Posts tagged "Theft"

Business Killers: Identity Theft and Data Breach Protection FREE WEBINAR

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Business Killers: Identity Theft and Data Breach Protection Webinar on November 10

 

On November 10, I will host an interactive webinar sponsored by Deluxe that will explore how small businesses can protect themselves from identity theft. As someone who lost more than $300,000 and my small business to identity theft, this is a topic I care about deeply. In addition to delivering keynote speeches at conferences, I also provide consulting and guidance to organizations like the Federal Trade Commission, Pfizer and the Department of Defense on how to best protect the sensitive data inside of their organizations.

Register now for tomorrow’s webinar.

During this multi-part webinar, I will provide simple, actionable tools and advice to help small businesses protect their data and retain information privacy. I’ll also explain how the information economy has shifted the competitive landscape and increased our data exposure. Attendees will learn the following:

Posted in Cyber Data Security, Digital Reputation & Trust, Fraud Detection & Prevention, Identity Theft Prevention, Online Privacy by Identity Theft Speaker .
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Study Shows Identity Theft of Children 51X More Likely

Based on a recent assessment of 40,000+ SSNs of children, it was found that more than 10% those SSNs were being used by someone other than the child, far in excess of the rate of misuse in the adult population. The study points out the major issues that surround child identity theft and why we need to start paying attention now. It is more prevalent than many think and the threat is growing. Here are a few of the statistics that were found:

  • 4,311 or 10.2% of the children in the report had someone else using their Social Security number – 51 times higher than the 0.2% rate for adults in the same population
  • Child IDs were used to purchase homes and automobiles, open credit card accounts, secure employment and obtain driver’s licenses
  • The largest fraud ($725,000) was committed against a 16 year old girl

Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker .
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Are You Begging to Get Fired?

We’ve all done it before – left the table to get a coffee refill or go to the bathroom and left our laptop, iPad, smartphone or purse sitting on the table. We justify it by telling ourselves that we are in a friendly place and will only be gone a second. Our tendency is to blame technology for information theft, but the heart of the problem is almost always a human error, like leaving our devices unattended. Realizing that carelessness is the source of most laptop theft makes it a fairly easy problem to solve.

My office is directly above a Starbucks, so I spend way too much time there. And EVERY time I’m there, I watch someone head off to the restroom (see video) or refill their coffee and leave their laptop, iPad, iPhone, briefcase, purse, client files and just about everything else lying around on their table like a self-service gadget buffet for criminals and opportunists alike.

Posted in Burning Questions (Video), Cyber Data Security, Fraud Detection & Prevention, Identity Theft Prevention, Video Tips by Identity Theft Speaker .
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Sileo Deflates ePickPocketing Hype on Fox & Friends

John appeared on Fox & Friends this morning to set the facts straight about the real and perceived risks posed by Electronic PickPocketing.

It is true that Identity Thieves are able to steal your credit card information without even touching your wallet. The technology exists, is readily available and can be assembled for under $1,000. But that doesn’t necessarily make it an efficient means of stealing credit card numbers.

RFID, or radio-frequency identity technology was introduced to make paying for items faster and easier.  All major credit cards that have this technology have a symbol (pictured below). It means that your card can communicate via electromagnetic waves to exchange data (your credit card number) between a terminal and a chip installed inside of your card (or passport). Thus, by getting within a few inches of your credit card, a thief is able to obtain your credit card number, expiration date and maybe your name.

Posted in Cyber Data Security, Identity Theft Prevention, Sileo In the News by Identity Theft Speaker .
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Electronic Pickpocketing Hype Banks on Your Fear!

Electronic Pickpocketing is Possible, but Over-Hyped.

There is a new wave of hi-tech identity theft that allows thieves to steal your credit card information using inexpensive technology to intercept credit card (and sometimes even passport) information without even touching your wallet. Watch the video to the left or read our Electronic Pickpocket post to learn the basics.

And make sure you pay attention to the fact that the person they are interviewing for the news piece in the video MAKES MONEY FROM YOUR FEAR OF ELECTRONIC PICKPOCKETING! The gentleman they interview runs a company that makes shields for your credit cards and passports to stop electronic pickpocketing. I’m not saying that the products don’t work or aren’t somewhat valid; I’m saying that you have to take this gentleman’s perspective into consideration before buying the hype. He benefits from your fear, so do a little more research before you go gettin’ all paranoid.

Posted in Cyber Data Security, Identity Theft Prevention, Sileo In the News by Identity Theft Speaker .
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Identity Theft Expert John Sileo on 60 Minutes

During a recent 60 Minutes interview, I was asked off camera to name the Achilles’ heel of an entire country’s data security perspective; what exactly were the country’s greatest weaknesses. The country happened to be New Zealand, a forward-thinking nation smart enough to take preventative steps to avoid the identity theft problems we face in the States. The question was revealing, as was the metaphor they applied to the discussion.

Achilles, an ancient Greek superhero — half human, half god — was in the business of war. His only human quality (and therefore his only exploitable weakness) was his heel, which when pierced by a Trojan arrow brought Achilles to the ground, defeated. From this Greek myth, the Achilles’ Heel has come to symbolize a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength; a weakness that can potentially lead to downfall. As I formulated my thoughts in regard to New Zealand, I realized that the same weaknesses are almost universal — applying equally well to nations, corporations and individuals.

Posted in Fraud Detection & Prevention, Identity Theft Prevention, Online Privacy, Sileo In the News by Identity Theft Speaker .
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Identity Theft Scam Stole Millions – Pennies at a Time

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The FTC just busted a long-running internet scam where offshore thieves set up virtual companies and stole millions of dollars from US consumers  one small charge at a time.

“It was a very patient scam,” said Steve Wernikoff, a staff attorney with the FTC who is prosecuting the case. According to him, the scammers found loopholes in the credit card processing system that allowed them to set up fake U.S. companies that then ran more than a million phony credit card transactions through legitimate credit card processing companies.

The fraudsters were able to fly under the radar for so long because they only charged consumers between $ .25 and $9 and set up over 100 fake companies to pull off these transactions. In this specific case they charged over 1.35 million credit cards a total of $9.5 million dollars – those nickles and dimes really add up! Shockingly, 94% of these charges went undetected by the credit card holder because they didn’t notice an unusual charge on their credit card statements and fraud detection agencies rarely detect anything under $10.

Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker .
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New Item: Identity Theft Prevention and Recovery Workbook!

TLAS-Workbook

Identity Theft Prevention and Recovery Workbook

$10.95* (Including Shipping) – Click Here to Order!

Order your copy Today to get our special introductory pricing!

The #1 recommendation to prevent Identity Theft is Education. Know what to look for and the steps to take to fight Identity Theft. If you have been a victim, learn which steps to take and in what order to recover your Identity quickly, accurately and safely!

Identity Theft is on the rise and according to Javelin Strategy & Research there were a staggering 11.1 MILLION Identity Fraud victims in 2009 alone. The cost of this handbook is well worth the price of protecting your most valuable asset, your Identity!

This 20 page Workbook includes:

Part I – Prevention

This 10 phase process of Preventing Identity Theft Includes:

  • Protecting your credit.
  • Knowing what is in your wallet.

Posted in Fraud Detection & Prevention, Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker .
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Vehicle Document Storage

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SentrySafe AutoSafe

The Privacy Problem: Thanks to laptops, smart phones, DVDs and a deluge of other data-holding mobile devices, we carry as much sensitive data with us as we keep in our homes and offices. These devices are at a much higher risk of theft when they are in transit.

The Privacy Project: To help you better protect identity-bearing devices while they are being transported and stored in your car (RV, boat, etc.). The solution…

Posted in Product Reviews by Identity Theft Speaker .
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