I've Been Mugged

ChoicePoint Settles With The FTC About Its Data Breaches and Security Lapses

2009-11-11T08:58:00-05:00

I'd written previously about my less than consumer friendly experiences with ChoiceTrust, a service from ChoicePoint, Inc.. Recently, the U.S. Federal Trace Commission (FTC) announced a settlement by ChoicePoint, Inc. after the company's past data breaches and data security lapses: "In April 2008, ChoicePoint (now a subsidiary of Reed Elsevier,...

Banks Consider Large Annual Fees For Credit Cardholders Who Pay Off Balances

2009-11-10T08:58:00-05:00

Do you have flawless credit? Do you pay off your credit card balances in full and on time every month? Watch out, you could get "mugged" by your bank. CBS TV 2 in New York reports that Bank of America and Citigroup are considering annual fees of $29 to $99...

FTC Delays "Red Flag" Enforcement Again

2009-11-09T08:58:00-05:00

Once again, at the request of members of Congress, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has delayed the enforcement of the “Red Flags” Rule until June 1, 2010, for financial institutions and creditors. The prior enforcement date had been November 1, 2009. In May of 2009, the FTC changed the enforcement...

Truly Luckless Consumers

2009-10-30T08:58:00-04:00

Hotel Safe Scam

2009-10-23T08:58:00-04:00

The BBC News recently reported about the habits of a con man and thief: "... his scams have tended to take place in luxury hotels around the world. Typically, he would arrive at a hotel, claim to be a guest, and then tell security that he had forgotten the combination...

Violent Criminals Switch To Medicare Fraud

2009-10-22T08:58:00-04:00

This is not good news. Breitbart reported: "... Mafia figures and other violent criminals are increasingly moving into Medicare fraud and spilling blood over what once a white-collar crime... For criminals, Medicare schemes offer a greater payoff and carry much shorter prison sentences than offenses such as drug trafficking or...

Understanding How Secure Your Medical Information Is And Who Has Access To It

2009-10-21T08:58:00-04:00

Like most people, I have recently started reading about electronic health records (EHR) and how secure my medical information is. The list of abbreviations and acronyms can be confusing. For example, there are subtle but important differences between the terms: EHR, Personal Health Record (PHR), and Electronic Medical Record (EMR)....

Debt Collection Scams And Identity Theft: How To Avoid Both

2009-10-20T08:58:00-04:00

Last week a friend, Mary Grace, sent an e-mail message asking if I had: "... heard of NCO Financial Debt Collectors? I got an automated call and when I called the number back it was busy. I called their main 800 number off of their website and they asked me...

Why It Is Important Not To Disclose Certain Personal Data on Social Networking Sites

2009-10-19T08:58:00-04:00

In an earlier post, I wrote about the risks of disclosing your birth date in e-mails and at social networking sites. It's a key piece of personal data for identity thieves and fraudsters. There are more personal data items you should not disclose to avoid identity fraud. From a recent...

Smart Online Shoppers

2009-10-18T11:58:00-04:00

Survey: About Half Of IT Pros Feel Their Company's Web Applications Are Not Secure

2009-10-16T08:58:00-04:00

This Marketwire press release announced some dismal statistics about the security of companies' Internet applications. A survey ("Making Web Applications Hacker Proof") by eMedia and Cenzic of about 400 IT professionals found that: A majority of IT professionals think their Web sites might not be secure, 63 percent of companies...

Two important Events For Consumers To Avoid Identity Theft

2009-10-15T08:58:00-04:00

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) announced its Secure Your ID Day events for October 17, 2009. The nationwide event includes free shredding services (for your old checks, junk mail, bank statements, old files, etc.) and educational programs by local BBB's in each state to help consumers avoid identity theft. Browse...