy the magnetic info of the backs of credit cards," Kansas City police Master Sgt. Jim Schriever said.

Experts said that ATMs owned and operated by banks are most secure when it comes to protecting personal information.

 "I've seen them in courtyards or attached to convenience stores, and you actually don't know who the owner is and what they're doing with that info," Schriever said. MORE

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ATM thieves have drained $2 million from bank accounts across the country without ever touching a machine.
 

They targeted people using Citibank ATMs at 7-Eleven stores nationwide.

Investigators said the thefts are part of a disturbing trend where hackers break into servers containing PIN information. The ID thefts took place between October and March.

McAfee security experts said the ATM operators or manufacturers did not properly encrypt the data.

"They did not take the proper steps to safeguard their data. To know someone isn't doing their job to protect our pin numbers and our cards makes you feel insecure," McAfee's Vimal Solank said.

Security experts advise people to change their PIN often and shop with companies they know.

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Restaurant Owner Charged with Stealing Credit Card Numbers

South Florida/Sun-Sentinel/Federal prosecutors have charged a Broward County restaurateur with stealing credit card numbers from customers and ringing up more than $100,000 in fraudulent charges.

Bruce Horner, 54, of Coral Springs, is also accused of depositing 59 bad checks worth $4.6 million into his personal bank account. He withdrew roughly $400,000 before bank officials realized the checks would not be honored, according to charges unsealed Thursday.

The transactions took place between March 2007 and Feb. 2008, and Horner used the proceeds to pay personal and family expenses, the charging document states.

Horner is expected to plead guilty next week to conspiracy, bank fraud and wire fraud charges and could be sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. His attorney declined to comment.

According to prosecutors, Horner ran the fraudulent charges through a merchant credit card terminal established under a stolen identity. He used roughly 50 credit card numbers obtained from customers at Wat a Lunch n More in Tamarac and funneled the deposits into various bank accounts set up by accomplices, prosecutors alleged.

Horner sold the restaurant in May 2007. New owner Richard Collins said he cooperated with authorities and the restaurant no longer records credit card numbers. More

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State police seeking pair in 'card-skimming' probe
 

MIDDLETOWN - Labeling them as "persons of interest," Pennsylvania State Police are distributing photos of two men as they continue to investigate a series of credit-card "skimming" incidents.

According to state police, Wawa locations in Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Bucks counties, as well as New Castle, Del., have had skimming devices placed inside the gas pumps as far back as April.

A co-op in Bryn Mawr appears to have been compromised in early June.

The culprits have used the stolen debit-card information to make withdrawals from ATM machines at Wawa and 7-Eleven stores throughout the area, in addition to casinos in Atlantic City, N.J.  MORE

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For more info on how to protect your data from skimming see earlier tagged blogs and video: HERE

 

 

Man says he's ID theft victim: A 72-year-old man was arrested on a 12-year-old warrant out of Miami-Dade County Florida. Only the lawyer for Cosmo Ricci Jr. said he wasn't in any where near Florida in 1996, when he is accused of committing DUI manslaughter. Ricci, ill, elderly and suffering from Congestive Heart Failure Ricci was was arrested on Tuesday and had been held at the St. Johns County jail until Friday, when he was finally released -with an ankle bracelet.

His attorney, Anne Marie Gennusa, said Ricci had lived in Fort Lauderdale until 1972 and had his identity stolen at some point. Ricci, a retired prison guard who had lived in Providence, R.I., since 1972 and moved here a year ago, was placed on house arrest until his case can be heard. A Miami judge has signed an emergency order releasing Cosmo Ricci, 72, from the St. Johns County jail. Ricci has been in jail since Monday afternoon, when deputies arrested him on a twelve year old DUI/Manslaughter warrant out of Miami.

Ricci says he did not commit the crime and that the person who stole his identity, did. Would you know what to do if a crime was committed in your name? Credit monitoring won't help you much in this situation. You may want to make sure that the company you hire, or product you purchase to help restore your identity if stolen, includes bailing you out of jail, hiring attorneys and restoring your reputation. Mr. Ricci's story is one of many innocent people who become victims of criminal identity theft. This is an example of why I believe the value of restoration services are all too often overlooked. See video here.

This story brings to mind another recent victim of criminal identity theft
See earlier blog: Identity Theft Victim -Mistaken for Deadly Cop Killer!

Speeding In Maryland Could Be Hazardous to Your Identity

If you've ever received a traffic ticket in Maryland, your name, birthday, Social Security number and address may be posted on the Maryland state Web site for anyone to find.

It appears as the the Maryland Court Records website lists the personal data of countless citizens who received traffic tickets while speeding in Maryland. The citations listed go back more than 30 years, and include records even for routine traffic stops that were ultimately dismissed.

The records with sensitive data in them appear to be limited to tickets issued to people who currently or at one time lived in a state that previously used the Social Security number as the default driver's license or customer number.

Searching through records in the database for tickets issued to surnames "Johnson" and "Smith" confirmed that those states include Delaware, Connecticut, Iowa, Missouri and Virginia. Probably close to half of the records that contained SSNs belonged to current and former District of Columbia residents.

People whose information is listed on the site shouldn't expect a data breach notice from the Maryland government. If a Maryland business had published these records online, they'd be required by state law to notify affected citizens, however, the state's data breach notification law exempts government entities from that requirement. MORE