Crissy received some txt message spam on her cellphone and was understandably annoyed because incoming txt messages are not included in her package with T-Mobile.
crime
You're Never Too Young To Have Your Identity Stolen
By 7.25.07
The NYT has an article about Gabriel Jimenez, a 25-year-old who has been battling an identity thief for half his life. His SSN was stolen and used by an illegal immigrant when he was 11, and it’s been a nightmare ever since.
Walmart Will Now Prosecute Shoplifters As Young As 16
By 7.12.07
With increased shoplifting and employee theft hurting Walmart’s bottom line, the store says it will now go after first-time shoplifters who are as young as 16. Previously, it was Walmart’s policy to only prosecute first-time shoplifters who were at least 18.
2.3 Million Customer Records Stolen, Sold To Direct Marketers
By 7.3.07
Fidelity National Information Services, a financial processing company, announced today that one of its employees had stolen 2.3 million customer records containing credit card, bank account and other personal information, and sold that information to an unidentified “data broker” who then sold the information to various direct marketing companies.
Guy Switches Price Tag On Walmart Plasma TV, Tries To Buy It For $4.88
By 6.29.07
The dumb scams people try to pull never cease to amaze us. Take Chandon L. Simms, 23, of Monroe, LA. He walked into his local Walmart, grabbed a 42″ Sanyo Plasma TV, removed its price tag and affixed one that would scan for only $4.88.
FBI: 1 Million US Computers Have Been Taken Over By Botnets
By 6.14.07
The FBI has tells us that they’ve found 1 million US computers that have been compromised and are being controlled and used for evil.
Home Depot Accuses You Of Attempting Return Fraud
By 6.12.07
Here at the Consumerist we realize that return fraud is a very serious problem for retailers. Nevertheless, this story puzzles us. Dana bought a thermostat from Home Depot, but it turned out to be incompatible with her heating and cooling system. When she brought it back, the customer service person accused her of bringing in an empty bag and receipt, shoplifting a thermostat and then trying to return the stolen unit. It’s a common scam…. but…
Comcast Tech Didn't Rape Customer, His DNA Was Just On Her Breasts
By 6.6.07
A jury acquitted Gustavo Cardenas, an outsourced Comcast cable tech, of raping a 25-year-old-single mother, the Daily Herald reports. Investigators found Cardenas’ DNA in saliva on the victim’s breasts.
Hearing the verdict, Cardenas broke into a broad smile aimed at his bosses from Baker Installations, a subcontractor for Comcast, who watched the trial.
Home Depot Employees Fired For Helping Police Catch Shoplifters
By 6.5.07
“We saw them with the merchandise. We saw them run out of the store. I never kept my eyes off of them. Then when we asked them for a receipt, and that’s when they dropped the merchandise and they kept running. One guy still had a chainsaw while he was running, and that’s when the cops tackled him,” he said.
DirecTV Installer Jokes That He's "Being Held Hostage," Dispatch Sends SWAT Team
By 6.4.07
Julie Pyle’s DirecTV installation was taking so long she decided to bake cookies for the installers. Sadly for Julie, the installation would not end with snack time. Julie was led at gunpoint out of her Savage, Minnesota home, ordered to the ground and handcuffed. Why? Her DirecTV installer had joked to his dispatcher that they were being “held hostage until they were done.”
Customer Shoots Wendy's Manager Over Packets Of Chili Sauce
By 5.30.07
Police said a man in the drive-through argued with an employee because he wanted more packets of the condiment. The worker told the customer that restaurant policy prohibited a customer from getting more than three packets.
Debt Collectors Punch Mom In Face While 5 Year-Old Watches
By 5.23.07
We realize that you need to repossess that 2000 Ford Focus, but it’s just not necessary to punch a woman in the face in front of her 5 year-old daughter. The woman, Sara Bradley, 25, was was sitting in her car when a debt collector trying to repossess the vehicle attacked her, grabbing her necklace and punching her in the face, according to the Boston Globe.
Best Buy Stole My Computer!
By 5.18.07
The young man behind the counter told me that the techs weren’t in yet, but that he would take down my info by hand and the computer and that they would call me when they came in for the day. (I figured if it was more then a couple hundred I would just spring for a new one). Well, at noon today having not heard back I called over to find out the status, and the gentleman who I spoke to told me, and this is a quote “We dont have that computer”.
Uh. What? Read E’s entire email inside.
Detecting Synthetic Identity Fraud
By 5.17.07
It’s bad enough when ID thieves steal your persona, but what happens when they use your information to create an entirely different person? A fake person? Bankrate has an article about detecting and protecting yourself from this type of scam. It’s called “synthetic identity fraud.” From Bankrate:
Synthetic fraud is quickly becoming the more common type of identity fraud, surpassing “true-name” identity fraud, which corresponds to actual consumers. In 2005, ID Analytics reported that synthetic identity fraud accounted for 74 percent of the total dollars lost by U.S. businesses to ID fraud and 88 percent of all identity fraud “events” — for example, new account openings and address changes.
Sythetic ID fraud could affect your credit, and debt collectors might come after you based on your SSN, ignoring that a ficticious name was used.
Should "Attempted Copyright Infringement" Be A Criminal Offense?
By 5.15.07
Our good friends Howard Berman and Lamar Smith, (you’ll remember them as the ones who took lots and lots of money from the RIAA as well as the friends and families of various record company and entertainment executives) are all for it, according to CNET:
We are reviewing (the attorney general’s) proposal. Any plan to stop IP theft will benefit the economy and the American worker,” said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, who’s the top Republican on the House Judiciary committee. “I applaud the attorney general for recognizing the need to protect intellectual property.”
Berman’s office said they couldn’t comment because they were busy drafting their own version of the legislation.
Ebay Scam: People Still Trying To Sell "Pictures" Of Things
By 5.15.07
Seller “awesome_electronics” (feedback zero) is selling “pictures” of items. Get it. It’s just a picture.. Ha, ha, ha. From ebay:
You are Bidding on a picture of a Apple iPod Video Black 30 gb that is BRAND New In BOX. As you can see in the picture it has never been opened. I Only Ship to the continental United States. I do not ship to PO Boxs. This is an as is sale There will be no returns. Payment is due within 3 days of sale ending. Thank you for looking at my sale and Happy Bidding!
We guess this is what happens when 12 year olds think of scams to pull on the internet. Sadly, according to BoingBoing at least one person fell for it before their post drove the bidding up over $100,000 (for a picture of a HAM radio.) Hardy har har. —MEGHANN MARCO
How Crooks Steal or "Skim" Your ATM Card
By 5.9.07
Why do we suddenly want to watch The Departed? Anyway, after talking with the detective the Today show set up their own skimming operation in Times Square. Just about 1/2 of the people who used the ATM fell for a skimming box located just outside the door where the swipe pad that unlocks the door would normally be. Sad.—MEGHANN MARCO
Box Cutter Found On United Airlines Flight Causes Delay
By 5.9.07
A box cutter was found by a passenger on United flight 490 from Denver to Dallas Tuesday, causing a delay of almost two hours while the passengers were rescreened. From the AP:
Flight 490 had left the gate and was taxiing toward a runway when the passenger found the cutting instrument and notified a flight attendant, United Airlines spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said.
