Entries by Robert Siciliano

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,…

Social Media Banned, Creates Identity Theft Risk

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert The Marines recently banned soldiers from using social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. This is for two reasons. First, because they fear that these sites’ lack of security may allow malware to infiltrate government computers. And second, they’re concerned about the potential for leaked military data. Military…

Criminal Hackers Clean Out Bank Accounts Using Spear Phishing

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert It wasn’t long ago that most phishing emails were from a supposed Nigerian General Matumbi Mabumboo Watumboo. And you and I were flattered that we were the chosen ones to help the general transfer 35 million out of the country, because the Nigerian government was a bunch of jerks and wouldn’t…

College Students At Risk For Identity Theft

Identity Theft Expert Robert Siciliano Why? Because they don’t care! September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month, and I’m teaming up with Uni-Ball pens to urge college students to protect their personal safety and security. Uni-Ball pens and the Identity Theft Resource Center surveyed 1,000 college students and 1,000 parents. This Campus Security Survey revealed that…

Identity Theft Attempt at Defcon

Identity Theft Expert Robert Siciliano Hackers hacked hackers at the annual Defcon conference in Las Vegas this past weekend. Defcon is a conference for hackers of all breeds. There are good guys, bad guys, those who are somewhere in between, plus law enforcement and government agents. All kinds of inventive people with an intuition for technology…

Government Officials Contributing to Identity Theft

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert Government officials are posting our Social Security numbers on the web, but corporations are required to keep them under lock and key. Congressman Robert Wexler was recently targeted by a Ghanaian extortionist who supposedly obtained Wexler’s Social Security number, as well as his wife’s, from a public record posted at The…

Florida Congressman Robert Wexler Targeted in Identity Theft Extortion

Identity Theft Expert Robert Siciliano Sun Sentential reports that Congressman Robert Wexler, of Florida, was targeted by an extortionist who threatened to turn his Social Security number over to identity thieves. Wexler refused to give in to the extortionist’s demands, and reported the plot to the Secret Service and Capitol Police. Other members of Congress…

Debit Cards at Risk for Identity Theft

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert There are 437,000,000 debit cards in circulation, and their use is on the rise. Criminal hackers are paying attention. Credit cards offer some measure of protection, but when a debit card is compromised, the stolen money is taken directly from the victim’s bank account. Federal laws limit cardholder liability to…