Indian News

Working in Internet security, I try to embrace the best practices that would prevent identity theft ( see my previous blog post: Advice from a Victim of Identity Theft: Preventative Measures ), but sometimes that’s not enough. Criminals managed to get my name, address, birth date, driver’s license number, bank account number, and social security number. My guess is that a company I do business with got hacked—and they probably don’t even know it. What did the criminals do with my personal information? They made a fake driver’s license and entered branches of my bank in India and withdrew money, emptying my bank account. Then they made fake checks and managed to cash them, overdrawing my account. They also made a second driver’s license and had someone in india open multiple new retail accounts in my name. How did I find out? I logged on to do some online banking and found my checking account drained. Later, I received a call from Target asking if I had opened a Target accoun

Recently, I was a victim of identity theft. I’ve been marketing Internet security solutions for 10 years, but now I know firsthand what it feels like to have your identity stolen. I’ve learned some new ways to protect myself that I’d like to share. Identity theft can be split into two categories. The first is when an existing account is accessed by an unauthorized user and the other is when new accounts are opened using stolen personal information. Here are some of the leading methods criminals use to steal this information and some tips on how to keep safe: Phishing Phishing uses various scams to get you to provide your personal information. Criminals use different ploys such as scare tactics (your account will be closed), free gifts, or pleas from someone needing help. They can appear to come from legitimate businesses or even from people you know. A good spam filter will block most phishing emails and mobile security can block these threats on your mobile devices. But