Stalker Frames Victim Husband for Child Porn

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OK, this is a weird title for this blog, but you gotta read this.

First, if there was ever a reason for you to invest in a home security system the below article is it.

A Crazy guy broke into the home of a woman who he was stalking. The woman is married, but apparently the guy didn’t care. When he broke into the home he logged onto the victim’s husband’s PC and downloaded child pornography.

Then he took the hard drive and sent it to the local police with a note to the police identifying the owner of the hard drive. The idea behind the scheme was to get his stalking victim husband arrested and give the impression that the victim’s husband was a child predator.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a whacky guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After he sent the hard drive to the police he was quickly arrested. Fortunately, the cops saw through his ruse. After investigating the stalker they found pictures on his computer that indicated he had broke in the house numerous times and snapped photos of the husband’s calendar so he could break into the home whenever he pleased.

And you think you have problems?

Stalking is a whole thing that I will get into in another post. What immediately bugs me about this story is the fact there was NO home alarm, NO security cameras, and the stalker was easily able to enter and exit the home at will, which tells me they probably didn’t lock the home.

It’s 2010 people, and the crazies are out in full force. Don’t think it can happen to you?

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

9 Year Old Kid Hacks Schools Computers

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Hacking has gone from “phreaking”- hacking phone systems to “cracking”-breaking into networks for fun and fame and over the past 5 years criminal hackers from all over the world are targeting huge databases full of credit card numbers. But hacking is also becoming part of popular culture. The “scriptkiddie” from back in the day is the 9 year old today who is just very intelligent, anxious and doesn’t k now anything other than technology.

Police say a nine year old boy hacked the county school system to change teachers’ and staff members’ passwords, change or delete course content, and change course enrollment. “The boy did not intend to do any serious damage, and didn’t, so the police withdrew and are allowing the school district to handle the half-grown hacker.”

“He’s a very intelligent 9-year-old,” said the police, “with no criminal intent.” Someone give that boy a lollipop.

Meanwhile a study in New York City points “to one out of 6 city teens have tried hacking. Roughly 39 percent of the New York City teens said they think hacking is “cool,” and about 16 percent admitted to trying it. Seven percent reported they hacked for money, and 6 percent said they viewed it as a viable career.”

I know some are going to look at this study and slam me for even acknowledging it. However in my own informal pole I’m seeing the same thing. Heck I have a 4 year old that’s in the process of hacking my network.  “Da-da, did you install spyware on my laptop?” “Yes, but that’s beside the point!”

Most kids know more about technology than their parents which makes a ripe situation for the kid heading down a rabbit hole and the parents unable to pull him out. How can mom or dad prevent the kid from doing something bad if they don’t understand it themselves? The solution? Up your technology and security vocabulary.  And install spyware on your kids PC, you might learn something.

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 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 criminal hackers on Fox News.

Scareware Incorporates Customer Service

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Fake anti-virus software called ’scareware’ pops up in your browser and begins to scan your hard-drive made to look like a legitimate scan. It often grabs a screenshot of your “My Computer” window mimicking your PCs characteristics then tricking you into clicking on links. Pop-ups bombard you and warn you that your PC is infected with an Ebola- like virus and your PC will die a horrible death with fluids running from all ports if you don’t fix it immediately for $49.95.

Information Week reports those behind a new fake antivirus software have added a new social engineering element — live support agents who will try to convince potential victims that their PCs are infected and that payment is the cure.

The rougue software comes equipped with a customer support link leading to a live session with the bad guy. Real scammers on the other end of chat have the ability to offer live remote access support instructed by support to click a link initiating remote access to their PC.

The best way to prevent seeing a pop-up for scareware is using the latest Firefox or Internet Exploer browser. An updated browser lets few, if any pop-ups through. No pop-ups, no scareware. If you are using another browser and a pop-up –pops-up, shut down your browser. If the pop-up won’t let you shut it down, do a Ctrl-Alt-Delete and shut down the browser that way. Never click links in pop-ups.  If the pop-ups are out of your control, do a hard shutdown before you start clicking links.

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 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 Breach of 3.3 million Social Security numbers on Good Morning America.

Awareness Based Security Initiatives

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When something bad happens in a neighborhood, like burglaries, car theft or violence, the residents will often “react.” First thing they do is call the local home security alarm dealer, then a locksmith and maybe the local police to give a speech. For some, this may be the first time they lock their doors.

Reacting to a bad situation is often the catalyst that gets people motivated to take control of their personal security. People develop a sense of fear and make these security decisions not because they are security conscious, but because they are scared. While fear is certainly a motivator, it doesn’t always teach us a needed lesson.

The main problem with fear based motivation is eventually that person will no longer have the imminent fear and they stop locking their doors or setting their alarms. They may even start leaving their keys in the cars ignition again. Now they are as vulnerable as they were before.

Benjamin Franklin once said “To be safe, means never to be secure.” What Benny meant was that the moment that you believe you are fully “secure”, when you have the belief that you no longer need to be vigilant, when the awareness wears off and you think “it’s not going to happen to me.” Now your guard is down and you are a better target for the bad guy.

Always keep your head up, lock your doors, install a home security system and leave it on. If you think you live in a neighborhood where “you don’t need to lock your doors” then you are delusional.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams.

Caller ID Spoofing Becoming Illegal

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

AP reports using false caller ID with the intent of tricking people into revealing personal information or otherwise causing harm would become illegal under legislation that passed the House Wednesday. The legislation would only outlaw the use of spoofing technology when the intent is to deceive and harm the recipient of the call. Legitimate uses of the technology, such as a domestic abuse shelter changing its number to protect an occupant of the shelter, would still be permitted.

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.

Legitimate uses of caller ID spoofing have included:

A domestic abuse shelter changing its number to protect an occupant of the shelter.

Law enforcement to disguising themselves when trying to nab suspects.

Someone is trying to evade child support and caller ID spoofing may be a legitimate tool to find them.

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.

Nefarious uses of caller ID Spoofing have included:

A crazy woman used the caller ID of a pharmacist to trick a romantic rival into taking a drug used to cause abortions.

Spoofing during political campaigns to mislead voters or get voters angry at a candidate they mistakenly think is calling them, perhaps in the middle of the night.

Criminals are also using caller ID of a bank, credit card company, retailer or other phone number to scam someone into revealing Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers. In New York City police busted an identity theft ring that used caller ID spoofing to steal more than $15 million from 6,000 victims.

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 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 Scammers and Scambaiters on Fox Boston.

Burglar Hits County Sheriff’s Home

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In these posts I often point out what people do wrong and reverse engineer the scenario so we can learn from 20/20 hindsight what to do right next time. I’m happy to say, this post is about what was done right the first time.

There are many reasons why homes are broken into. Money is generally the primary motivation. Sometimes kids may be looking for a place to party or someone may be seeking out drugs or alcohol. But when someone breaks into the Sheriffs home, one has to wonder why.

Fairfield County Sheriff Dave Phalen is used to investigating break-ins, but this time it was his own home. The sheriff is offering a $1,000 reward from his own pocket for information leading to an arrest. Nothing was taken in the break-in on Sunday at the sheriff’s home on Wacker Drive, which makes the incident even more mysterious, Phalen said. “I would almost feel better if something had been taken,” he said. The burglar came between 5 and 6 p.m., while Phalen and his wife were out for a walk. Phalen said that the alarm system triggered and the burglar apparently tried to disable it. The alarm was beeping when Phalen and his wife returned.

The motivation here may simply be for money, but if they knew it was the Sheriff’s house, then more than likely someone was after information or they simply wanted to have bragging rights to say “I broke into the Sheriff’s house.”

What pleases me about this story is the home security alarm that was triggered in the break in. Any one who reads this will see that the Sheriff, knowing that crime happens when someone least expects it, locked his doors and set his home alarm system while he and his wife were out for a quick walk.

Even though he was only gone for a short time he took full responsibility for his families security and enabled the home security system. One thing missing is why wasn’t their any data about the alarm being monitored by a service and a call made to the “Sheriff’s Department.” Seems there is a lesson to be learned here.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Scammers Bait 40,000 Facebook Victims with Ikea Gift Card

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

It’s just a matter of setting up a fake Facebook page and marketing it to a few people who then send it to their friends and it goes somewhat viral. The Ikea scam hooked 40,000 unsuspecting victims with the promise of a $1,000 gift card.

PC World reports In the past months, fan pages have popped up all over the social networking site, offering too-good-to-be-true gift cards. There’s the $500 Whole Foods card, the $10 Walmart offer, and the $1,000 Ikea gift card. The Ikea page put these gift card scams on the map last month, when it quickly racked up more than 70,000 fans before being snuffed. Facebook has also taken down Target and iTunes gift card scam pages in the past few months.

To get the gift card the users must enter names, address and email address. They are then pointed to other pages where real products and services are offered. From there they enter credit card details if the offer appeals to them.

The root of this scam is believed to be perpetrated by affiliate marketers who make money on click throughs and create a ruse to gather data on potential customers also known as a “sucker list.”

In general, there shouldn’t be any traditional identity theft as it relates to new account fraud as long as requests aren’t being made for Social Security numbers, and the “victim” isn’t giving one out. Otherwise I don’t see this scam as harmful, but is certainly deceptive.

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 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 Hackers on CNN.

1.5 Million Americans Have Been Victims of Medical Identity

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

The Smartcard Alliance has released an in-depth report called “Medical Identity Theft in Healthcare.”

While identity theft is a global issue that garners much media attention, most do not realize that medical identity theft is a serious and growing threat. Many authorities consider medical identity theft one of the fastest growing crimes in America. With the digital age of healthcare upon us, the risks are expected to increase as electronic medical records become more prevalent and the exchange of this data over expanding networks becomes more pervasive. Heightened concern over personal data security and privacy highlight the importance of having secure electronic medical identities.

According to a recent Ponemon Institute study, nearly 1.5 million Americans have been victims of medical identity theft with an estimated total cost of $28.6 billion–or approximately $20,000 per victim. [1] Further evidence of the significance of the medical fraud problem is the allocation of $1.7 billion for fraud detection in the 2011 U.S. Health and Human Services Department budget. [2] In 2009, 68 reported healthcare data breaches in the U.S. put over 11.3 million patient records at risk of exposure.

Patients whose medical identities are stolen face serious lingering effects. Fraudulent healthcare events can leave erroneous data in medical records. This erroneous information–like information about tests, diagnoses and procedures–can greatly affect future healthcare and insurance coverage and costs. Patients are often unaware of medical identity theft until a curious bill or a surprising line of questioning by a doctor exposes the issue. Then, the burden of proof is often with the patient and it can be difficult to get the patient’s legitimate medical records cleaned up. The consequences can also be life threatening and can lead to serious medical errors and fatalities.

Identity theft prevention services generally will not protect you from medical identity theft. However, if your information is out there on the Net and being scanned constantly by the identity theft protection service, then your risk is lowered. Furthermore, I’m all about layers of protection. If your identity is protected from new account fraud via credit monitoring or credit freezes then the thief may use another identity that has less restrictions.

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 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 Medical Identity Theft on the CBS Early Show

Home Invasions Are Ugly

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I always do my best not to create fear. Fear based motivation and training stifles progress and turns people off.

Years ago I was invited to present a program at a person’s home to their families and was asked a series of questions that devolved into a hopeless mess. At one point, the Mom’s voice cracked and I could see my answers crossed the lines and her whole body exuded fear.  I’ll never forget it.

Unfortunately, the reality of crime is real, and it’s scary. While trying to keep things light, and with a little perspective, try to learn from the following and brace yourself then acknowledge a few days worth of news reports depicting real stories of bad things happening to good people.

Pregnant Woman Shot During Home Invasion. Deputies said two men forced their way into the home and shot the woman twice, in the arm and upper torso. Two children were at the home at the time. They were not injured. Scary. Home with two kids and they witness this. Maybe she’s “lucky” it wasn’t worse?

Newark teen and grandmother are attacked in home invasion by men posing as police. Two men impersonating police officers were armed with handguns, barged into a home in Newark. The two men, who wore police-type badges around their necks, handcuffed the 18 year old forcing the man into a closet while pushing his 76-year-old grandmother to the floor. You never know who is a good guy and who is a bad guy. Just because they have a badge doesn’t mean you should immediately open the door.

Robbers beat paraplegic man, killing his dog in Parker County home invasion. A disabled man was pistol-whipped and his service dog was shot to death during a home invasion robbery. The man had just gotten into bed when two masked robbers kicked in the door of his rural home. The gunmen held the paraplegic man down on his bed and demanded cash. That’s when his 12-year-old German shepherd, Major, entered the room. The intruders shot and killed the dog, then fled with more than $500. “He was doing what he was supposed to do,” Hammons told Channel 8. “I feel like he saved mine and my wife’s life.”

Wow. Again, no fear based training here. This stuff is real and it needs to be acknowledged. Here are a few home safety tips:

Lock your doors day and night.

Don’t open for anyone without first calling a supervisor to confirm their legitimacy.

Every home must have a home security alarm that is also equipped with security cameras. And one of my personal favorites, get a trained German shepherd.

Another consideration is a home safe-room also known as a “panic room” where families can hide out in a relatively bullet proof, well stocked room equipped with wireless communications and wait for law enforcement to show up.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams.

Parents Navigating the Social Media Mess

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Children say and do things that make them vulnerable to dangers in the outside world. A parent can parent all day long and do everything possible to protect their kids from themselves, but a child’s persistence to have their way can wear a parent down. It’s a constant fight that makes a parent adopt a philosophy where they “pick their battles.”

Growing up, it wasn’t all that uncommon for a parent to spank their kids to teach them a lesson. I experienced the occasional “windmill” from my father that set me straight more than once. And I’m thankful for it. By all accounts, if you add up all the number of risks I took and how many times the speedometer redlined and all the stupid things I did, I really shouldn’t be writing this. If a cat has nine lives I have 999,999,999,999. I think that’s trillion.

At one point political correctness crept into our culture and the fear of a child calling the Department of Social Services (DSS) on their parents because of a deserved fanny smack sent a cold chill down every parent’s spine. I’m certainly not saying it’s OK to beat your kids, or cage them for that matter. And when a child has zero fear of a parent, they tend to walk all over them. It’s in their nature to manipulate until they get their way. I’m just sayin’.

A 16 year old ungrateful, self righteous teen has filed charges against his mother for making entries on his Facebook page. The kid further filed a no contact order against his mother. The mother apparently took over his Facebook account after she noticed some reckless behavior.

She was quoted saying “I read things on his Facebook about how he had gone to Hot Springs one night and was driving 95 m.p.h. home because he was upset with a girl and it was his friend that called me and told me about all this that prompted me to even actually start really going through his Facebook to see what was going on.”

What mother wouldn’t be concerned?  Hey kid, the day you deliver anything in excess of 10 pounds out of an orifice on your body, then you can have a say. I hope you have kids just like you.

I think my head is going to explode.

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 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 Breach of 3.3 million Social Security numbers on Good Morning America