Shopping center hit overnight by break-in, credit card receipts and tax documents missing

Shops at the University Hill shopping center in Boulder, Colorado were recently victims to vandalism and theft, leaving an unknown amount of personal and business information at risk.

Jones General Store, at 1370 College Avenue, called police on September 11th notifying them of an overnight break in. Shortly after, Root of the Hill, also in the same shopping center, reported a break-in to police as well.

Police are not releasing much information regarding what was found, but they did say that credit card receipts and tax documents were stolen from the stores, along with extensive damage left by set-off fire extinguishers, burned furniture and spray-painted graffiti.

Although some of the tax documents were found (in an undisclosed location, due to the ongoing investigation), officers are still looking for the credit card receipts that leave shoppers at risk. It is unknown what period of time the receipts cover, so anyone that has recently shopped at the Jones General Store may be at risk for identity theft.

The stores are unable to send letters regarding the incidences since it is unknown who was affected, but store owners and investigators highly suggest keeping a close eye on your credit cards and credit reports for unusual or suspicious activity that could affect your finance’s integrity. Identity theft protection goes a long way in protecting your financial future.

Improper disposal of educational documents leaves thousands of students at risk for identity theft

Cardboard boxes and plastic bins containing personal information of previous students of the School for the Physical City were found dumped into trash containers behind the school’s previous location.

The school, which had recently moved locations over the summer, is being investigated for improperly disposing of personally identifiable information, including copies of birth certificates, Social Security cards, and medical records, among other information. Two dumpsters were filled with files, and after anonymous phone calls, parents and children rushed to the school to dig through and try and find their own personal files, keeping it from possible thieves.

The files date back to at least 1990, possibly further, and the information in these files is enough to allow someone to overtake someone’s identity and cause significant damage on their credit and financial records. Along with the files were several computers, which are being investigated for additional information or files that could leave these past students at risk.

Those who have attended the school are highly recommended to sign up for identity theft protection to monitor their accounts for suspicious financial activity to help take proactive steps to protecting their identity and financial futures.

Navy laptop containing some 38,000 social security numbers missing

The Naval Hospital Pensacola in Florida is in the process of notifying some 38,000 customers that have received pharmacy service after the disappearance of a Navy laptop mid-August.

This laptop, which contains a registry with Social Security numbers, birth dates and other personal information, went missing on August 18th and has not been found. The registry is not believed to contain medical and health information.

The Naval Hospital Pensacola does not have any evidence supporting that the information on the laptop has been accessed or used inappropriately, but the hospital is continuing to send letters regarding the incident to those who may have been affected. It is suggested that those whose personal information is at risk sign up for credit monitoring services or watch their credit reports for unusual activity.

University of Massachusetts late in notifying alumni of security data breach

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst recently released news that nearly a year ago, hackers had access to a computer server at the university that had Social Security numbers and credit card information of students who attended the university in the past 20 years.

The vulnerability occurred in September through October of 2008, and the hackers have not yet been identified. Either way, signing up for a credit report monitoring service is a safe plan of action for those who may have been affected.

The delay in notifying those affected was explained by Patrick J. Callahan, a university spokesman. He told news reporters that even though the breach was discovered last fall, the notification was delayed until they could figure out what information was made vulnerable on the computer–a process that took several months.

Although they have since taken steps to tighten the security on the university servers, this hasn’t stopped hackers in the past. The University of Massachusetts at Amherst has been victim to security breaches in the past, something they hope to change.

Boston University’s ROTC computer files exposed online for public access

An unauthorized file transfer by an ROTC member resulted in personal information available on public domain.

Over 6500 people involved with the ROTC, some 400 directly related with Boston University, had their information available on the web for an estimated 10 months. A network administrator working for a nonprofit medical research foundation came across the documents on the web and immediately contacted the Boston University ROTC offices to notify them of the data breach. This was on Friday, July 28th.

There is a current investigation in place to determine who had access to the files and to find the person responsible for transferring the files and making them public.

The Boston University ROTC is currently contacting those who may have been affected, and information on protecting your identity is being included in these letters to assist those in identity theft protection services.

Identity thieves: Is there anywhere they won’t go?

According to BBC News, they have recently infiltrated social networking juggernaut Facebook. An identity thief, using the name Koobface, is sending messages to users trying to convince them to open up a “video.” However, when they try to view the video, a window pops up asking them to accept the newest version of Adobe Flash player. Instead of getting the program they expect, they end up with a virus that searches their machines for credit card information. The worst part is, many don’t even realize it until it’s too late.

This is not Koobface’s first foray into the social networking world. He was also spotted on MySpace in August of 2008. So why is the Web 2.0 world becoming a popular place for thieves to hang out? A lot of it is because of the built in trust factor. Since you have to log in to these sites in order to send emails, many think, erroneously, that there is some kind of a screening process that prevents people with malicious intent from getting through. Not only would this be incredibly difficult for sites that have thousands or even millions of members, but identity thieves don’t advertise their agendas when setting up accounts.

Keeping that in mind, it now becomes obvious that you are responsible for protecting yourself and cannot rely on any website to take care of it for you. Don’t worry; there are four easy ways to be vigilant:

1. Don’t open attachments on messages from people you don’t know. It doesn’t matter if they’re your “friends.” If you don’t have a personal relationship with them, just don’t do it. Tell your friend that this is your policy and to post any videos or photos to their page if they want you to see them.
2. Keep your virus protection software up to date. If you have a good program, like Norton Antivirus, it can clean up any existing viruses you have on your machine and prevent you from downloading new ones. However, if you don’t regularly update your software, some may be able to slip through the cracks. This is what identity thieves count on.
3. Use a temporary credit card number when you shop online. (Call your credit card company to find out how.) Also, never save your information on your machine or set up accounts with online stores that keep your credit card number, no matter how secure they purport to be. Data breaches have been known to happen without a company’s consent. And don’t forget to check your credit card statements each month to make sure you recognize all of the charges.
4. Consider hiring one of the many credit protection services. They can help to keep you safe even if a thief gets a hold of your private information by keeping an eagle eye on your credit report. Plus, many plans offer insurance for expenses you incur if you do end up having to go after a thief – with the help of law enforcement of course.

Radisson Hotels and Resorts fall victim to security data breach

One of the large hotel chains in America, Radisson Hotels and Resorts, has fallen victim to a large security breach due to unauthorized access to their computer systems. This occurred from around November of 2008 to May of 2009, and may have exposed guests’ credit and debit card numbers, as well as their expiration dates.

Radisson Hotels and Resorts is currently working with law enforcement to investigate, and they are deeply concerned about the safety of their client’s information.

That being said, Radisson Hotels and Resorts stated on their website (http://www.radisson.com/openletter/openletter.html) that they will be offering free credit report monitoring services for those who may have been affected. It is highly recommended that those affected keep a close eye on unusual activity on their bank accounts and credit card statements.