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Ignoring fraud training as the foundation of your cyber security strategy is like counting on Google to educate your kids. Technology is a critical tool in the fight, but without well educated users, guided by knowledgeable teachers, the tools are a waste of your money.
Thanks to President Obama’s state-of-the-union plug for increased cyber security, the Chinese hacking of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, and the hacking of a prominent celebrities, America is waking up to the tangible value of virtual data. Awareness is definitely the first step, but it is only the tip of the privacy iceberg. Just as in the age before the internet, the only thing keeping employees from selling secrets or participating in fraudulent activity are the human controls that discourage the practice. But it’s all the more hair-raising to think of the amount of digital secrets an employee has access to at any given time. The new tale of a Reuters journalist gone cyber-rogue adds a chilling wrinkle to the perils of protecting the data that keeps corporate profits ticking.
Posted in Cyber Data Security, Fraud Detection & Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: Cyber Security, Fraud Expert, Fraud Prevention, Fraud Training, John Sileo
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqSWxvsmczI?rel=0]
Check washing is so simple, you must learn to prevent check fraud
Are check fraud and check washing still relevant in the age of digital payments? If you’re like the average person, chances are you don’t write too many checks anymore. With the convenience of online payment options, nearly universal acceptance of credit and debit cards, and the proliferation of ATMs offering you easy access to money at every turn, why resort to the archaic, labor-intensive method of writing a check?
The simple answer—sometimes we have no other choice! Some places still don’t accept credit cards (Costco if you don’t have an American Express), or they charge an extra fee for them. Some retailers don’t offer online payment options. And frankly, sometimes it’s just an old habit and we haven’t made the effort to find a safer option because we’re stuck in the mindset of “it’s never happened to me” when thinking about check fraud.
Posted in Burning Questions (Video), Fraud Detection & Prevention, Identity Theft Prevention, Video Tips by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: "High security checks", "prevention of identity theft", “How to Prevent Identity Theft”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, Check Fraud, Check Washing, Check Washing Techniques, Chemical check washing, Fraud, identity theft expert, Identity Theft Prevention, John Sileo, Security Checks, Security Pens, Sileo
How to Stop Check Fraud and Check Washing
Check washing, a highly common form of check fraud, is the practice of removing legitimate check information, especially the “Pay To” name and the amount, and replacing it with data beneficial to the criminal (his own name or a larger amount) through chemical or electronic means. One of the many ways to protect yourself against check fraud is so important that it deserves its very own article.
A foolproof way to protect your checks from being altered, whether by washing or by electronic means, is to use security checks offered by most companies.
Here are some of the features to look for when you’re purchasing High Security Checks. These features will safeguard you not only against check washing, but other high tech forms of check fraud as well:
- Safety security paper (visible and invisible fluorescent fibers, chemical-sensitive)
Posted in Fraud Detection & Prevention, Identity Theft Prevention, Product Endorsements by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: "Identity Theft, "prevention of identity theft", “How to Prevent Identity Theft”, “Prevent Identity Theft”, Check Washing, Chemical check washing, Fraud, Hologram, identity theft expert, Identity Theft Prevention, Identity Theft Speaker, Identity Theft Statistics, John Sileo, Security Check Features, Security Checks, Security Pen, Watermark
It's not just hackers that make a habit of scooping your information. Google has had a notoriously dodgy record when it comes to user internet privacy – and some think it might have finally gone too far.
At this point, most of us accept that the marketplace is watching us all the time, or else we remain blissfully ignorant. Ads that respond to your browsing history are one thing, though: a company driving through your neighborhood and stealing your data is another. Thirty-eight states brought a case against the internet search giant recently for violating data privacy. Google has been charged a $7 million fine and will supposedly take efforts to stay further from user information. In the meantime, this action should serve as a reminder of how available your passwords, email conversations, and messages are.
Posted in Online Privacy by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: "Data Privacy", internet privacy, online privacy
Social media seems to be all about spreading the love. If you like something, you show it by clicking the 'like' button, no questions asked. For most people, it stops there – but not for Facebook.
Everything you do online gets noticed by someone, and even the most minor of digital movements can have repercussions you aren't aware of. A perfect example of this is the "like" feature of Facebook. It seems harmless enough, but a recent study demonstrated that there are unseen depths to it that you might not know about. Every "like" is a new piece of data that can be strung together with the rest of your online information, creating a picture of you that is scarily accurate.
Posted in Online Privacy by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: online reputation management, social media exposure, Social Media Privacy
It can't be said enough: these days, any of us can become a victim of identity theft, and those in power are even more at risk. Whether they want to or not, many of America's most familiar faces are being forced to realize the reality of what hackers can do.
You heard it from the leader of the free world himself. This week, President Obama told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that "we should not be surprised" at the abilities of hackers to access our personal data. Still, you have to wonder if he was at all surprised when AnnualCreditReport.com (the credit monitoring site that is a joint venture between Equifax, Experian and TransUnion designed to help consumers like you and me to make sure we aren't the victims of identity theft) revealed the credit reports, Social Security numbers and other pieces of information on many noted public figures, including the First Lady. In a bitter chunk of irony, even the tools we use to protect ourselves against identity theft are being targeted by hackers.
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: Cyber Security, digital identity theft, Identity Theft Prevention, victim of identity theft
Remember those strikes against Facebook, Apple and Microsoft a few weeks ago? New data has given us a little more info on where these attacks came from.
Even if you think you've locked your private information down, social media exposure is always a risk. We already knew a little bit about the source of the breach that recently compromised Facebook and other major companies. Now we have the name of one of the websites that launched the hack: iPhoneDevSDK.com, a mobile app development site that acted as a "watering hole" for malware. It was only one of many, however, and the source of these attacks is still somewhat murky.
The name of the particular species of malware that infiltrated Macs has also been identified. According to the Security Ledger, it's called Pintsized.A, and it's a Trojan that can disguise itself as an innocuous file while subtly corrupting your device. The attacks were disseminated through the use of a critical security loophole in Java, something that has been a source of criticism for cyber security professionals in the past.
Posted in Cyber Data Security by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: Cyber Security, social media exposure, Social Media Privacy
Identity Thief Bloopers
When a waitress says, “Hi, I’m Brianna and I’ll be taking care of you today,” you don’t expect the customer to be thinking, “What a coincidence, my fake name is Brianna.” And you certainly don’t expect said customer to be so bold, or idiotic, as to buy a drink using a fake ID belonging to the very same Brianna she’d stolen it from a week before.
As they say at Applebee’s, welcome to the neighborhood – at least the identity theft neighborhood.
According to a recent 9News story, Brianna Priddy, an Applebee’s waitress in Lakewood, CO was out with friends when her wallet was stolen. Enter the crime-challenged suspect who stole Priddy’s wallet containing cash, credit cards and her driver’s license. The suspect then used the license to cash hundreds of dollars of fraudulent checks, creating a financial and administrative nightmare for Priddy.
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: "Identity Theft, Darwin Awards, identity theft expert, Identity Theft Stories, Identity Thief, John Sileo, Stupid Thieves
Here's a classic criminal chestnut: the phone rings. It's an operator from the government, informing you that you've been selected to receive benefits, if you could just provide some personal information. Sound fishy? It should.
Sadly, phishing through the phone is nothing new, and it's still with us. You would think this sort of thing would have gone out of style with rotary dials and cassette tapes, but scam callers are still out there looking to gut you for your personal info. Recently, the Trojan Horse of choice has been the Affordable Care Act, as fake solicitors have been calling homes and asking if they could send health insurance cards to qualify for the program.
This sort of basic trick might seem to target only the gullible, but don't be so sure. These kinds of calls have become increasingly sophisticated. You may have no idea you were being hoodwinked until your money and reputation suddenly disappear down the drain. Like many things, good fraud detection can begin at home.
Posted in Fraud Detection & Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: fraud detection fraud prevention anti-fraud training
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