WiFi Sniffing..........

[carlkeigley]

WiFi Sniffing...........

Be careful out there.

WiFi Sniffing Media - LifeLock - YouTube

[Byron Kinnaman]

Can it happen, probably.
Is it likely to happen to you, not very.

It's just plain too much work. How many users does the hacker have to fool to get a one that's going to send sensitive information at the same time the hacker is looking for it?

[Byron Kinnaman]

The best protection is change passwords often.

[cpaharley2008]

Identity theft happens a lot, even to a retired government agent. But I was able to use my skills and find them. Reported it to local authorities, Guess what, the banks do not prosecute under $10k, so you and I end up paying for the losses thru higher bank fees or lower interest rates. My local authorities did nothing also since it was out of state. If it happens again, I'll personally locate the criminal and then personally contact the local law enforcement in their jurisdiction.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Identity theft happens a lot, even to a retired government agent. But I was able to use my skills and find them. Reported it to local authorities, Guess what, the banks do not prosecute under $10k, so you and I end up paying for the losses thru higher bank fees or lower interest rates. My local authorities did nothing also since it was out of state. If it happens again, I'll personally locate the criminal and then personally contact the local law enforcement in their jurisdiction.

Hi Jim... You can always find somebody that's been an automobile crash. You probably know somebody that's died in an automobile crash. So what you done to prevent you from getting into an automobile crash?
You have a greater chance of that than identity theft from wifi. Another news media scare. Oh gee, let's all stop using our wifi computers and devices....

[Raz]

I may be wrong but isn't Lifelock a company that sells identity theft insurance? Raz

[cpaharley2008]

yes that is the one

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Identity theft happens a lot, even to a retired government agent. But I was able to use my skills and find them. Reported it to local authorities, Guess what, the banks do not prosecute under $10k, so you and I end up paying for the losses thru higher bank fees or lower interest rates. My local authorities did nothing also since it was out of state. If it happens again, I'll personally locate the criminal and then personally contact the local law enforcement in their jurisdiction.

When I had a side line repair business a fellow wrote me a hot check.
I ran it through twice, rejected. Then I found out the check was on an
account they had closed two years prior. I did exactly like you said you
would do.

I hunted him down myself and got cash money from him.
I didn't bother calling cops, I just fixed the problem myself.........lol

And we have just signed up with Life Lok for various reasons.
With our own government collecting and spreading our information
around. As if they didn't already have it.

I'm not worried about Wi-Fi or anything like that.
I don't put anything out there when I do wifi.

[deryk]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Identity theft happens a lot, even to a retired government agent. But I was able to use my skills and find them. Reported it to local authorities, Guess what, the banks do not prosecute under $10k, so you and I end up paying for the losses thru higher bank fees or lower interest rates. My local authorities did nothing also since it was out of state. If it happens again, I'll personally locate the criminal and then personally contact the local law enforcement in their jurisdiction.

"government agent"? like Matt Helm?

[fusedlight]

You should read this:

http://money.msn.com/credit-rating/article.aspx?post=f7bacbc2-9b5d-4762-9b4e-a3b0478efee

Oh-so-many people loose sleep worrying over this stuff. Heck, every day you probably hand a credit card to a lower-than-minimum wage person at a restaurant. Guess what... it's a LOT easier to lose your credit card info to them than to a WiFi or other internet-based con artist.

gcb

[David Tilston]

I wonder if the ad, in the lower right corner, is for the product that the scammers use?

[cpaharley2008]

it's a LOT easier to lose your credit card info to them than to a WiFi or other internet-based con artist.

True, but it is also easier to catch the local thief when the use is local.In addition the local thief will charge small items like gas or try to use your debit card. Imagine having $7800 of purchases showing
up on your credit card on a weekend and the banks are closed until Monday and the charges are 2,000 miles away. Having to wait for 2 days to close the account while more charges are added. Then in order to refute them you must file a police report and only then will the credit card company will remove them.

[cpaharley2008]

Yes,David, I agree anti phishing ads is a way to attract phishing customers.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

it's a LOT easier to lose your credit card info to them than to a WiFi or other internet-based con artist.

True, but it is also easier to catch the local thief when the use is local.In addition the local thief will charge small items like gas or try to use your debit card. Imagine having $7800 of purchases showing
up on your credit card on a weekend and the banks are closed until Monday and the charges are 2,000 miles away. Having to wait for 2 days to close the account while more charges are added. Then in order to refute them you must file a police report and only then will the credit card company will remove them.

Jim... Look on the back of your credit card(s) there should be an 800 number that's manned 24/7.

I've had my credit card put on hold a few times and simply called that 800 number to take care of it. There's only been once that I've had a bogus charge and that was less than $50 so I was stuck with it.

FYI there's a number of credit card companies that service VISA and Master Charge accounts. I've been known to change banks when there was any kind of a problem to get a different company.

[fusedlight]

BTW... most financial transaction over the internet are via very secure encrypted communications. Only if you go to a Bad Place will you loose typed information. Bad place = they don't use SSL or something.

[Tim 972]

I have a PayPal debit card linked to a bank account that I limit funds, every time the card is used I receive a text message and an email both within about 1 minute of the transaction. I use this card for all online and out of country purchases and bill pay.

My wife and I live part-time in Cozumel Mexico. I have never had any issues or had my card compromised.

As an IT engineer my opinion wifi sniffing or spoofing is a minimal threat. Card cloning or just someone writing down your numbers is more of a threat.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

it is also easier to catch the local thief when the use is local.In addition the local thief will charge small items like gas or try to use your debit card. Imagine having $7800 of purchases showingup on your credit card on a weekend and the banks are closed until Monday

One of my cards was compromised once. Data was skimmed at a local gas station when I filled up. A few days later on a weekend two $100 fill ups minutes apart at a gas station an hour away set off the flags on their fraud alert systems. They called on the weekend confirming that it was a fraudulent purchase, gave me a confirmation # for the charges and reversals that may show up on my bill, then sent a new chip enabled card with a different # that arrived a few days later.

Nothing showed on my bills. They printed the final bill not including the event showing a balance transfer to zero and the new cards bill came in with a balance transfer.

[honda03842]

Like Roy we had a similar experience with a credit card.

I know many dislike big banks, but Bank of America has been very vigilant. Someone made an online charge with our credit card. Within hours they called to ask if we had made the charge. They reversed it on our account while were on the phone and sent out new cards immediately.

[tractors1]

I don't put anything online that I don't want public, nor shop at non-secure sites, nor store any credit card info online. Still, if a merchant site gets hacked you can still wind up in ID hell through no actions of your own. So NEVER use a debit card online, as credit card liability is limited to $50.

I've been online since the 80s, before Mosaic (which became Netscape) was born. Just need to use common sense, caution, and an imaginary birthday where required.

Charlie Y

[cpaharley2008]

Speaking of birthdays, anytime I'm asked for that date while filling out something on line, I make one up. Because of that habit, I get "Happy Birthday" freebies about 2-3 days each month, free breakfast, free beer, free whatever. I celebrate my birthday at least 2 dozen times over the year
Hhmm, I wonder what I'll get on my next birthday, whenever that is