Identity theft ring busted in NY

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September 2nd, 2009 - Posted by Robert Siciliano

Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger

The feds are getting better at busting criminals every day. Seventeen criminals, many from Eastern Europe, pilfered more than 95,000 stolen credit card numbers and $4 million worth of fraudulent transactions.

The New York Times reports the men were involved in a vast conspiracy known as the Western Express Cybercrime Group, which trafficked in stolen credit card information through the Internet and used it to create forged credit cards and to sell goods on eBay. They used digital currencies like e-gold and Webmoney to launder their proceeds.

Several of the scammers — Viatcheslav Vasilyev, Vladimir Kramarenko, Egor Shevelev, Dzimitry Burak and Oleg Kovelin — were charged with corruption. Vasilyev, 33, and Kramarenko, 31, were arrested at their homes in Prague, have been extradited to Manhattan. Shevelev, 23, was arrested in Greece last year, is still awaiting extradition. Burak, 26, a citizen of Belarus and Kovelin, 28, a citizen of Moldova have not been arrested

Vasilyev and Kramarenko recruited work from home employees to advertise and sell electronics on eBay. When someone would purchase an item, the two men would pocket the buyer's payment, give a cut to their recruit, then use a stolen credit card number to purchase the item from a retail store and send it to the buyer. In essence, they used eBay to obtain a legitimate buyer's credit card number through a legitimate channel and didn't actually "hack" anything. They simply set up pseudo-fake auctions that, in most cases, delivered the product, but also obtained the victim's credit card number and then made fraudulent charges.

Burak and Shevelev were "carders" who sold stolen credit card information on a website called Dumpsmarket and, probably, in chat rooms. "Dumps" is a criminal term for stolen credit cards and "carders" are the scammers who buy and sell them. Kovelin was a criminal hacker who stole victims' financial information via phishing emails and more than likely used the victims' own account information against them.

Protect yourself from these types of scams.  Check your credit card statements often, especially after using an online auction site. Refute unauthorized charged within 60 days.  Don't just buy the lowest priced product on an auction site. Use auction sellers with solid track records.

Anytime you ever receive an email asking for personal information, credit information, banking etc, do not enter it. Just hit delete. Often, victims will receive an email from a trusted source like eBay directly to their account because they have been actively engaging the fraudulent auctioneer. eBay system doesn't recommend giving your credit card information outside their network in an email.

Get a credit freeze. Go to ConsumersUnion.org 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. And invest in identity theft protection. Not all forms of identity theft protection can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk.

Identity theft speaker Robert Siciliano discusses work-at-home scams on Fox News.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtBLu4WxsYY[/youtube]

Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com , an identity theft expert, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 companies and startups as an advisor on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. Siciliano's thoughts and advice on all these matters appear often in both the televised and print news media including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of security training as a member of the American Society of Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on High Alert; How to take control of your personal security and prevent fraud. He's also partnered with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft and to provide tips on how you can protect yourself.

What if I don't like the food?

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September 2nd, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin

The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.

Q: I want to try Nutrisystem, but I'm a picky eater and I'm afraid I might not like the food. Can I try it for free, or get my money back if I don't like it?

A: Nutrisystem does allow returns and offers a money back guarantee on non-frozen foods. After you recieve your first order, you'll have seven days to decide whether or not you like the food. You can call Nutrisystem at any time within those seven days and return the remaining food for a full refund, minus the cost of shipping.

If you do decide to continue with Nutrisystem, you'll also have the option to return or exchange any  non-frozen food items that you don't care for, as long as the package is unopened and you return it within 30 days. Nutrisystem does not allow returns on frozen foods.

To learn more about Nutrisystem or other meal delivery diet services, take a look at our reviews and comparison chart.

Vonage iPhone App Approved But Not Available

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September 1st, 2009 - Posted by Erik

We told you we'd let you know when there was news about the impending iPhone app.  Well, there's news.  Sort of.  Vonage announced today in a very brief press release that their iPhone app has been approved.  Here's the the entire text of the release:

Vonage (NYSE: VG) has announced that Apple approved its mobile application for iPhone and iPod Touch. Vonage is currently conducting a beta test and general availability will be announced at a later date.

This new service, along with the recent launch of the Vonage World unlimited calling plan, continues Vonage's heritage of using innovative technology to create significant value for its current and future customers.

Yes – that's it.  No mention of when it might be available, much less what it actually does.  Overall it's certainly good news that it got through Apple's sometimes difficult approval process.  It will be nice when we can actually use it, though.

Trend Micro 2010 coupon: 10% off

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September 1st, 2009 - Posted by Kent

Trend Micro is celebrating the release of its 2010 Internet security software suite with a 10%-off coupon. We've just finished reviewing the 2010 version of its Internet Security product and we are very impressed. The 2010 product blocked phishing and malware URLs right and left, besting both Kaspersky and McAfee in that department. Part of our testing always involves downloading known threats, but the url blocker is so vigilant that it's hard to even download active malware. When we finally succeeded, Trend Micro identified and quarantined the virus. While Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 may be light in specific identity theft features, its malware blocking more than makes up for it, bringing it from a four-star product to an easy five-stars. It's also Windows 7 compatible.

A 10%-off Trend Micro 2010 coupon brings the suite down from $49.95 to $44.95. That includes a license for three PCs and a 30-day trial period. Simply use the security code "trendysecurity" on the checkout page to receive the discount.