Identity theft

Computer crimes make headlines but thieves prefer low-tech, old-fashioned theft

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Nov. 2, 2009-- Identity fraud increased substantially in 2008, reversing a four-year trend of decreasing incidents. Researchers say identity fraud increased by 22 percent last year and they anticipate another 22 percent jump in 2009, attributing the increases to crimes of opportunity driven by the economic downturn1.

What’s more, despite recent headlines and growing fears about online security and data breaches, old-fashioned theft is the most popular way thieves steal identities and perpetrate identity fraud.    » read more »

WASHINGTON - June 16 – Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is again part of an effort to fix problems in the REAL ID Act of 2005 that have led many states to balk at participating in what critics say is a thinly disguised national ID program built around a national database that would be vulnerable to identity theft.

Leahy is a leading cosponsor of a new bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate on June 15 by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii). Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio) is the chief Republican cosponsor. The new bill would implement the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to enhance the security of driver’s licenses while fixing many of the most troubling aspects of the REAL ID Act of 2005.    » read more »

Financial Industry Accounts for 93 Percent of 285 Million Compromised Records; Most Breaches Avoidable if Proper Precautions Taken

April 15, 2009 -- BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - More electronic records were breached in 2008 than the previous four years combined, fueled by a targeting of the financial services industry and a strong involvement of organized crime, according to the "2009 Verizon Business Data Breach Investigations Report" (DBIR) released Wednesday (April 15).    » read more »

June 17, 2008 -- Following the recent storms that devastated several Kansas communities, storm survivors may be missing important personal information or account information. While many survivors are busy cleaning up, it is important that they move quickly to protect themselves from identity theft.

Members of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division visited Chapman and Manhattan today to provide the following information to storm survivors.

If a storm survivor is missing important personal information like credit or debit cards, Social Security Cards, or passports, they need to contact the appropriate agency to prevent identity theft.

Tips to protect storm survivors from identity theft:    » read more »

May 22, 2008 -- "More recent preliminary information indicates that additional Connecticut financial institutions, companies and residents may be victims of this astonishing security breach by Bank of New York Mellon.

"We have received preliminary information and have demanded all of the details relevant to this shocking security breach, particularly as to the delay in notifying Connecticut authorities, as well as People's and its customers. The banks have cooperated so far in providing the information that the governor is directing the Department of Consumer Protection to seek, but we welcome this interest and concern.    » read more »

May 23, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she has directed Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. to issue two more subpoenas related to the loss of bank customer data being transported by Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (BNY Mellon).

The two new subpoenas concern Webster Bank and Wachovia Corp. On Thursday, Governor Rell directed Commissioner Farrell to issue subpoenas to BNY Mellon and People’s United Bank of Bridgeport.    » read more »

May Affect Hundreds Of Thousands Of CT Consumers, Millions Nationwide

May 21, 2008 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today announced that a storage company for a New York bank lost an unencrypted backup tape containing Social Security numbers and bank account information belonging to as many as hundreds of thousands of Connecticut consumers and personal information of millions more nationwide.

Among the Connecticut consumers are depositors and investors of People's United Bank of Bridgeport, which gave Bank of New York Mellon the information so it could offer those consumers an investment opportunity.    » read more »

May 9, 2008 -- NEWARK – Con artists attempting to steal personal information are contacting New Jersey residents and falsely stating that bank account and/or social security numbers must be provided to them in order for economic stimulus checks to be sent to consumers.

Acting Consumer Affairs Director Larry DeMarzo warned residents to be aware of this scam and to not provide any personal information to callers who claim to be U.S. Treasury or I.R.S. officials or to respond to such emails.    » read more »

March 19, 2008 -- BOSTON - On Monday, March 17, 2008, Hannaford Bros. Co. (Hannaford Brothers Supermarkets) announced that it had determined that a breach of its computer system potentially exposed customers’ credit and debit card numbers. annaford states that the unauthorized breach occurred during the time period of December 7, 2007 to March 10, 2008 and involved 4.2 million credit and debit card transactions.

While credit and debit card information may have been compromised, Hannaford states it has no evidence that names or addresses were obtained. There are currently approximately 2,000 cases of reported fraud associated with the data intrusion.    » read more »

Overseas telemarketers use credit card offers to steal your personal information

March 18, 2008 -- Raleigh: Scammers are using robo calls that promise better rates on credit cards to try to steal your identity and run up charges in your name, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper warned today.

“These scammers are out to steal your information and your money, not help you get a better credit card,” Cooper said. “If you get one of these calls, hang up and call my office instead."    » read more »

March 18, 2008 -- Jefferson City, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon says his office is getting consumer complaints about a familiar scam during tax time - con artists claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service, asking for personal information.    » read more »

ID Theft Tops List of Complaints; Credit-Related Problems Place Second

February 28, 2008 -- Chicago — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan today announced that identity theft complaints claimed the top category on her office’s Top 10 Consumer Complaint List for the second year in a row.

Madigan’s Consumer Protection Division received a near-record 32,577 consumer complaints in 2007. Of those complaints, 6,388, or 20 percent, were related to identity theft.    » read more »

Advance Payment Scams Starting

Jan. 30, 2008, WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today warned taxpayers to beware of several current e-mail and telephone scams that use the IRS name as a lure. The IRS expects such scams to continue through the end of tax return filing season and beyond.    » read more »

January 15, 2008 -- Following news from the Secretary of the Department of Administration, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle issued the following statement:

“What happened at DOA is unacceptable and I have ordered immediate action to correct the problem. It is clear that state workers took various steps to prevent this breach of information, but any breach – no matter how small – is unacceptable.    » read more »

Scammers Say New Social Security Cards or Free Medical Cards are being issued

January 15, 2008 -- INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter is alerting Hoosiers about a telephone scam that attempts to obtain residents’ bank account or social security numbers and other personal identifying information. The callers indicate new Social Security Cards or free medical cards are being sent and they need to verify some personal information.    » read more »