U.S. Justice Department indicts international ATM hacking ring
Yesterday, the U.S. Justice Department indicted eight men who allegedly hacked into a computer system at RBS WorldPay Inc., cloned prepaid ATM cards, and used them to withdraw $9 million from 2,100...
View ArticleBeware of job search scams
Identity thieves tend to be quite good at identifying and capitalizing on new trends and opportunities. So it isn't particularly surprising that as unemployment rises, scams designed to take advantage...
View ArticlePopular Facebook games include scams
Many of the most popular applications on Facebook, including FarmVille, CafeWorld, and Mafia Wars, are created by a company called Zynga. Zynga's CEO, Marc Pincus, recently acknowledged that these...
View ArticleData Breach Alert: Social Security numbers printed on postcards
Last week, the Universal American Action Network, a subsidiary of Universal American Insurance, sent 80,000 postcards to Medicare participants throughout the country. On these postcards, printed above...
View ArticlePopular retailers decline personal checks
The Dallas Morning News points out that many popular retailers, including Diesel, True Religion, Ed Hardy, and Lululemon Athletica are no longer accepting personal checks. Gap and Whole Foods are...
View ArticleData breaches are like mice, or cockroaches
Why are data breaches like mice or cockroaches? Because for every one that you see, there are hundreds or even thousands that you don't see. According to the FBI's top Internet crimes investigator, the...
View ArticlePhishing emails promise vaccines but deliver viruses
This week, millions received emails that appeared to be sent by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, directing them to an official government website to fill out a vaccination form. Those who followed...
View ArticleFacebook updates its privacy policy, once again
Facebook unveiled its latest privacy policy today, as well as changes to the privacy settings. Facebook's privacy policy and settings must continuously evolve with the addition of new features that...
View ArticleNextAdvisor.com reviews online dating services
Online dating is one of the most popular Internet-based services, and for good reason. Plenty of people are looking for love, but don't have the time or the inclination to meet people in bars. For the...
View ArticleWhat can I do if a child has been a victim of identity theft?
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. Q: I found out that someone used my grandson's Social Security number to get phone service. How can I stop this?...
View ArticleWhich factors impact your credit score the most?
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. Q: When looking at your credit report, is there a way of prioritizing which areas to work on? E.g., if you have...
View ArticleDo online DVD rental services offer adult movies?
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. Q: Do you recommend adult movie rentals online? A: The two most popular online DVD rental services, Netflix and...
View ArticleTwitter bans 370 passwords for being too obvious
TechCrunch has unearthed a list of 370 passwords that cannot be used when registering a new Twitter account. Some of these passwords are known to be weak and obvious, like "123456" and "password." But...
View ArticleNew FTC rules will require explanations for higher interest rates
The Federal Reserve and Federal Trade Commission have issued new rules designed to help inform consumers about the impact of their credit histories on the interest rates they are offered when seeking...
View ArticleInternational hacker pleads guilty
In August, Albert Gonzalez was indicted for his role as ringleader of a massive hacking operation targeting Heartland Payment Systems, 7-11, and supermarket chain Hannaford Brothers. The hack resulted...
View ArticleSave over 35% on Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers is currently offering a 35% discount on their three month plan through NextAdvisor.com. Normally, the three month plan, with sign-up fee, would cost $83.80. But for a limited time, you...
View ArticleDoes the Equifax w/Score Power offer need a promo code?
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. Q: I tried to sign up for your 3-in-1 credit monitoring with FICO score, $14.95 per month, but the application...
View ArticleNextAdvisor.com helps you keep your New Year's Resolutions
Two of this year's most popular resolutions are to lose weight and save money. NextAdvisor.com can help you with both, since we've reviewed and compared the best online diet services and online savings...
View ArticleData Breach Alert: Facebook application developer RockYou failed to protect data
RockYou is a company that develops applications for Facebook, MySpace, and a number of other popular social networking websites. It's the second biggest application developer for Facebook after Zynga,...
View ArticleTax season begins Friday, January 15th
This Friday, January 15, is the first day to electronically file your 2009 tax return. Of course, the deadline isn't until April 15, but it's a good idea to get started early, for several reasons....
View ArticleChinese hackers target Google and Google users
Yesterday, Google released information about a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack on [Google's] corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual...
View ArticleStream Netflix movies on your Wii
Netflix is adding Nintendo's Wii consoles to the list of devices that allow Netflix subscribers to stream unlimited movies and television episodes. If you're already a Netflix member but haven't...
View ArticleConnecticut sues Health Net for data breach
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has filed a lawsuit against Health Net for HIPPA violations in the wake of a data breach. Last May, Health Net discovered that a portable disk drive...
View ArticleThe New York Times ponders the plight of the Internet user
In this day and age, even the Fashion & Style section of The New York Times is worried about Internet security issues. This weekend, the Times recounted the experiences of Allan Goldstein, a 60...
View ArticleWhat protection is available once your identity has been stolen?
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question: Q: I would like to get information on what protection is available for a person who identity is already stolen and...
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