This story broke about a week ago.
Since then, I've had no end to inconvenience when using my credit card. Apparently all the credit card companies whose customers have used these stores are on high fraud alert. Several purchases a week have been denied and my card frozen until I called the bank that issued my card.Feds indict 11 people in largest identity theft case ever
The Justice Department says it has charged 11 people with stealing and selling more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers in what it calls the largest hacking and identity theft case it has ever prosecuted.
The department says the ring, which includes three people from the United States, one from Estonia, three from Ukraine, two from China and one from Belarus, hacked into the wire less computer networks of major U.S. retailers.
A federal grand jury indictment, which was returned today in Boston, says the retailers that were hit included TJX, BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble, Sports Authority and DSW.
The indictment charges that the hackers installed "sniffer" programs in the computer networks that would capture credit card numbers, passwords and account information. The data, it says, was then concealed in encrypted computer servers the hackers controlled in Eastern Europe and the United States.
One of those charged, the department says, had been working as a confidential informant for the Secret Service following his arrest in 2003 in another case.
I finally conceded and did the smart thing - asked to be given a new account number. If identity thieves were ready to use my card, they just lost their window of opportunity.
I'm beginning to think this is something that needs to be done on a semi-regular basis anyhow. It's just too damn easy to steal information that can be used to turn your life into hell.
- Bill
