Who is behind identity theft and cybercrime?

It is crucial to protect your identity, account numbers, and personal information secure. You may well know by now that there are people preying on that information, ready to use it to exploit money and valuable privacy from you. But who exactly are these "people" preying on your information. Who makes up this dangerous group? In 2004 major players in the Internet black market were arrested. The members of this group ranged from part-time students to international members from beyond our borders. The group that was busted was called the ShadowCrew and was made up of over 4,000 members(The Cybercrime Blackmarket). They hacked into networks and extracted private information and sold what they had stolen. Today, even after the arrest of members of the ShadowCrew there are groups of criminals thriving. Many belong to online communities that sell and trade fraudulent information. Some of these criminal communities can be accessed with registration and a registration fee, and there are likely even more covert communities for the black market out there. Access to the most secure black market operations is much more difficult and the communities are undetectable. This is just a glimpse into the forces operating against innocent Internet users. We hope this information is motivation to keep your identity safe through safe Internet practices and the implementation of security software such as Personal Privacy software, AntiVirus software and AntiSpyware software.




References

"The Cybercrime Blackmarket." Symantec . 2007. Symantec Corporation. 25 Jun 2007 .

Information Storage

Do you realize that your medical, insurance, pharmacy, police and employment records are all stored on computers? Even your old school records, phone records and video rental records are somewhere, stored on a computer. In the past, employers have accessed employees' medical information and used it against them in hiring and firing situations. Ideally, medical information is private and only to be accessed with the permission of the individual. However, as mentioned employers are getting their hands on the secure information easily and using it for harm. They are able to obtain this information because it is stored on computers and easily extracted. The issue of medical records disclosure is just one of the problems that information storage online or within computer hard drives can be dangerous. To protect your information always ask about the security of information databases. Never disclose personal information unless you're sure that the database is kept secure.

Identity Theft

If you've been the victim of identity theft, there are some important steps to take. First you must report the crime to the police and obtain a case report and a case number. Next call all of your credit card providers. Cancel your cards and request new account numbers. Also, be sure to indicate that you want your cancellation statement to disclose that the account was closed at the owner's request. Also be sure to ask for a password to be placed on all of your new or reissued accounts.

The thief may have opened accounts in your name, so you'll want to close those as well. As for the future. You can set up a "flag" for yourself, so that your name and account is on fraud alert. So, when you are anyone else tries to open an account in your name, the account will need to be cleared through you. You provide a phone number, and whenever an account open attempt occurs, you'll receive a call. This is a safety measure that will help you rest easily, especially after an identity theft situation.