When reader Steve went to Wal-Mart to buy Rock Star for his daughter, he reluctantly presented the cashier with a state issued ID containing just his picture, name and signature. Steve’s job is to consult with law enforcement about identity theft, so he’s more careful than the average bear.
theft
Data On Over 40,000 Patients Stolen From NYC Hospital
By 4.12.08
The New York Times is reporting this morning that an unnamed employee stole personal data on over 40,000 patients from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The theft “occurred over the past several years and included patients’ names, phone numbers and Social Security numbers.” As we’ve come to grimly expect in these cases, the hospital was made aware of the theft in January, and announced it publicly on Friday after an internal audit. “We obviously deeply regret that this has happened,” said the hospital’s spokeswoman, Ms. Manners. She also said that investigators are “looking into the possibility that the theft could be part of a larger criminal scheme.”
Redbox Shows Businesses How To Properly Handle A Data Breach
By 4.7.08
Redbox rents DVD movies via vending machine in drugstores and supermarkets throughout the country, and on Friday they announced that they’d found credit card skimmers attached to three of their kiosks. What’s surprising is that they ‘fessed up so quickly, and in a highly public manner—they’ve got the text “SECURITY ALERT” at the top and bottom of their website, and the email they sent to their members is detailed, forthright, and helpful, and reposted in its entirety—along with photos of sample card skimmers—on their site. Attempts at identity theft no longer surprise us, but a competent handling of the issue by a company is pretty amazing.
Don't Believe That Guy Who Works At Lowe's Who Can "Get Everything 1/2 Off"
By 4.2.08
Here’s the story of a guy who had to learn the hard way that “your friend who works at Lowe’s and says he can get you everything 1/2 off” is a liar and a criminal.
Fight Fraudulent Credit Card Charges
By 3.22.08
A thief charged over $1,600 to my credit card at Bed Bath & Beyond. Here’s how I responded:
Recover Stolen Purchases Without Breaking A Sweat
By 3.15.08
Lars writes:
Something pretty bad happened to me the other week that ended up being pretty cool, and speaks well to the quality of customer service at my local Burlington Coat Factory.
Someone Stole Your Tmobile Phone Now You Have To Pay $1500
By 3.7.08
Tricia asks:
Tmobile is not budging regarding $1500 dollars worth of charges on a SIM card that was stolen from my lost phone and put into another device. Its so obvious the phone was stolen, my bill is typically $40 a month, the person took someone out of my “Fave 5” and put in someone named Mostofo. I called Mostofo who said he wants to help “find the criminal” but Tmobile says they don’t really care about the fact that it was stolen, that I owe the total amount regardless. Super annoying! Anything I can do? I get that Tmobile says, until I officially report it stolen I’m responsible for the charges, I just think that’s ridiculous when its SO obvious the charges aren’t mine.
Employees Play With Your Private Data And There Is Nothing You Can Do About It
By 2.24.08
Why play solitaire when you work for the utility company and can look up the mayor’s phone number? An Associated Press investigation reveals that casual snooping is widespread among employees who have access to large customer databases. According to one utility executive, it would be “difficult, if not impossible” to ferret out employees who use sensitive data for identity theft.
All Saints Apparel Plagiarizes Shirt Design From Gaming Site 4 Color Rebellion
By 2.23.08
Posh London retailer All Saints Apparel plagiarized a shirt design from the gaming site 4 color rebellion. The site originally unveiled the ‘You Complete Me’ tetris-heart figure for Valentine’s Day in 2006. Designer Mitch was surprised to find that All Saints had plastered the exact same design on a shirt selling for £40—that’s like, $90! Mitch asked All Saints for an explanation, which was enough to prompt a decent resolution.
Retail Management: "We Have To Check ID Or We Get Screwed By Credit Card Companies"
By 2.21.08
Scott, a member of management for a retail chain, wants to share the other side of the checking-ID debate:
Your website continually runs stories about how merchants aren’t allowed to ask for ID during a credit transaction. I work on the management team at a nationwide retailer, and credit card fraud occasionally hits our location. Every so often, we are hit with something called a ‘retrieval request’ from one of the big 4 credit authorization companies (Discover, AMEX, MC, Visa). This means we have 48 hours to provide a legible signed receipt, and video evidence of my staff checking a photo ID to verify the cardholder.
Attention Counterfeiters: Don't Put Lincoln On The $100 Bill Or You Will Be Arrested, Tasered
By 2.20.08
37-year-old Mesa, Arizona resident Scott Martin didn’t understand why a shop owner wouldn’t sell him a watch in exchange for two $100 bills bearing Abraham Lincoln’s watermark. The shop owner gently explained that President Lincoln appears on the penny and the $5 bill. This was enough to start a fight that ended with the shop owner tasering Martin.
When fire rescue personnel arrived, they cut off Martin’s shirt to treat him, and three more counterfeit $100 bills fell out, the document said.
Court Rules "World Yacht" Can Be Sued For Not Distributing Gratuities To Its Servers
By 2.19.08
“Hold on,” you say to yourself—”If it’s a gratuity, doesn’t that by definition mean it goes to the wait staff?” Not if you’re a server for World Yacht, a “luxury dining fleet” in Manhattan that will now be sued by its employees for slapping automatic gratuities on diners’ bills, then keeping the extra money for itself. New York labor laws require “employers to pass on to workers any payments that customers understand to be tips,” but World Yacht argued that the banquet industry was exempt, and its servers should get nothing. Thanks to last week’s ruling, the employees can move forward with their suit.
Gas Station Attendant Busted For Re-Using Customers' Credit Card Numbers
By 2.16.08
A 23-year-old gas station attendant in Massachusetts has been charged with identity theft after a customer noticed that her card was used to make additional purchases a few hours after she’d been at the station.
Red Card! MLSGear.com Shoppers Exposed To Identity Theft
By 2.12.08
Computerworld is reporting that “a series of SQL injection attacks” on a third-party e-commerce company’s servers has compromised the personal data of customers who shopped at Major League Soccer’s MLSgear.com website. One affected customer told us he received a letter from MLSgear.com letting him know what had happened and offering him free credit monitoring services for a year, which is apparently the standing corporate response to personal data theft.
The $6,516.67 Sprint Bill
By 2.11.08
JD writes:
My device was stolen in Mexico. I reported it. The Sprint rep. suspended the WRONG line. My bill comes a few weeks ago: $6,000+. My Sprint bill was $6,000 this month and two calls to Fraud Prevention/2 tickets/and my bill is almost due (with no response or adjustment, was was promised within 2 business days, twice). I don’t know what to do at this point…
It appears your claim has gotten lost somewhere within the deep dark bowels of Sprint’s billing system. The best thing we can suggest at this point is to call the Sprint Executive Customer Service line at 703-433-4401 and get your claim expedited. Oh, and happy Valentine’s Day.
$60 Million Shoplifting Ring Busted In Florida
By 1.25.08
Holy crap! A “multiagency” investigation that started with a single shoplifting incident has lead to the arrest of an 18 person crime ring in Florida, says The Ledger.
Is It Morally Wrong To Buy Stolen Starbucks Free Drink Coupons On eBay?
By 1.23.08
Starbucks Gossip has an interesting moral quandary for you Consumerists:
6 Reasons To Keep More Than One Credit Card
By 1.19.08
Keeping a second credit card won’t lead to financial ruin, and may prove useful in several situations. Bankrate offers six reasons to stash away a spare card.
