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Credit Card Fraud Drops – The 1999 loss statistics (USA) are in and the picture is promising. Visa reported a record low of six cents per $100 in transactions. Back in 1993, that rate was three times higher at 18 cents per $100 in transactions.
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The Federal Trade Commission is fighting identity theft with information definitely a good start. They’ve set up a toll free number (877-438-4338) for victims to call. Alternatively, reports can be made online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft
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If you’re an employee or contractor with DOE, you can access the services and resources of the Department of Energy’s Computer Incident Advisory Capability (CIAC). Located at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CIAC is part of its Computer Security Technology Center and the founding member of FIRST, the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams. FIRST is a global organization established to foster cooperation and coordination among computer security teams throughout the world. CIAC’s email is ciac@llnl.gov and their phone is 510-422-8193.
Credit Card Fraud Drops – The 1999 loss statistics (USA) are in and the picture is promising. Visa reported a record low of six cents per $100 in transactions. Back in 1993, that rate was three times higher at 18 cents per $100 in transactions.
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The Federal Trade Commission is fighting identity theft with information definitely a good start. They’ve set up a toll free number (877-438-4338) for victims to call. Alternatively, reports can be made online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft
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If you’re an employee or contractor with DOE, you can access the services and resources of the Department of Energy’s Computer Incident Advisory Capability (CIAC). Located at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CIAC is part of its Computer Security Technology Center and the founding member of FIRST, the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams. FIRST is a global organization established to foster cooperation and coordination among computer security teams throughout the world. CIAC’s email is ciac@llnl.gov and their phone is 510-422-8193.
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THE RICH GET RICHER THE POOR GET POORER Sunshine State Mortgage Cheat Busted Federal authorities allege that James Christianson was the top man in a rip-off scam which operated under the name of The Howard Kratenstein Trust.
Christianson has been accused of defrauding multiple lenders via a convoluted scheme that always ends with a property foreclosure and a large monetary loss for the lender. In the scheme, According to prosecutors, Christianson purchases a run-down property in a challenged neighborhood, often a tenement type building catering to poor renters. He then obtains false appraisals which substantiate a much higher stated value for the building. using that artificially heightened price, Christianson obtains a mortgage using the name and credit information of a straw buyer. The bank then forks over the money for a mortgage, far beyond the true value of the property, and the new buyer defaults on his loan and the property goes into foreclosure.
Up to 400 properties have been linked to the Howard Kratenstein Trust and the losses are well into the tens of millions of dollars.
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