Dateline
NBC: To Catch an Identity Thief; Security in the Digital Age: Special Report |
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| Dateline NBC: To Catch
an Identity Thief; |
| Security in the Digital Age: Special Report |
| Published: Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 |
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| ...make-believe Internet storefront as well as its own makeshift delivery
service. |
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Dateline also partnered with an Internet crimes expert who was very knowledgeable with the
underground world of buying and selling identities, credit card numbers, and drop
addresses. Now there’s a new plank in the identity theft business plan: drop
addresses. These are actual American households who accept or serve as shipping points for
stolen merchandise. I mean, like—for real! How can anyone in their right mind accept
hundreds of packages weekly for people whom they are not related to, do not live close to,
do not work with, and have never seen? And how can they send those packages around the
globe to “business partners” without smelling a rat? These seem to be clear
cases of greed—wanting something for nothing. |
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The Dateline
report focused on a gentleman who met a lady online and was considering marrying her. I
will call the lady “Pam” (she had a different name presented in the Dateline
report). The man said that Pam wanted him to serve as her US drop address for the packages
of goods purchased for her international business. The packages were purchased online with
stolen credit card data and identities. The scheme involved Pam’s packages |
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| arriving at his private upstate New York home and he would then in turn
send the packages to various international addresses, primarily a small country next to
Nigeria. Dateline followed the delivery of one package all the way to a customs airport in
the small town. Hansen, with Dateline, managed meet one of the masterminds behind the
operation by sending them an email where he showed interest in “investing” in
their business, but he |
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| would only consider the investment after a face to face meeting. Nice
work, Hansen, NBC & Dateline! |
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| Protection in Digital Age |
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Being somewhat of a high-profile technology, media and entertainment reporter, I have
learned a few ways throughout the years to protect myself as well as others. Below are a
few of my personal secrets that have worked for me. If you use these techniques then I
think ... |
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