NEWS: 59,000 Lose Information To ID Thieves

Over 59,000 people who are connected with a California university have had their personal information stolen by hackers. This is the latest attack in a string of high-profile cases of identity theft. Hackers gained access to the victims' names and social security numbers. The hackers were said to have installed software which store files on the system, and then tried to break into other computers. ID theft is now considered to be the nation's fastest-growing crime and last year over 9.9 million Americans were victims.



I have put my details on the net before but only to registered well known sites. Saying this these sites are probably the most likely to be attacked by hackers since they are well known for holding vast amounts of data for people. My question is why would these hackers want 59,000 people’s information? What could they use it for? Would they be able to sell this on as ‘secondary research’ to third parties?

Related News Links:
www.ctv.ca
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"Last April, hackers broke into the computer system of the University of California, San Diego, compromising confidential information on about 380,000 students, teachers, employees, alumni and applicants."

Have they just found this out? If so surely applicants could have been altered...

I am fighting identity theft as we speak. It is so sad that people who work hard and earn what they have are the one's that have to fight to get these people caught. I have jumped through hoops of fire to get this taken care of and the battle is not over. I have yet to discover even more lines of credit that were opened up in my name. Please use caution, folks. It is a violation of all that I worked for and stand for.

Icelandia

Social Security numbers can be used to get credit cards, bank accounts etc...
Illegals often use stolen Social Security numbers to get jobs.

This happens all of the time and goes un-reported due to liability law suits in which companies could lose a lot of money.

Information on computer systems is not safe. you need to check your credit report every couple of months at a minimum.

Every couple of months! Your account can be depleted within an hour (by a clicky-happy shopper who's using your card)!

Hummm
Is it a good thing I alredy have bad credit
no one can get STUFF from me

Originally posted by phixion
Every couple of months! Your account can be depleted within an hour (by a clicky-happy shopper who's using your card)!

Its sickening that this cannot be stopped, with all the technology at the hands of the authorities. It seems the bad-doers are better equipped and better understand the technology.

Equifax Credit Watch™ Gold

I use the above service. You can set things up so that if your credit card is used and more than lets say 100 bucks is used you will get an e-mail. you can also check what type of accounts you have set up in your name etc...

The thing about your ss# is that womeone could use it and not pay any tax on the money that they make and you are then liable for it. The credit companies know when this happens but they wil not tell you about it.

Here's a disturbing thought:

In the last month we're seeing lots of reports of ID theft by hackers. And we see they are all from California.

Seems as if California is either more vulnerable, or less secure, or targetted heavier.

Except that it is state law to report any incidences of ID theft. So guess what? If there are all these attacks in CA that are reported because it's mandatory, how many thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of big ID thefts are happening daily that are not reported because the affected companies don't have to report?

Bet you wouldn't have heard about the T Mobile hack if it hadn't happend in CA. You certainly wouldn't have heard of this one either.