Firm Documents Increase In Holiday Cyber Fraud - 12/29/11 04:30 AM
iovation is the leader in device reputation technology. They work to prevent all types of fraud and abuse on the Internet, including account takeovers, which occurs when your existing bank or credit card accounts are infiltrated and money is siphoned out. iovation also helps prevent new account fraud, which refers to financial identity theft in which the victim’s personal identifying information and good credit standing are used to create new accounts, which are then used to obtain products and services. Stolen Social Security numbers are often used to commit new account fraud.
During this year’s record-breaking Black Friday and Cyber Monday, … (1 comments)

Feast of the 7 Phishes 2011 - 12/29/11 04:17 AM
Every year at the Siciliano household, we have a holiday tradition based on the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes, which is, as you probably guessed, a meal consisting entirely of fish. There’s lobster, mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp, smelt, and cod, all either fried or cooked in red sauce, spicy sauce, or white sauce. This year we’re dedicating our feast to “Miles for Miracles,” a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital Boston. I’ll be running the Boston Marathon this coming April in support of the cause.
Another of my holiday traditions is to expose the year’s phishing scams. The following examples come straight … (1 comments)

Marketers (and Criminals) Buzz About Mobile Tuesday - 12/29/11 04:04 AM
Fresh off the most successful Cyber Monday, which turned into a Cyber Week or even a Cyber Month, spanning from mid-November into December, marketers and advertisers are now positioning themselves for a 2012 Mobile Tuesday.
Forbes reports, “Consumers are going mobile in large numbers, and the 2011 holiday season proved it. IBM Coremetrics recently reported that consumers increased shopping on smartphones and tablets on Black Friday. Purchases made on mobile devices accounted for 9.8% of online sales, which is up 3.2% from last year. GSI announced a 254% increase in US mobile sales on Black Friday. PayPal Mobile announced a 516% … (0 comments)

A Sherriff Issues Holiday Crime Prevention Tips - 12/27/11 02:20 PM
A Florida County Sheriff via The Recorder issued the following tips to prevent holiday crime. I’m going to break them down and shorten them up to keep it concise.
“We are coming up on one of the most festive times of the year for families with the celebration of several holidays. However, joy and fun can quickly turn to disappointment and sorrow when someone becomes a victim of a scam, burglary or online fraudulent holiday shopping scheme.” Scams: Holiday cyber-crimes including fraudulent auction sites.
Protect: Do business with known sites. Look for high ratings and user approvals.
Scam: Resale … (0 comments)

Protect From Holiday Phishing Shipping Scams - 12/27/11 01:43 PM
A common holiday shipping phishing scam is a phony notice from UPS, saying you have a package and need to fill out an attached form to get it delivered. The form may ask for personal or financial details that will go straight into the hands of the cyberscammer. Often the email asks to download a label and the risk there may be downloading a virus.
Scammers are sending emails that look like they are coming from the United States Postal Office, Fed Ex, UPS, DHL, you name it. The email may state in the subject line there is a problem with … (0 comments)

How Much Fraud On Record-Breaking Cyber Monday? - 12/27/11 11:43 AM
The Washington Post reports that this holiday season, Cyber Monday expanded into an entire week of record-breaking online shopping. From Sunday, November 27 through Saturday, December 3, consumers spent nearly $6 billion over the Internet, a 15% increase over the same week in 2010. During the first 32 days of the November-December holiday season, online spending had already reached $18.7 billion, also a 15% increase from last year.
Which begs the question: when the dust settles, how much of this uptick in online sales will equate to online fraud? It is inevitable that some consumers will detect unauthorized charges on their … (0 comments)

4 Tips to Prevent Auction Holiday Fraud - 12/22/11 02:42 AM
Auction fraud refers to fraudulent transactions that take place through auction and classifieds websites. Either a product advertised may be misrepresented by the seller or the items sold are never delivered at all.
This holiday season, as you seek out hard-to-find gifts and look for the best prices, keep in mind that not everyone out there on the wild, wild web has good intentions.
Auction sites are ground zero for scammers. It’s very easy to set up a free auction page from anywhere in the world, collect people’s money, and run.
Here are four tips to keep you safe when shopping … (0 comments)

Beware of Charity Scams This Holiday Season - 12/22/11 02:37 AM
Hackers, scammers, cons and thieves take advantage of citizens’ generosity by sending e-mails, making phone calls or even setting up shop on a street corner and try to appear to be legitimate charitable organizations.
Do not donate cash: Anyone asking to come to your home or office and pick up cash is a scammer. Any phone calls or emails received requesting cash or to wire money transfers is a scam.
Be suspect of all emails requesting donations: I would never click on a link in an email, especially short URL’s. Always manually enter the domain name into the address bar. … (0 comments)

Boosting Healthcare Security with Smart Cards - 12/22/11 02:30 AM
The Smart Card Alliance has put together a list of frequently asked questions about how smart cards work in a healthcare environment, and provided excellent answers. A smart card resembles a typical credit card, but is embedded with a small microprocessor chip, which makes it “smart.” That chip is a powerful minicomputer that can be programmed in different ways to boost security.
Data and applications can be securely stored and accessed on the chip, enabling secure data exchange. Smart card technology provides high levels of security and privacy protection, making it ideal for handling sensitive information such as identity and personal … (0 comments)

How the “National Strategy For Trusted Identities in Cyberspace” Benefits Consumers - 12/15/11 10:01 PM
In May 2009, the President’s Cyberspace Policy Review called for the development of “a cybersecurity-based identity management vision and strategy that addresses privacy and civil liberties interests, leveraging privacy-enhancing technologies for the Nation.”
That “vision and strategy” came to fruition in the form of the “National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace” (NSTIC), which calls for an “Identity Ecosystem” that would be “an online environment where individuals and organizations will be able to trust each other because they follow agreed upon standards to obtain and authenticate their digital identities.”
Online anonymity has fueled fraud to the point where billions of dollars … (0 comments)

Keeping Tabs On Your Home When Away - 12/15/11 09:48 PM
You may have a single family home, second home, or apartment. And no matter what your abode sitchy is, there is no place like home. Whenever I leave, I miss my family, house, and stuff. When we go on vacation, we are always happy to go home. I hope your sitchy feels the same.
And whenever I leave there is always a discomfort that when I’m not there to guard the castle, I’m concerned that something can go wrong. Mother Nature can make a mess of things with inclement weather, Father Time wears things down and they may break while you … (1 comments)

Securing New Digital Devices - 12/12/11 04:23 PM
Laptops, desktops, Macs, mobiles, and tablets are on many people’s wish lists this holiday season. Once these shiny new devices are connected to the Internet, they will be under siege by malware created by criminals in order to steal identities.
According to a recent McAfee survey, 60% of consumers now own at least three digital devices, and 25% own at least five. Cybercriminals are taking advantage of these new opportunities by widening their nets to target a variety of devices and platforms. McAfee Labs is reporting an increase in Mac and mobile malware, while PC threats also continue to escalate.
Mobiles: … (1 comments)

Managing Family Time On The iPad or iPhone - 12/12/11 04:18 PM
On our way home from a recent family vacation, my two year old grew understandably anxious and uncooperative while waiting for a flight in an airport terminal. So I handed over my iPhone, hoping to distract her. Within seconds, she had launched the photo application and begun scrolling through the videos of our trip. She’d watch a video, giggle a little, and then scroll to the next. This went on for about ten minutes.
During this time, a small crowed gathered near my kid. I realized that they were marveling at my daughter’s ability to work an iPhone like an adult. … (0 comments)

How to Prevent Gift Card Scams - 12/12/11 04:09 PM
Sleazy Grinchy scammy conmen are also in the process of providing holiday gifts for their families. But the way they do it is by taking hard earned money from good people.
Scammers know that almost 100 billion dollars is spent annually on gift cards and studies show that almost 2/3rds of consumers prefer to receive gift cards. The math of all this equals opportunity for criminals.
Scamming gift cards is surprisingly easy. It works like this: gift cards have identifying numbers just like a credit card those numbers may be displayed on the card or embedded in the magnetic strip. Thieves … (0 comments)

Banks and Credit Card Issuers Move Toward Chip and PIN - 12/08/11 06:52 PM
EMV, which stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa, refers to the chip and PIN credit card technology commonly used in Europe and elsewhere around the world. Credit cards that incorporate an embedded microprocessor chip are far more secure than any other form of credit card currently available, including the standard magnetic striped cards that are all too easy to skim at ATMs and point of sale terminals.
Major banks and retailers are now pushing very hard to make EMV the new standard in the United States. Visarecently announced plans to expand their Technology Innovation Program to the U.S., which will encourage retailers … (3 comments)

How to Save Money With a Home Security System - 12/08/11 06:21 PM
The best thing about a recession is it smartens people up. It makes us tighten our belts and shed excess. I’m definitely guilty of piling on the debt circa 2004-8 in the irrational exuberance years.  But as soon as the ball dropped I made significant change.  Immediately I looked at all the monthly recurring fees and bills and cut down on about 80% of them.
I also have a monthly bill for home security alarm monitoring. But not once did I contemplate eliminating that. Actually I upgraded my system to one that’s more efficient that has more options too. My ADT Pulse systemhas an … (0 comments)

Best Secret Hiding Places: Dead Space - 12/08/11 04:58 PM
Burglars know where you hide stuff. That key under the mat or in the flower pot or the jewelry in the dresser draw or the cash in the cookie jar. But there are better ways to do things. A heavy fire retardant safe bolted to the floor is best. And there are other options too.
We have dead space all over our homes. If you are handy, this dead space can become handy.
Walls: There is a 16 inch center to center void in most of your homes walls made up of 2x4s and sheetrock. Newer homes built in the last 30-40 years have … (2 comments)

Social Security Number: All-Purpose Identifier - 12/01/11 10:36 PM
Your Social Security number was never meant to serve the various functions it is used for today. Over the past 70 years, the Social Security number has become our de facto national ID. The numbers were originally issued in the 1930s, to track income for Social Security benefits. But “functionality creep,” which occurs when an item, process, or procedure ends up serving a purpose it was never intended to perform, soon took effect.
Banks, motor vehicle registries, doctors’ offices, insurance companies, and even utilities often require a Social Security number to do business. Why do they need it? Sometimes it’s because … (3 comments)

Home Invader/Killer Says He’s Done It Before - 12/01/11 10:22 PM
There’s no need to live in fear. And there is a need to take responsibility for your family’s security by investing in a home security system and take some control over your personal security.
Convicted killer and home invader on death row Steven Hayes apparently wrote letters confessing to up to 17 murders of women over the course of his miserable life.
The New Haven register reports he noted “Yes, I’ve killed before,” Hayes bragged. “I have 17 kills throughout the Northeast United States. Perfect victims and well executed, controlled endeavors.”
Hayes partnered with Joshua Komisarjevsky in the “Petit home invasion” which has become known … (1 comments)

 

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