Post by "Pop" Stran on May 5, 2005 17:35:21 GMT -5
Credit information (the kind somebody could use to steal your identity) about hundreds of thousands of feds has either been lost, stolen or sold to the wrong people...But you knew that.
Federal officials have told the media that, so far, there haven't been any reports of identity theft that are traceable to the lost-and-still-missing tapes the Bank of America had on thousands of government workers with government credit cards.
They are also keeping a watch because LexisNexis Group last month reported that hackers had stolen the data of 32,000 people (feds and nonfeds alike.)
Upon further review, the company said Tuesday the number is more like 310,000plus people.
What's a factor of 10 between friends?
All this is in addition to the information on about 145,000 people that was "mistakenly" sold, if it makes you feel any better, by ChoicePoint Inc.
Meantime, some agencies are alerting employees to a new credit card scam.
In one version you get a telephone call from a bogus "security" officer at VISA, Mastercard, whatever.
You are told your card has been "flagged" because of an unusual purchasing pattern or for some other reason.
After much explanation, the caller will ask you to "confirm" some data by reading him/her the numbers on the back of your credit card.
That acts as the PIN for your credit card.
The bogus caller already has your other data.
If you give him/her the pin, suddenly there is someone else charging things in your name.
Bottom line: Be very careful.
Federal officials have told the media that, so far, there haven't been any reports of identity theft that are traceable to the lost-and-still-missing tapes the Bank of America had on thousands of government workers with government credit cards.
They are also keeping a watch because LexisNexis Group last month reported that hackers had stolen the data of 32,000 people (feds and nonfeds alike.)
Upon further review, the company said Tuesday the number is more like 310,000plus people.
What's a factor of 10 between friends?
All this is in addition to the information on about 145,000 people that was "mistakenly" sold, if it makes you feel any better, by ChoicePoint Inc.
Meantime, some agencies are alerting employees to a new credit card scam.
In one version you get a telephone call from a bogus "security" officer at VISA, Mastercard, whatever.
You are told your card has been "flagged" because of an unusual purchasing pattern or for some other reason.
After much explanation, the caller will ask you to "confirm" some data by reading him/her the numbers on the back of your credit card.
That acts as the PIN for your credit card.
The bogus caller already has your other data.
If you give him/her the pin, suddenly there is someone else charging things in your name.
Bottom line: Be very careful.