Phony debt collectors are calling consumers, equipped with their Social Security and bank account numbers, claiming they have defaulted on a payday loan, according to the Better Business Bureau. The BBB said the callers tell people they are with the “Financial Accountability Association” or the “Federal Legislation of Unsecured Loans.” Because the scammers have so…
Category: U.S.
Security lapse makes GPAs visible
Some may not consider this a breach, and it involves no financial data. The university pointed out that the exposed data could not be used for ID theft, and they’re probably quite correct in that, but what about FERPA and the privacy of education records? The University [of Oregon] has fixed a security breach in…
Personal data mishandled at Commerce Dept.
The names and Social Security numbers of at least 27,000 Commerce Department employees were exposed to a risk of identity theft following an inappropriate transfer of the personal information in mid-July, according to a letter sent to department employees last week. An employee with the National Finance Center mistakenly sent an Excel spreadsheet containing the…
Last conspirator in $5 million fraud ring sentenced
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced that all seven conspirators have now been sentenced for stealing more than $5 million through a fraud scheme involving identity theft and credit card, bank and mortgage fraud. The scheme, led by Abdul Hameed of Houston Texas, involved the use of at least…
SSA employee convicted for unauthorized access to govt computer
Roberto Rodriguez, 54, formerly of Fort Lauderdale, FL, was convicted by a jury on July 29, 2009 of seventeen counts of exceeding his authorized access to a government computer. Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2009, before U.S. District Court Judge William J. Zloch. Rodriguez, while an employee at the Social Security…
Tax-preparation docs found in dumpster
WOIA in Texas reports that San Antonio police are investigating how boxes full of unredacted personal information including Social Security numbers and financial information were sitting in the in the open in a dumpster. All of the paperwork was labeled “Century Income Tax.” WOAI reports that the owner of the firm has not returned any…