TresSugar

TSA Puts ID-less Travelers on Terrorist Watch List?

LibertySugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:15:23 -0700

Recently domestic airline passenger Sherri Davidoff wrote about her experience boarding an airplane without ID. Security required only basic information before Sherri could board the plane: she provided her name and the street and a state where she had lived previously. Sherri later said that she probably could have skipped even that much questioning by printing two boarding passes at home, and tossing the first one marked for further screening.

Sherri may have arrived at her destination, but the Transportation Security Administration has not forgotten that she showed up ID-less. The TSA has been adding ill-prepared passengers to their database of individuals who have violated security laws or were questioned for suspicious behavior. To see why the TSA wants to keep all the info on hand, read more.

The head of the TSA said keeping a list of those who say they left their identification at home helps the TSA track potential terrorists who might probe the system for cracks. Starting today, the TSA will only keep information for individuals that were unable to be sufficiently identified upon further questioning.

For 15 years, the same database retains the name, address, social security number, nationality, race, physical features, and information about traveling partners for those simply questioned by police for suspicious behavior. Last week the TSA misplaced a laptop that contained unencrypted identification data for 33,000 people. Could keeping databases of extensive identification information actually make us less safe?

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Front Page: US Cracks Largest ID Theft, Rwanda Accuses French of Genocide, Bush to Urge Human Rights

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:00:26 -0700

US Cracks Largest ID Theft:
US authorities have charged 11 people in what they're calling the largest-ever identity theft case. Hacking into the computer systems of major retailers like TJ Maxx and Barnes & Noble, the group is accused of stealing 40 million credit card numbers before selling them. The DOJ says the scam caused "widespread" losses, and US AG Mukasey says, "this case highlights our increasing vulnerability to the theft of personal information."

Rwanda Accuses French of Genocide:
Rwanda's government issued a report accusing French officials of involvement in the 1994 genocide that left 800,000 dead. The officials are accused of giving political and logistical support to Rwanda's extremist government and Hutu forces. The report says, “French soldiers themselves directly were involved in assassinations of Tutsis and Hutus accused of hiding Tutsis."
Bush to Urge Human Rights:
In Thailand today, President Bush is delivering an address communicating his "deep concerns" about human rights in China, and urging the communist nation to broaden political freedom. Bush says, ''America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents, human rights advocates and religious activists. We speak out for a free press, freedom of assembly and labor rights - not to antagonize China's leaders, but because trusting its people with greater freedom is the only way for China to develop its full potential.'' Bush arrives in Beijing for the Olympics later today.

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TSA Loses Laptop Containing All Data in Clear-to-Fly Program

CitizenSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:45:55 -0700

The Transportation "Security" Administration might have to rethink its name after it misplaced a laptop containing all of the unencrypted data from 33,000 people who've enrolled in the TSA Clear program for over a week. The info in question includes names and passport, driver's license, and green card numbers - you know, the important stuff.

The laptop belonged to the private company Verified Identity Pass, which runs the program that allows passengers to pay a fee and register to clear security faster in 17 different states. The computer went missing on July 26, but the TSA wasn't notified until Sunday. All of the applicants have to be notified of the security breach. Obviously. The laptop has now been mysteriously recovered, hidden in a "not obvious" location. An investigation is underway as to whether the laptop was stolen and returned, or just misplaced.

Though they might have lost track of that data, they found a whole new (and personal) place to search. To see where, read more.

Meanwhile, the TSA has been given the new power to poke around in our laptops during screening. The grab-the-computer policy has been in place for a while, but they've only just disclosed it officially under pressure from civil liberties groups. TSA can peek through cell phones, iPods, pagers, and hard drives to their hearts' content. Maybe they'll find the data they misplaced?

Have you enrolled in this program? Does the missing info say anything about TSA's ability to keep us safe?

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Facebook Applications Are Trojan Horses For Identity Thieves

LibertySugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:00:39 -0700

If you use Facebook, you may soon find yourself a victim of identity theft. Third party "applications" make it possible for bad seeds to get crucial personal information available on your profile, even if you do not download them. All it takes is one of your friends to add a malignant application, and boom - your name, hometown, school, interests and photograph, are all available, no matter your privacy settings.

BBC posed as potential bad guys, developed an "identity mining" facebook application that could pose as a game, found a security breach, and then wrote all about it. I hope the bad guys don't read BBC!

The team tried the same thing with MySpace. To see if it worked, read more.

MySpace requires applications to run on the MySpace servers, and checks all submissions, and all code changes for foul play. BBC could not breach MySpace.

Facebook responded to the security concerns, explaining that their Investigations Team watches the site and removes content and applications that violate Facebook's Terms of Use. However, experts are not convinced, saying that because applications run on third-party servers, it is difficult for the company to really monitor them.

So, it looks like finding out which Sex and the City character you are may cost you your real identity. Is this outrageous, considering you don't even have to have the application yourself? Check out some tips for protecting yourself.

What are you doing to protect your identity in the 21^st century?

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Online Identity Theft Is NOT Funny...

GiggleSugar — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 11:30:00 -0800

Unless, of course, it happens to someone else and presents itself on YouTube as a wannabe Citibank commercial.

Front Page: Artist Van Gogh Didn't Cut Off His Own Ear

TresSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:41:01 -0700

Thought Van Gogh cut off his own ear? A new investigation says it was painter Paul Gauguin - during a fight. - Guardian UK
Pregnant prisoner Samantha Orobator may escape death penalty in Laos. - Times UK
Fed chairman Ben Bernanke warns of danger of credit market "relapse." - Bloomberg
The Supreme Court rejects the use of federal identity-theft laws against illegal immigrant workers. - New York Times
Forty-four people killed by eight gunmen during attack on Turkish wedding ceremony. - Huffington Post
MTV Movie Awards nominations are in. Slumdog Millionaire leads. - BuzzSugar

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5 Weird and Wacky Stories From This Week

LibertySugar — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:00:05 -0800

Woman Avoids Hard Time For Overdue Book - After an Iowa woman was jailed for failing to return an overdue book (The Freedom Writers Diary), authorities dropped the theft charge against her. She agreed to pay $13.95 and $50 in court fees.
86-Year-Old Woman Gets $1,000 Phone Sex Bill - Arlene Hald, 86, recently received a credit card bill for $1,000 in phone sex calls. The bill was addressed to her husband, who died 20 years ago and never had a credit card in his name, so her family suspects identity theft.
Fake Doctors Banned in China - China has banned actors and other "non-accredited personnel" from playing medical experts in advertisements for drugs.
Clean Water Brings Sharks - Environmental protection in Sydney has brought clear marine water, and more sharks close to shore. This week there were two shark attacks in two days.
Santa Gets Sued - A woman is suing a man dressed as Santa for $50,000, alleging that he stumbled and fell on top of her, knocking her face-first into the sidewalk.

Rah-Rah-Wrong? Mom Steals Kid's ID to Become Cheerleader

CitizenSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:00:17 -0700

Maybe because they've been showing Bring it On all weekend, but I can't believe how this story takes "spirit fingers" and makes it pretty tragic. A 33-year-old mom in Wisconsin, Wendy Brown, is facing felony identity theft charges for taking her daughter's ID and enrolling in high school - just so she could be a cheerleader. Her daughter, incidentally, lives with her grandmother.

I suppose it's pretty impressive that she was able to pass for a high-schooler - she even attended cheer practices before school started and went to a pool party at the coach's house. It wasn't until the $130 check for her uniform bounced, and she only attended one day of classes that people began to suspect.

To see why she did it, read more.

One official said of her ability to don her alleged daughter's skirt, "It's not all that suspicious if you have someone register from out of state and provide all the necessary documents when enrolling in school. I don't know how long she could have continued to play the game, but she was successful at what she was doing."

Brown has a history of identity theft, according to her mother, but the reason given for the Freaky Friday switcheroo is pretty sad: the charges say Brown hadn't had a happy childhood and was looking to relive a part of her life that she had missed. Given that her daughter is 15, she was definitely heading right back to that time of her life.

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Favorite Weird News Story of 2008: Mom Steals Kid's ID to Become Cheerleader

CitizenSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:30:45 -0800

The Nebraska butt bandit proved unsuccessful in leaving his Vaseline-enhanced butt mark as CitizenSugar readers' favorite weird news story, instead losing to the mom who stole her daughter's ID to become a high-school cheerleader.

The 33-year-old Wisconsin mom faced felony identity-theft charges this year for taking her daughter's ID and enrolling in high school - just so she could be a cheerleader. She even attended cheer practices before school started and went to a pool party at the coach's house! It wasn't until the $130 check for her uniform bounced, and she only attended one day of classes, that people began to suspect.

I'm sure more weird news awaits us in the coming year - until then check out the Best of 2008.

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Dressed for Arrest, Eh?

GiggleSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:30:08 -0700

I'm sure no one wakes up and decides what to wear thinking they're going to get thrown in the slammer later that day. Most people dress to impress or dress for success, but dress for arrest? Not so much. All of these fools unintentionally picked out the perfect tee to wear for their mug shots later that day. It's an ironic twist of fate that the gramps with "I am the law!" scrawled across his chest ended up behind bars, thanks to the law. I hear "the law" is really cracking down on identity theft these days. For more unintentionally hilarious mug shots, visit Fun Zombie.

View 5 Photos ›

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