Smartphones are increasingly popular among people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Research shows they’re expected to replace PCs as the preferred method of both personal and professional computing in the near future. As a result, it’s no surprise that fraudsters are increasingly focusing on mobile devices in their attempts to steal personal information. However, while mobile devices are just as prone to security threats as PCs, many people fail to take basic precautions to protect their information and identities.

When you consider how much information can be stored on your mobile device, including financial information, credit card details, and personal contacts, it’s clear that mobile security must be taken seriously.

Here are a few basic tips to help you avoid mobile threats:
1. Learn about the security settings on your phones, especially password protection, and use them.
2. Consider downloading mobile security on your smartphone to protect it from malware and other threats.
3. Be careful when you download apps. Only use reputable apps markets and check reviews to ensure the provider has good ratings and third-party reviews.
4. Always review an app’s “permissions” to ensure you’re comfortable with the data they’ll have access to.
5. Take steps to protect yourself from identity theft before it happens. TrustedID’s identity theft protection services provide full coverage, including fraud flags and preventing lenders from offering credit in your name without your approval.

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Nowadays, hackers are everywhere, stealing everything from personal information about corporate execs to the credit card number you used to buy your iPhone.

Here are some tips for preventing or finding out about theft of your credit or debit card or card numbers:

• Monitor your credit card, bank statements, and telephone bills. This is critical—reading your statements is sometimes the only way to find out that your identity has been stolen. Place a mark on each month of your calendar showing when your statements should arrive, and follow-up if you don’t get them. Reconcile your monthly statements with your receipts, and report any discrepancies as soon as you find them.
• Don’t put outgoing credit card or other bill payments in an accessible mailbox. An identity thief who sees the envelope sticking out of your mailbox can retrieve it in seconds, and you’ll assume your mail delivery person took it. It’s safest to mail bills inside a post office (even corner mailboxes have, on rare occasions, been robbed).
• Shred your receipts and old credit card or bank records. When you get a receipt from a credit or debit card transaction, take it home and shred it instead of throwing it in the trash. Never leave receipts lying around. Also shred credit card and bank records when they’re no longer needed—after seven years is usually long enough (though you should never throw out records proving an identity theft). And if you close a card account, snip up the card before tossing it.
• Carry only as many credit cards as you regularly need. For example, the card for a department store you visit only at its semiannual sale can stay at home until the next visit.
• Keep financial records in a secure place within your house. A locked filing cabinet is best.
• After a home burglary, think identity theft. Your jewelry and laptop may not be the only thing stolen—the burglars may well have taken documents with your personal or financial information.

As always, stay safe and protect your identity!

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A group of hackers hit financial company Goldman Sachs, publishing the personal information of numerous employees, including CEO Lloyd Blankfein, according to CNET News. Using the name @CabinCr3w, the hackers sent a tweet that directed followers to the Pastebin website, which lists Blankfein’s age, education, recent addresses, and legal cases he has been involved in, as well as the emails and titles of more than eighty employees. Pastebin has since removed CabinCr3w’s post.

CabinCr3w also released personal information of a New York police officer on Tuesday who is seen in videos pepper spraying women protesters behind a police barricade at the “Occupy Wall Street” demonstrations in New York’s Financial District.

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A nurse accused of improperly accessing patient records at numerous hospitals in Denver, Colorado faces five counts of identity theft and 46 counts of theft of medical records.

In 2010 and 2011, Cannon Lamar Tubb, 31, worked for a now-defunct Denver nurse staffing agency that placed him as an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse in numerous Centura Health facilities, the Platte Valley Medical Center and Boulder Community Hospital, according to court documents. Centura first discovered Tubb had accessed 85 confidential patient and staff records at its hospitals during a computer audit in 2010 and notified Westminster police. Soon, a detective identified at least three cases of identity theft, according to an arrest affidavit.

One victim filed a police report after discovering several credit cards had been opened in her name and used to make purchases, such as an Apple iPad. Detectives traced the IP address used to make the purchase back to Boulder Community Hospital.
A police audit of the hospital found that Tubb viewed demographic information for 74 patients, 46 of whom were never in his care or even in the ICU. He also viewed financial information for some patients.

Tubb faces charges of theft of medical records in relation to the non-ICU patients. He also faces five counts of identity theft for allegedly using patients’ information to open credit card accounts and make purchases.

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A New York Times blog post discusses a new bill, introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal, which aims to protect citizens’ personal information from online data breaches. The bill would also penalize companies that fail to protect customers’ information.

“The goal of the proposed law is essentially to hold accountable the companies and entities that store personal information and personal data and to deter data breaches,” Senator Blumenthal said in a phone interview. ”While looking at past data breaches, I’ve been struck with how many are preventable.”

The new bill, called the Personal Data Protection and Breach Accountability Act of 2011, would introduce regulations for companies that store online data for more than 10,000 people. These rules would require companies to follow specific storage guidelines and ensure that personal information is stored and protected correctly. If companies fail to follow the guidelines, they would face hefty fines.

Earlier this year, Senator Blumenthal harshly criticized Sony’s handling of an attack on its servers earlier this year, which put data from 77 million customers at risk. He asked Sony to disclose the extent of the damage and to notify customers who had been affected. If the new bill passes, Senator Blumenthal said, customers would be able to sue companies, like Sony, who don’t protect their customers’ data.

“The Sony data breach has become a poster child of why we need this law,” he said. “We were working on this legislation well before that data breach occurred, but Sony is a good example of why this law should exist.”

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The number of scam “phishing” emails that falsely claim to be from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), a tax collector based in the United Kingdom, has increased by 300% over the past year. HMRC reported that it is currently shutting down 100 websites per month.

The phishing mails include a link to a cloned replica of the real HMRC website, which often tricks victims into believing that the emails come from the company. The emails tell the recipients that they need to provide financial data, such as credit or debit card information. If you provide this information, you’ll likely end up having your bank account drained and your personal information will be sold to criminal identity theft rings.

Joan Wood, director of HMRC Online and Digital, warns consumers to be suspicious if you’re contacted by any business asking for personal information via email: “We only ever contact customers who are due a tax refund in writing by post. We currently don’t use telephone calls, emails or external companies in these circumstances. If anyone receives an email claiming to be from HMRC, please send it to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk before deleting it permanently.”

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Phishing scams have been all over the media this year, wreaking havoc on both businesses and individuals. When it comes to phishing, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to understand what it is and how you can spot it.

What is phishing?
Phishing is much like what it sounds like—identity thieves fishing for your personal information. Your Social Security number is the big catch, but they’ll happily reel smaller catch like your name, address, credit card details, and PIN codes.

A typical phishing scam starts with a scammer sending out millions of emails that appear to come from an established business, perhaps mimicking its brand, logo, and graphic design. Then they ask you for sensitive information. In some (but not all) cases, the scam is made to look even more convincing by linking you to an actual websites (phony, of course), and before asking to reveal your information.

Online identity thieves frequently send mass emails enticing recipients to activate malicious code they’ve planted in an email. These emails may come from a stranger, but they also may appear to come from a trusted source, such as a friend or reputable company. That’s because scammers have found a way to infect your friend’s computer with a malicious virus or worm. Or they mimic a real company’s domain name by using a fake one that’s deceptively similar: For example, “mircosoft.com” instead of “microsoft.com.”

Many phishing scams appear to come from legitimate organizations, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the Social Security Administration, and may trick you into believing that you are owed money or your account is in jeopardy. Some scammers will even try to trick you into believing that you are a lottery or contest winner, in the hopes that you’ll hand over your information to claim your “prize.”

If you’re thinking, “They won’t fool me,” don’t be so sure. True, some phishing efforts are full of misspellings and have “fake” written all over them, but the more sophisticated ones use tactics like:
• Using the names of real people who work at the company, such as CEOs or well-known executives, in the text of the message or in the “from” line. For example, in the Nigerian Money Scam mentioned above, phishers may pose as real Nigerian officials so that they appear to be legitimate.
• Making a link in an email (and the spoofed website it redirects to) appear legitimate, for example by inserting a URL that’s only slightly misspelled, a letter or two away from the real one. Or they might even show you a valid URL, but when you click it, take you to another, phony site. (To do this, scammers exploit vulnerabilities in a legitimate website, which allows them to insert malicious code redirecting users.)
• Scaring you with urgent messages, for example warnings that you’ll lose access to your financial accounts or be audited unless you respond immediately. Some scammers go so far as to pose as an old friend in need of urgent medical attention. If you don’t respond immediately, your friend will die, they claim.

Now that you know what phishing is and how to spot it, you’re one step ahead of scammers. However, online fraudsters are constantly coming up with new ways to trick you into giving out your personal info or unknowingly installing malware on your computer. To ensure you’re not victimized, always think twice before clicking a link or downloading a file. Scam artists often post links to infected ad banners in their profiles. Avoid opening links or downloads from strangers, and never enter your password or account number unless you’ve verified the site’s authenticity. When in doubt, always call the site owner to confirm.

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As your kids head back to school, they’ll spend their days playing with friends, learning how to multiply, or preparing for their first chemistry test, depending on their age. They barely know what a Social Security number is—yet many become victims of child identity theft. Every year, thousands of kids (and parents) learn—the hard way—that identity theft is not just for adults. Child identity theft is on the rise and the problem can actually be worse for young victims.

Child identity theft occurs when a criminal uses a child’s identity for personal or financial gain. Many thieves use a child’s identity to ring up large debts, while others sell these clean identities on the black market to illegal immigrants or criminals.

One thief used a 7-year-old’s name, Social Security number, and clean credit history to purchase a $40,000 houseboat. Another used his own son’s Social Security number to obtain several lines of a credit. In both cases, their victims’ lack of credit and criminal histories made them easy targets.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as many as 400,000 children may be victims of identity theft. To make matters worse, the number of complaints has increased by 78 percent, making it the fastest growing segment of identity theft victims.

Warning Signs
In many cases, early discovery can prevent long-term damage. Numerous red flags indicate a potential theft, including the receipt of pre-approved credit offers addressed to your child or calls from a collection agency in which the caller asks for your child by name. Other warning signs include notices addressed to your child from government or law enforcement agencies.

If you suspect that your child is a victim of identity, immediately request a copy of your child’s credit report from the major credit bureaus—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. A report will not exist unless someone is using your child’s identity. You can do this on your own or sign up with a service that can not only determine if your child has a credit report, but if you suspect an identity theft has occurred, help you restore your child’s credit.

Preventing Child Identity Theft
Here are some back-to-school tips for parents to limit the opportunities a thief has to steal a child’s identity:
• Avoid giving out your child’s Social Security number unless necessary. Make sure that insurance companies take proper precautions with your child’s information and ask your school not to use your child’s Social Security number to identify him or her.
• Shred all papers that your child’s personal information before throwing them out.
• Monitor incoming mail in your child’s name. Credit card offers or debt collection notices may be red flags that your child’s credit has been compromised.
• Never carry your child’s Social Security card in your wallet.
• Teach your children not to give out personal information without your permission, especially on MySpace or other social networking sites. These sites are often targeted by fraudsters looking for personal information.

By understanding the risks and taking extra precautions, you can ensure that your child’s financial and identity records stay secure. For optimal protection, consider enrolling in an identity theft protection service, such as TrustedID’s IDEssentials, a complete solution designed to protect against identity theft and credit fraud.

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Your credit report is a key piece of your identity, making its accuracy very important. Unfortunately, approximately three-quarters of all credit reports contain errors, many of which are serious enough to prevent you from being approved for a loan. Many people first discover that they’ve become victims of identity theft when they find errors in their credit history.

That’s why it’s important to check your credit report at least once a year. If you find your credit report marred by erroneous information or identity theft, federal law gives you the right to ask that these mistakes be corrected. You can dispute it with whichever credit reporting agency (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) shows the error.

The best way to do this is to contact the agency according to its rules, which can be found on its website. All three agencies allow consumers to submit disputes online, on the phone, or via snail mail.

The credit reporting agencies are legally obligated to respond to your dispute by initiating an investigation and collecting evidence from your creditors. If they find that the reported information is indeed inaccurate, they must either remove or correct it, usually within 30 days.

TrustedID’s IDEssentials product offers several features to help you monitor your credit report, including 3-Bureau Credit Report, which gives you instant online access to your credit reports from the 3 major credit bureaus to make sure no one has been stealing your identity to commit fraud, and 3-Bureau Credit Score, which gives you instant online access to your credit scores from the 3 major credit bureaus.

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It seems like everyone has a smartphone nowadays. As the sales of mobile devices skyrocket, security issues are becoming a major concern.

Basically, phones are no longer just phones. People use their phones to text message, get email, browse the Web, play games, complete financial transaction, bank, and more.

Lookout Mobile Security’s 2011 report on mobile security shows that mobile devices are the fastest growing consumer technology, with worldwide unit sales expected to increase from 300 million in 2010, to 650 million in 2012.

People are also using mobile applications more than ever. In June 2011, for the first time ever people on average spent more time using mobile applications (81 minutes) than browsing the mobile web (74 minutes), according to Lookout’s report.

There are a lot of opportunities for consumers to work, play, and interact, but it’s important to also realize that there are a lot of new opportunities for identity thieves, as well. Due to the popularity of mobile phones and apps, fraudsters are now focusing heavily on mobile malware and hacking mobile devices. Recently over 250,000 Android users were targeted in an unprecedented mobile attack when they downloaded malicious software disguised as legitimate applications from the Android Market.

The opportunities for scammers are great, when you look at Lookout’s statistics on how much money is changing hands via mobile devices. The value of mobile payment transactions is projected to reach almost $630 billion by 2014, up from $170 billion in 2010. As a result, vendors, banks, and content providers are enabling payments via your phone, including credit card companies who are creating “mobile wallets.” For example, Google is testing its “Google Wallet,” which will allow people with special phones to buy goods in retail shops just by tapping the phones against a payment terminal.

This new world of mobile payments has amazing potential for ease and convenience, but it also creates risk for consumers. The most important thing you can do is be alert and take precautions to protect yourself and your identity. Here are some tips to help you stay safe as you make the most of your mobile devices:
1. Before you download an app, make sure it comes from a trusted source. Check out the develop name, reviews, and star rating before you download it.
2. Secure your mobile device with a strong password. If it’s lost or stolen, no one can access your information without your password.
3. Download a mobile security tool that scans your apps for malware and spyware when you download them.

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