Police Looking into Tax Return Scam

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Leading up to April 15th, I’m going to keep reminding you it’s that time of the year again, yes, Tax Scamming Season. This is when identity thieves come out of the woodwork and steal from good standing Americans who do the right thing and pay their taxes.

There are no shortages of bad people looking to take from good people. “Police officials say the case is still under investigation after it was first reported late last week, but are not sure whether the fraud occurred in that fake W-2 forms were submitted or whether real W-2 forms were submitted under fake identities.”

Tax scams can happen in a number of ways. The goal is always to get the victims refund. Every January we get W-2 forms in the mail. As an employee you receive a W-2 from the employer, which is a wage and tax statement for the year. Self employed people who do contract work may receive 1099’s.

Scammers can steal these documents from your mailbox and use them as you would to file taxes under your name. Depending on what you claim, or how many dependants you may have, your refund can be substantial, which makes it a nice target to an identity thief.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Tax Scams on Fox News

Report 1.8 Billion Cyber Attacks Per Month

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You read that right. While the US government sits high on its perch, snipers are taking aim 60 million times a day. The Senate Security Operations Center alone receives 13.9 million of those attempts per day.

The US National Security Agency is probably the most sophisticated group of security hackers in the world. Many will argue this point. The fact is, without NSA, US STRATCOM, which directs the operation and defense of the military’s Global Information Grid, and US CERT, attacks on our critical infrastructures would be successful. We’d be living in the dark, telephones wouldn’t work, food wouldn’t be delivered to your supermarket and your toilet wouldn’t flush.

“Like in the rest of the world, the attacks are increasingly targeted and using application flaws, including Office and Acrobat. “In the last five months of 2009, 87 Senate offices, 13 Senate committees and seven other offices were attacked by spear-phishing attacks, which appeared as e-mail messages to staffers, urging them to open infected attachments or click on bad links.” No matter how good their defenses are, nothing’s 100% effective. Some attacks get through.”

The Adobe Reader and Acrobat is a cross platform application that opens and it’s the Portable Document Format (PDF) ubiquitous on most PCs. Criminal hackers discovered a flaw that allows for an injection of hostile code into unprotected systems.  Studies show in the last quarter of 2009 as many as 80% of all web-based attacks were directed at PDFs.

Adobe Flash is also vulnerable software becoming standard on most PCs where multimedia is present. The Register reports Adobe advises users to upgrade to Acrobat version 9.3.1 and Reader version 9.3.1, as explained in a bulletin here.

Run Windows Update, Install Anti-Virus, Install Spyware Removal Software, Run Firefox, Secure Your Wireless, Install a Firewall, Use Strong Passwords.

Get a credit freeze and follow the steps for your particular state. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes your Social Security number useless to a potential identity thief.

Invest in anti-virus and keep it auto-updated and check out my spyware killer IDTheftSecurty HERE

With your iPhone get my book as an App or go to my website and get my FREE ebook on how to protect yourself from the bad guy.

Invest in Intelius identity theft protection and prevention. Not all forms of identity theft can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk. (Disclosures)

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Speaker discussing Identity Theft Ring Busted on MSNBC

Hollywood Burglars Dubbed the “Bling Ring”

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Lots and lots of people are looking for their 15 minutes of fame. Some get on reality TV shows, others rescue someone from being hit by a speeding train. But then there are the ones who break into celebrity homes.

Victims include Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, Orlando Bloom, Megan Fox and others. A half dozen teens from a hoity toity suburb of LA fancied the celeb lifestyle and considered themselves part of the “in” crowed. There was only one problem, they weren’t celebrities.

But they lived the celeb lifestyle by hanging out in all the clubs, staying up all night and doing drugs. Their thirst for drugs led to the need for more money to pay for those drugs. So they started to steal. They first started to break into cars. That was their “gateway” felony which led to breaking into homes.

However, celebrity also meant all the material items that go with money. They needed the same designer bags and clothing as their idols. They wanted exactly what the rich and famous owned and wore, what better way to get them than steal from the celebs they admired. So they did just that. They spent time on the celebrity gossip sites looking at celeb pictures and picking out items they wore to steal from them.

Their methods were simple. They tracked their victims by using social media, Facebook and Twitter. They know when they were home and when they were away.  They even used Google Earth to scope out their homes.

They would approach a home and knock on the door and ring the bell. If nobody was home they’d jiggle the door knob. It was reported that Paris Hilton didn’t lock her doors. When a door was locked they looked under the mat for a key and often found one.

Police estimated that from October 2008 to August 2009, the “Bling Ring” stole more than $3 million in jewelry and high-end designer brands.

Lindsey Lohan had a video security camera system installed that caught the thieves on video. It was that film that led the arrest of the “Bling Ring” members. Now they are all famous.

It’s painfully obvious that the victims in these crimes didn’t do enough to protect themselves. Some locked their doors and other didn’t. Some had security cameras and others didn’t. But NONE had an home alarm system that activated when the home was broken into. A home alarm system would have prevented most of these crimes.
 

I’ll bet there were other celebrities targeted who didn’t make the story, because their home wasn’t burgled, because they had alarms.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston.

National Identity Card Focuses on US Workers & Immigrants

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

The Wall Street Journal reports under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the worker.

There are too many forms of identification floating around right now that lack standards and overall security. The Social Security card is currently our national identification card that’s not supposed to be used for identification. From a NY Times article from 1998 it states: WASHINGTON— FOR many years, Social Security cards carried an admonition that they were to be used ”for Social Security and tax purposes — not for identification.” That assurance rings hollow today. Congress has authorized so many uses of the nine-digit number, and Americans use it for so many unauthorized purposes, that it has just about become a national identifier. Today your social is connected to everything.

Security Management reports that all workers and mariners attempting to access secure maritime and port areas nationwide will have to flash a government-approved Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), which includes a biometric identification card before entry. HSPD-12, or Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, set universal identification standards for federal employees and contractors, streamlining access to buildings and computer networks. Then there is old and new versions of the passport, as many as 200 forms of ID circulating from state to state, plus another 14,000 birth certificates and 49 versions of the Social Security card.

Government has tried hard to create identification that will once and for all standardize the process under the REAL ID Act which is most likely going to be squashed under Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano who is proposing the repeal of the Real ID Act.

“A person familiar with the legislative planning said the biometric data would likely be either fingerprints or a scan of the veins in the top of the hand. It would be required of all workers, including teenagers, but would be phased in, with current workers needing to obtain the card only when they next changed jobs, the person said.”

Many oppose biometrics and New Hampshire has even proposed legislation against it. My money is on biometrics creeping into our lives in the form of a national ID. Like it or not biometrics are coming.

Meanwhile, until there is assigned accountability, which means nobody can pose as you and work as you and open new accounts as you, protect your identity.

Get a credit freeze and follow the steps for your particular state. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes your Social Security number useless to a potential identity thief.

Invest in anti-virus and keep it auto-updated and check out my spyware killer IDTheftSecurty HERE

With your iPhone get my book as an App or go to my website and get my FREE ebook on how to protect yourself from the bad guy.

Invest in Intelius identity theft protection and prevention. Not all forms of identity theft can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk. (Disclosures)

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Speaker discussing Social Security numbers on Fox News

Watch Out For Caller ID Spoofing

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Caller ID spoofing is the practice of causing the telephone network to display a number on the recipient’s caller ID display which is not that of the actual originating caller. Similar to e-mail spoofing which can make it appear that a message came from any e-mail address the sender chooses, caller ID spoofing can make a call appear to have come from any phone number. Most people trust caller ID and are unaware of caller ID spoofing. This is obviously a flawed system ripe for fraud.

In Oklahoma, the anti-caller ID spoofing act has passed the Oklahoma House and now heads to the state Senate. The bill would protect people from getting scammed by people using fake caller ID. The Washington Post reported the “Truth in Caller ID Act of 2007” would make it “unlawful for any person within the United States, in connection with any telecommunications service or VOIP service, to cause any caller identification service to transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud or cause harm.”

Caller ID Spoofing is often sold as a tool for law enforcement to disguise them when trying to nab suspects. If someone is trying to evade child support caller ID spoofing may be a legitimate tool. Someone who suspects a cheating spouse may use it to do their own investigations. Doctors on call wanting to block their number may need to change a caller ID if the client requires a phone number to show when calling.

The fraudulent uses for caller ID spoofing far out weigh legitimate ones. Anyone can pose as law enforcement, a charity, government agencies, credit card companies or whatever the imagination can bring. Abuses of this technology have raised hackles with government officials.

Any time your phone rings be suspect. Don’t automatically trust what shows on caller ID. No matter what caller ID says, never give out personal information over the phone. If someone is calling          because you won something or stand to lose something, tell them you’d be happy to discuss, but that you will call them back. My suggestion is to go online and search out a legitimate number and call to confirm the details.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Identity Theft and Home Security on TBS Movie and Makeover.

Cell Phone Spying Nightmare: ‘You’re Never the Same’

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Technology makes it easier to connect with the people in your life, but it can also enable others to connect to you without your knowledge.

The engine behind this is RATs, AKA “Remote Access Trojans.” RAT’s can capture every keystroke typed, take a snapshot of your screen and even take rolling video of your screen via a webcam. RAT’s covertly monitor a PC generally without the user’s knowledge. RAT’s are a criminal hackers dream and are the key ingredient in spyware. Common RAT’s are the LANRev Trojan and “Backdoor Orifice”.

Now RATs come to mobile phones. When somebody remotely activates your phone, you’re not going to know it and they can use that phone to monitor the conversations in the room you’re in. Your phone could be sitting next to you while you are watching TV, and somebody can actually log into your phone and can actually watch what you are watching on television.

Cell Phone Spying Software is Affordable and Powerful. I worked with Good Morning America (GMA) on this issue.

GMA found thousands of sites promoting cell phone spying software, boasting products to “catch cheating spouses,” “bug meeting rooms” or “track your kids.” Basic cell phone spying software costs as little as $50.“ Someone can easily install a spyware program on your phone that allows them to see every single thing you do all day long, via the phone’s video camera. GMA spent $350 to get the features that remotely activate speaker phones, intercept live calls and instantly notify you every time a call is made.

A virus, called “Red Browser,” was created specifically to infect mobile phones using Java. It can be installed directly on a phone, should physical access be obtained, or this malicious software can be disguised as a harmless download. Bluetooth infrared is also a point of vulnerability. Once installed, the Red Browser virus allows the hacker to remotely control the phone and its features, such as the camera and microphone. For all you techies who want to take a crack at decoding tricks for defeating SSL on mobile phones see Mobile Security Labs HERE.

If history is any indication of the future, mobile phones, just like computers, will soon be regularly hacked for financial gain. Prepare for mCrime in the form of credit card fraud, identity theft and data breaches.

To protect your mobile phone:

Spyware can be installed remotely or directly on the phone. Never click on links in a text or email that could contain a malicious link to a download.

Always have your phone with you and never let it out of your site or let anyone else use it.

Make sure your phone requires a password to have access. If your phone is password protected it will be difficult to install spyware.

If you suspect spyware on your phone re-install the phones operating system. This can be done by consulting your user manual or calling your carriers customer service to walk you through it.

And protect your identity.

Get a credit freeze and follow the steps for your particular state. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes your Social Security number useless to a potential identity thief.

Invest in anti-virus and keep it auto-updated and check out my spyware killer IDTheftSecurty HERE

With your iPhone get my book as an App or go to my website and get my FREE ebook on how to protect yourself from the bad guy.

Invest in Intelius identity theft protection and prevention. Not all forms of identity theft can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk. (Disclosures)

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Speaker discussing Mobile Phone Spying on Good Morning America

How to Spend More Money on Home Security

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Lets face it, if you had it you’d spend it, and what better way than on your families security! In today’s high tech connected world a networked and remotely monitored home security system is the way to go.

Keyless Access: Door locks that require a pincode make it easier to access without fumbling for keys. Many keyless locks are smart and can be set to allow contractors limited one time PIN access.

Remote Control Alarms: For a few extra bucks you can add remote controls to an alarm system that allow you to activate or deactivate from the driveway or online.

Robot Cameras: New and very expensive robotic camera equipped technologies will roam your property taking full day and night video.

Remote Monitoring: Having someone monitor a video surveillance system 24/7/365 is close to having feet on the ground. These same systems come equipped with speakers used to yell at the trespassers.

Bullet Proof: If you’re especially concerned about flying bullets then installing bullet proof glass, doors and shoring up your walls with bullet proof steal is a must.

Panic or Safe Rooms: A safe room provides a space where you can survive a tornado, hurricane or home invasion with little or no injury.  Residents can hide out in a relatively bullet proof, well stocked room equipped with wireless communications and wait for law enforcement to show up.

16 or 32 Camera Surveillance System: Once you go beyond 8 cameras prices start to rise. However 16 or even 32 cameras will provide you with a bird’s eye view of every single nook and cranny of your home extending into your neighborhood.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Self Defense on Fox Boston

Copy Machines Can Store Your Private Info

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Today, copy machines, fax machines and many printers are just like computers; they’re smart and they have hard drives or flash drives and can store data that can be extracted. Peripherals in the olden days, just like when dot-com was a significant part of a person’s stock portfolio, were dumb.

Because of the increased demand of networked technologies, manufacturers of all these peripherals met the demand and built them so they can be easily accessed by everyone in the office.  These same peripherals are often wireless too.

The issue here is that these devices, sometimes, but aren’t always treated with the same considerations as a computer would have.  PCs are often locked down, access is limited and the data might be encrypted. Worse, when someone upgrades to a new PC, the old PC’s data is supposed to be removed, reformatted etc. This procedure is often overlooked on a copier/printer/fax.

Consider what kind of data is copied at your doctors, banks, mortgage broker and accountants office. Generally, there might be personal identifying information that can be used to create a new accounts or take over exiting accounts.

Where do old peripherals go? Many of them head to warehouses to be resold. Others end up on eBay. A quick search on eBay results in 7845 copiers for sale and 1130 used ones. If I can buy an ATM off Craigslist with over 1000 credit and debit card numbers on it, how much data do you think we can get from used copiers?

All the more reason to protect your identity.

1. Get a credit freeze and follow the steps for your particular state. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes your Social Security number useless to a potential identity thief.

2. Invest in anti-virus and keep it auto-updated and check out my spyware killer IDTheftSecurty HERE

3. With your iPhone get my book as an App or go to my website and get my FREE ebook on how to protect yourself from the bad guy.

4. Invest in Intelius identity theft protection and prevention. Not all forms of identity theft can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk. (Disclosures)

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Speaker discussing copy machine scams on CBS Boston

Is a Protection Dog Right for You?

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As mentioned in a previous post I’m a big believer in furry beasts as a layer of protection. My 60lb German shepherd last fall is now a 75lb GSD due to a lazy winter and a busy Daddy who hasn’t taken her out enough.

“Lola” the furriest of all beasts is all bark, love and very territorial. When anyone walks within 100 yards of the property she’s barking. If the door bell rings or someone knocks on the door forget it. All mayhem breaks out. If I or anyone enters through a door and she is even a little surprised she goes nuts.

In the event a bad guy was to walk through my door my feeling is he’d end up “sausage.” A dog is another home alarm system. It’s an extra video security system too. They often see and hear what you can’t day and night. Whenever my dog starts barking the first thing I do is check the video surveillance system monitor to see what she’s cracking about.

In the Boston area, it is reported that a German Shepherd thwarted a home invasion.

The key to getting a protection dog is to understand what a protection dog is and isn’t. First and foremost a protection dog doesn’t mean that the dog is a non stop-snarling-growling-aggressive-ready to pounce-rabid animal. Most protection dogs are relatively sublime, but aware. They respond to the call of duty when they sense a reason to.

A real protection dog is one that is trained for such a purpose. Certain breeds are more trainable and often go through a technique called “schutzhund”. German Shepherds, Malinois and Dobermans are breeds that come to mind. Generally, these dogs have what’s called “prey drive.” Prey drive is the instinctive behavior of a carnivore to pursue and capture prey.

Without prey drive the dog doesn’t have much motivation to do much, never mind put themselves in harms way.

My neighbors have these 2 little “Toto” dogs that think they are 125lbs Rottweilers. And frankly, I don’t get to close to them because they act the part too. They snarl and hiss and bark when their “Mom” walks them and they have razor sharp teeth. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.

Ultimately you want a dog that is safe around you and children. Just as important the dog needs to be safe around strangers too. The dog needs to be sensitive to who or what is good, and when there is a threat. A dog that bites for no reason isn’t a protection dog; it’s a lawsuit and a burden.

Do your research to determine what’s best for you and your family. No matter what dog you get, show them respect and they will watch your back.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on Fox Boston

She Said WHAT? On Facebook?

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

I don’t know about you, but high school was a nightmare for me. I spent a lot of my time in the assistant principal’s office for fighting. My taste for GQ style clothing along with slicked back greasy hair made me a target. My forked tongue didn’t help me any either. Not much has changed.

In Melrose, Massachusetts a woman was run down by a pack of teenagers in a car because of a dispute that started amongst high school kids on Facebook. If there was Facebook when I was in high school I would have definitely made the paper.

The feud started because of a “she said – she said” dispute that involved a boy between 2 girls.  I always fought boys because I wasn’t tough enough to fight girls. Girls hit you with their car.

The woman hit was the mother of one of the girls in the Facebook/cat/car fight and spent the night in Mass General Hospital after she did an “endo”, that’s when your “end” goes over your head then over the windshield.

This same diarrhea of the mouth on Facebook is happening with employees at small to large businesses. It might not end up as violent, but it’s certainly damaging corporate brands. People are saying mean things, blabbering about how they hate their jobs, their fellow employees, their bosses or even their clients. It’s never good when an employee publicly says bad things about the company they work for.

Just as bad they are leaking sensitive information about products coming to market, product specs or new and potential clients that gives the competition an edge. This kind of transparency is causing a tremendous stir and hurting many.

People mistakenly believe that what they say around the water cooler, to a friend or spouse or even on an IM in private can be said in public on Facebook or Twitter.  They couldn’t be more wrong.

The Wall Street Journal reports to nab violators, some business owners frequently conduct Web searches of their companies’ names. Others make a habit of checking employees’ social-media profiles if they’re open to the public or they’ve been granted access. They say such strategies can be helpful for quickly doing damage control, as well as for digging up digital dirt on employees and prospective recruits.

As an employer, you must have a written policy as to appropriate and inappropriate behaviors in social media. Just because you may block access at work, doesn’t mean they are saying stuff when they get off work. As an employee, don’t be stupid. Shut up and don’t act like an idiot pack of teenage high schoolers.

Protect your identity.

1. Get a credit freeze and follow the steps for your particular state. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes your Social Security number useless to a potential identity thief.

2. Invest in anti-virus and keep it auto-updated and check out my spyware killer IDTheftSecurty HERE

3. With your iPhone get my book as an App or go to my website and get my FREE ebook on how to protect yourself from the bad guy.

4. Invest in Intelius identity theft protection and prevention. Not all forms of identity theft can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk. (Disclosures)

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Speaker discussing Facebook Scams on CNN