Cyber I.D. Theft

In case you missed 60 Minutes this past Sunday, Nov. 25, the segment on I.D. Theft with Leslie Stahl, is on the CBS website. According to her report, store front retailers are easy marks for hackers to steal credit card information. No sophisticated equipment is needed and they can set up right outside the store in their car and get all the information they need. Retailers know about the upgraded security programs they need to prevent this but because it's so expensive, they continue to use outdated programs. Hackers can easily determine which programs are in use.

Major direct mail catalogers use data providers to assist in verifying the identity of customers at time of payment. A whole host of information is available to them like the last 4 digit of the SSN or the birth city or the type of car driven. This is to keep fraud down, not steal identification.

I can't remember the last time a retail cashier even compared the signature on my card to the sales receipt! Watch the 60 Minutes segment and then remember it the next time you check out.