I've Been Mugged

Breach Notification: The State Of Maryland Does It Right

2008-07-07T08:58:00-04:00

The Maryland Attorney General's Office serves consumers well by publishing on its web site all of the data breach notifications it receives from companies and higher education institutions. Notices date from 2008 only. The site also includes resources to assist consumers. In my opinion, more states should do this. There...

Have A Safe, Enjoyable July 4th Holiday Weekend

2008-07-03T08:58:00-04:00

I'm taking a well-earned break. Posts resume on Monday July 7. Meanwhile, feel free to browse the ID-Theft Humor section.

Most Popular Posts At I've Been Mugged

2008-07-02T08:58:00-04:00

Which posts do I've Been Mugged readers read the most? Here they are: Suze Orman Identity Theft Kit Debuts Bank Of New York Mellon's Offer To Its Data Breach and ID-Theft Victims Kroll's Offering From IBM Deserves Scrutiny Experian Triple Alert Credit Monitoring Service (product review) Debix, LifeLock, and TrustedID...

Celebrating One Year Online!!

2008-07-01T08:58:00-04:00

A year ago today, I started the I've Been Mugged blog. It has been a fun-filled year and I've learned a lot about identity theft. This blog has been a good tool to organize my thoughts, learnings, and the online resources I've found. Some thank-you messages are definitely called forr....

The Latest Data Breach At Facebook

2008-06-30T08:58:00-04:00

According to the MediaPost Daily Online Examiner blog: "Chalk up another privacy fiasco for Facebook. Turns out that Top Friends had a glitch that allowed any users who downloaded the application to see information like the birthdays and gender of any other Top Friends users." Facebook suspended the application after...

The Consequences When Another Person Uses Your Social Security Number

2008-06-26T08:58:00-04:00

I began studying the identity theft problem in 2007, when I started this blog. From time to time, I've wondered what would happen if two people use the same Social Security Number. The second user could be an identity thief or an illegal immigrant trying to secure a job. In...

Equifax "3-in-1" Credit Monitoring Service (Product Review)

2008-06-25T08:58:00-04:00

After Discover changed its credit monitoring vendor, I started looking for a replacement service. Since the three national credit bureaus all offer credit monitoring services, I thought that I'd look at Equifax's offering. This blog contains posts with reviews of the Experian Triple Alert service and a comparison of several...

Another Data Breach At Bank Of America

2008-06-24T08:58:00-04:00

When will this bank's senior executives take data security seriously? In the ZDNet Between The Lines blog, Larry Dignan reported that he had received a breach notice from Bank Of America: We have learned that information from certain Bank of America Check Cards may have been compromised. Your Check Card...

How Many Experian Credit Monitoring Services Are Enough? (Product Review)

2008-06-23T08:58:00-04:00

Since Discover changed its credit monitoring vendor, I have searched for a replacement credit monitoring service. While surfing the Internet I learned that Experian offers at least four (4) different credit monitoring services: Freecreditreport.com ConsumerInfo.com TripleAlert.com Triple Advantage (a partnership with McAfee) Why several credit monitoring services? What's up with...

If It's So Good For Their Customers, Why Don't Credit Bureaus And Financial Institutions Tell Consumers?

2008-06-22T14:37:00-04:00

Medical Fraud A Growing Problem

2008-06-19T08:58:00-04:00

We all want effective government, not just small government. When fraud occurs, all taxpayers end up paying. According to a recent news item in the Washington Post: "All it took to bilk the federal government out of $105 million was a laptop computer. From her Mediterranean-style townhouse, a high school...

The FTC Urges Consumers To Use Caution When Selecting A Locksmith

2008-06-18T08:58:00-04:00

Part of protecting your sensitive personal information includes the physical security of your home. And physical security includes a locksmith, when we need duplicate keys made or the locks changed on our doors. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises consumers to use caution when selecting a locksmith: What’s the...