Scary report about online identity theft - earlier on ABC News

[question everything]

The reporter went online and got five credit cards of Americans, with their addresses, and social security numbers. She called them to warn them about how easy it is for hackers to steal this info and to trade it online like commodity.

Apparently, they get it from website where, at least one of the people, shops often.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=4756890&page=1

ABC News
Thieves May Be Stealing and Selling Your I.D.
How Do You Protect Yourself From Online Crooks?
By ELISABETH LEAMY and BRIAN HARTMAN

Apr. 30, 2008—

(snip)

Credit card numbers can be purchased for a dollar or less if you buy in bulk. And so-called full profiles, including a Social Security number and mother's maiden name, are available for just $80. ATM pin numbers and platinum cards cost extra. Clements also showed us a Russian criminal Web site where you can click next to people's identities and put them in your cart.

"It's just like you're shopping online." Clements said. "It just so happens that they're selling credit cards."

We found 187 identity thieves in a single chat room, and started sending them instant messages. Somebody named "romantic-time" was the first to bite.

(snip)

Sure enough, in less than five minutes, romantic-time provided five samples — Americans' names, credit card numbers, addresses and phone numbers. ABC News immediately called the people whose information we received to warn them their accounts were in danger.

(snip)

Andy from California was one of the victims. We're deliberately withholding his last name and hometown, so we won't put his identity in any more jeopardy. His reaction? "Shocked," he said. "A little upset and angry. You don't know where to go first, what to do about it, who to call." It looks like crooks snatched Andy's information by hacking into a Web site where he shops.

So who are the identity thieves?

"The typical hacker we are pursuing is not your 17-year-old sitting in the basement of his home typing away on his computer," said Ed Lowery of the U.S. Secret Service. "It is an organized criminal group, usually based in Eastern Europe, and they are going after large-scale financial gains." The problem is, the U.S. government doesn't have jurisdiction over criminals in other countries.

(snip)