Hackers captured at least 51,000 credit card numbers

At least 51,000 records were exposed in the breach at the parent company of Montgomery Ward. The thing is, this parent company, Direct Marketing Services Inc., includes other company’s. Company’s more familiar to people like Sears!

• Link from MSNBC.com, posted on June 27, 2008 – http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25415152/

…hack of its customers’ credit card numbers — but didn’t inform the consumers, revealing how data breaches might be heavily under-counted even with new notification laws

Along with the card numbers, their three-digit “security codes” and expiration dates, the thieves had the cardholders’ names, addresses and phone numbers.

Woman stole Nursing Home resident’s Identities

Here is a woman that had stole Identities from Nursing Home Residents, and then filed false tax returns in their names. She worked as a tax preparer, once for H&R Block in 2002, and then as a private tax preparer. So, can you trust the person who does your taxes?

• Original link from KansasCity.com, posted on June 25, 2008 – http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/679618.html

A woman pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to her role in an identity-theft scheme that sought more than $15 million in illegal tax refunds.

Loretta Wavinya, 31, a citizen of Kenya, said she stole the identities of nursing home residents and filed false tax returns in their names.

The conspirators also filed false tax returns in 27 states, using the stolen identities of more than 300 people, most from the Kansas City area, officials said.

Stanford University stolen laptop – UPDATE 62,000 current and former employees

Read the original post here:

• Here is updated information on Stanford University’s laptop that was stolen - http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2008/june11/laprelease-061108.html
• Taken from Stanford University’s on-line “FAQ on Stolen Laptop Incident”, last updated on June 26, 2008 – http://www.stanford.edu/privacy/faq/

A laptop was stolen that contained records of approximately 62,000 current and former employees.

What data was on the laptop?

• Name, gender, date of birth
• Social Security number
• Salary, business title, office location, office phone number, and e-mail address while employed by Stanford
• Home address and phone number while employed by Stanford
• Stanford ID card number and Stanford employee number

Over 6,500 CNET Employees Notified of Theft After Data Breach

CNET was one of several clients when some equipment was stolen from an outsourcing service. Information stolen, ”…contains the human resources data of several of their clients including CNET networks”.

• Link from PC World, posted on June 23, 2008 – http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/147460/cnet_employees_notified_after_data_breach.html

More than 6,500 CNET Networks employees and relatives are being notified of a possible data breach after burglars stole computer systems from the offices of the company that administers the Internet publisher’s benefit plans.

The computers contained names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and employment information of the beneficiaries of CNET’s health insurance plans.

KY Attorney General Is Victim Of Identity Theft

This comes from a local KY on-line news station. The Attorney General has had his Credit Cards stolen, and “…several thousand dollars worth of computers, Vonage phones, and there were several charges to the postal service.”

• Original link from http://www.wkyt.com, posted on June 24, 2008 – http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/20762519.html

Attorney General Jack Conway recent started up his own “cyber crimes” unit, whose first case ironically involved Conway himself.

Conway discovered he’d been victimized…

Notice how he was able to get Federal Officials and Investigators to quickly investigate his situation? Of course he is an AG and he has access to many resources. But, where is that kind of assistance for the general public, like you and me, when we get our Identity Stolen?

800 Student’s identity stolen from Southeast Missouri State University

A former University employee recently was found in possession of computer data files containing student’s names and Social Security numbers.

• From SE Missouri State University, news of the event about the computer theft was posted on June 23, 2008 – http://www.semo.edu/news/index_18310.htm
• From a local news station on-line about the story, posted on June 23, 2008 – http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=8541051&nav=menu51_2
• Watch a video about the theft incident from a local news station - http://www.kfvs12.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=2620669&at1=News&h1=Former SEMO Employee Found with Data Files of Personal Information of Students

Hundreds of students received an identity theft warning following a security breach at Southeast Missouri State University.

Apparently someone was trying to log on without authorization, so investigators tracked the IP address to the man’s new location in Georgia, where they searched his home and car.

Dr. Holt thinks the 800 or so students were random targets.

Social Security numbers on Medicare cards used by millions of Americans

Do you remember how Diver Licenses and Insurance cards used to have everyone’s Social Security numbers on them? Then the laws were changed to secure personal information. However, we have returned that that day again. Social Security Numbers are being used on Governmenet Issued Medicare Cards used by millions of Americans!

• Original Link from NY Times on-line, posted on June 22, 2008 – http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/washington/22medicare.html?ex=1371873600&en=5b12338439573345&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Agency Sees Theft Risk for ID Card in Medicare – By ROBERT PEAR

Social Security officials are calling for immediate action to remove Social Security numbers from the Medicare cards used by millions of Americans.

Social Security officials, concerned about the risk of identity theft, are calling for immediate action to remove Social Security numbers from the Medicare cards used by millions of Americans.

But Medicare officials have resisted the proposal, saying it would be costly and impractical.

Stanford University has laptop stolen with personal data

Stanford University reported that a laptop with personal data of current and former employees was stolen.

• Original link from Stanford News Service, posted on June 6, 2008 – http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2008/june11/laprelease-061108.html

Stanford University determined yesterday that a university laptop, which was recently stolen, contained confidential personnel data. The university is not disclosing details about the theft as an investigation is under way.

In working to identify the information that was on the machine, yesterday we discovered that it had personnel records of current and former Stanford employees hired before September 28, 2007.

University of Utah had medical records stolen

University of Utah announced that 2.2 million billing records from University Hospital had been stolen from a granite wall vault. It can stand a nuclear blast, but cannot be saved from Identity Theft!

• Original link posted from The Salt Lake Tribune on June 11, 2008 – http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_9546844

“Perpetual Storage Inc.’s vault is encased in Little Cottonwood Canyon’s solid granite walls.” “…its vault can withstand fires, flooding and earthquakes and even, given its 12-pound stainless-steel door, a nuclear blast.” “But on Tuesday, the University of Utah announced that 2.2 million billing records from University Hospital had been stolen…”

Ex-convict accused in ID theft of pro golfer

Original story from the Star-Telegram on-line newspaper

• Posted on June 19, 2008 – http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/708519.html

A 30-year-old convicted criminal with a history of drug and credit card abuse has been indicted on a charge that he stole the identity of professional golfer and North Texas native Justin Leonard.