identity theft

Privacy Experts Weigh In on Whether There Is a Cure for “Creepy” (Video)

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on May 22 at 4:55 pm PT

The Internet is full of identity thieves, stalkers and people generally trying to take advantage of you. In other words, it can be creepy.

Former HP Chairman Patricia Dunn, Central Figure in Pretexting Case, Dies

Arik Hesseldahl in News on December 5, 2011 at 1:23 pm PT

Dunn resigned after an internal investigation into leaks went badly wrong.

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White House Advisor: Use of Term Cyberwar "Terrible"

Michael Hickins, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on February 16, 2011 at 12:00 am PT

White House cybersecurity coordinator Howard Schmidt said that policymakers and others should stop “conflating… cyberwar with cyber-espionage with cybercrime.”

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Q&A: How Do You Define "Privacy Harm"?

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on August 26, 2010 at 9:09 am PT

In debates about online privacy, one question always seems to crop up: What’s the harm? How can harm come from a breach of privacy if there’s no fraud and the information isn’t used for, say, identity theft? When the only thing that seems to be wrong is a feeling of “creepiness,” what should that be called?

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Hackers Aren't Only Threat to Privacy

Ben Worthen, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on June 23, 2010 at 12:00 am PT

Sophisticated hackers aren’t the only ones gaining access to sensitive data on the Internet. A large amount of personal information is being left exposed or poorly protected by companies and governments. The number of identity-theft victims in the U.S. jumped 12 percent to 11.1 million in 2009, according to research company Javelin Strategy & Research.

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Scotland Yard Shuts Down Scam Sites

Tim Hanrahan, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on December 3, 2009 at 4:04 pm PT

The Metropolitan Police said Thursday it shut down more than 1,200 Web sites that purported to sell merchandise such as Tiffany jewelry and Ugg boots but instead shipped counterfeit goods or nothing at all, and put shoppers at risk of identity theft and financial fraud.

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The Fallacy of Identity Theft

Julia Angwin, Senior Technology Editor, WSJ.com in News on October 13, 2009 at 10:55 am PT

I hate the term “identity theft.” As far as I know, no one can steal my identity. Even if my bank account number, my credit card number and all my passwords are stolen, I am fairly confident that I will still be me and the thief will be a different person.

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So Many Local Crimes, So Few Cybercops to Help

John R. Emshwiller, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on October 7, 2009 at 11:27 am PT

Justin Feffer, a senior investigator at the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, drove to a suspect’s house last December for a search relating to an identity-theft case. First, he did what cops normally do: took down the license number on the truck in the driveway, noted that surveillance cameras hung from the eaves and the windows were covered in paper.

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FTC Warns of Cash for Clunkers Scams

Andrew LaVallee, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on July 31, 2009 at 12:15 pm PT

The future of the cash for clunkers program is in doubt, but consumers should remain wary of fraudulent sites that claim to be associated with it. The Federal Trade Commission has issued a consumer alert noting that only one Web site, Cars.gov, is the official destination for the Car Allowance Rebate System.