Entries by Robert Siciliano

Will a National ID Card Prevent Identity Theft?

Identity Theft Expert Robert Siciliano In a word, no. A national ID card, on its own, will not prevent all forms of identity theft. In order for new account fraud to be entirely avoidable, a number of other factors would have to come into play, effectively establishing accountability through identity proofing. Effective identity proofing is…

Scammers Targeting Craigslist Users

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert Craigslist scams are in full force. Fox news reports scams targeting online car buyers. The crooks spend about a hundred dollars on a junk car and get a title. Then they steal a similar car and advertise it for sale on Craigslist. This is a form of auto identity theft…

Big Time Identity Theft Hackers Indicted

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert ABC news and a bazillion other outlets report that a former informant for the Secret Service was one of three men charged with stealing credit and debit card information from 170 million accounts in the largest data breach in history. The former informant, Albert Gonzalez of Florida, A.K.A “Segvec”, “SoupNazi,” and…

10 Tips to Safety and Security in Online Matchmaking

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert My first passion has always been personal security as it relates to violence prevention. I got into this business 20 years ago as a result of violence in my own life and began to write, speak and train in self defense. Today is no different than back then, with the…

Identity Theft Is Easy Over P2P

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert Peer to peer file sharing is a great technology used to share data over peer networks. It’s also great software to get hacked and have your identity stolen. Installing P2P software allows anyone, including criminal hackers, to access your data. This can result in data breaches, credit card fraud and identity…

One in eight applicants denied positions because of criminal history

Identity Theft Expert Robert Siciliano Background checks are a necessary tool in today’s sometimes violent and certainly litigious society. If a rug installation company was to hire an installer, who eventually rapes and kills a client, then the rug installation company would be held libel for the animals actions. This example is one that happens…

Are Cookies An Invason Of Privacy Or Identity Theft Concern?

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert Ive taken lots of heat for my comments on a Fox News report that the Office of Management and Budget is considering reversing a nine year ban on using “cookies” to track users’ preferences and interests on federal websites. The shift in policy is being billed as a way for government…

Scams Happen to Smart People Who Do Stupid Things

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert Most people are too smart to fall for a Nigerian 419 scam. But plenty of smart people fell for Bernie Madoff’s investment scams. Madoff was far more subtle than your average scammer. But in this day and age, people ought to be more alert to potential scams than ever before.…

A Glorious Week of Identity Theft

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert If there was ever a week to get high, totally drunk, on information security and identity theft scammers and hackers, then this is it! Media outlets everywhere have been pumping out story after story of data breaches, identity theft, criminal hackers and indictments! Yeah team! For a criminal hacker groupie,…