The ‘hacktivist’ groups are offshoots of Anonymous, the group that has been harassing perceived offenders for some time now.  According to sources at various online security firms, both the National Bank of Long Island and the BCD Credit Union in the UK were targeted last week.  The hackers are supposedly motivated by the crackdown on the growing Occupy movement that started on Wall Street  and keeps expanding like a brush fire in the wind.

OpRobinHood made a statement saying that they would “. . .take credit cards and donate to the 99% . . .” and that “. . . banks will be forced to reimburse the people their money back”.  If nothing else, their syntax leaves something to be desired, but that’s not the problem.  The banks will not suffer much more than embarrassment and negative publicity, since they can issue a charge back to recover their funds.

The charities that are recipients of fraudulent use of credit card donations won’t be any better off; they will not only lose money they thought was donated legitimately when banks discover the fraud, but they could wind up with a net loss.  Depending on the type of contract the non-profits have with their respective banks, those charities may have to absorb part of the liability, leaving them in worse shape than getting no donation at all.

The average consumer who falls victim to a credit card scam will not be liable for the money involved, but having a credit transaction declined due to unauthorised use is an inconvenience at the very least.

Besides creating an awkward situation if, just for example, you’re buying dinner for a big client or just taking your spouse for a romantic anniversary evening out, the time and paperwork necessary to clear up the issue can be a nightmare.

Unfortunately that’s not the worst outcome of this concerted hacking and financial identity theft;  the loser in the long run is still the individual consumer, even it he or she isn’t personally a victim of fraud.

Banks and credit card companies raise their fees, and those fees apply to everyone who owns a credit card and/or does business with a bank, i.e. darn near everybody over the age of ‘maturity’.

Theoretically, OpRobinHood is meant to punish banks that are seen as transgressors against the general public.  According to a statement quoted in The Register, they plan to ‘starve the banks’ and take ‘the people’s’ money back, and they aren’t afraid of police, FBI, SIS or anybody else.  However, there have been several arrests of suspected hackers in the United States, the UK and Spain; but whether they will slow the Robin Hoods down or galvanize them remains to be seen.

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The figures for Christmas spending online this year are estimated to be a 15% increase on the same figures for last year and this has meant that crooks are taking advantage of people shopping online. The National Fraud Authority has recently released figures that have shown over 40% of people who’ve been shopping online have been defrauded to some extent. The young men the figure is estimated to be three in every four people. Mostly this is down to people forgetting to install anti-virus software when using a PC.

A spokesperson from the authority has said, “It is expected that counterfeit products are going to be one of the biggest problems on the Internet this year. People who order online expecting a genuine item will get something worth far less the items actual value, that is if they receive anything at all. People should be very alert to fraud and remember that if the price seems to be incredibly low you are probably being targeted by a fraudster.” There are also various other steps you can take to protect yourself shopping online such as using a credit card and making sure a website has been verified by Visa.

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A different report has said that the number of attacks occurring on smart phones is on the increase and in the last four months the amount of attacks being conducted on the phones has increased by 800%. The scams are mostly being operated by people being tricked into downloading applications which then tells the phone to dial a premium rate number.

The parliamentary report has said that there are too many scams on the market and laws need to be tighter around them. They highlighted the problem of false lotteries as well as phishing e-mails which encourage people to enter their financial data into an insecure interface.

Some rogue traders are taking advantage of understaffed trading departments around the country. It is known that some fraudsters are establishing businesses in areas where they are less able to track them down, from this location they can still conduct their scams on a national basis however.

The report stated, “The current enforcement system is set to deal with fraudulent activity on a local basis and generally when it was a one-time offence. Now, there are companies operating scams nationally and the way that enforcement is done needs to change.”

Margaret Hodge was the chair of the committee and she stated, “New laws must be introduced to make sure that scams that are setup are not allowed to continue and the people behind them should not be allowed to escape without charge.” Unfortunately, financial limitations can mean this is not always possible.

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Equally worrying is that most consumers also do not check to make sure that the website has a real-world address and contact number. This can be a good way to make sure that business is legitimate and checking out the address to make sure that it is really a location where they are based is an important step. If a business does not have a physical location then it can be very hard to get your money back if the products never arrive.

The good news is that over 90% of people shopping online do take some measure of precaution, whether this is checking that their virus software is up-to-date, checking that their Internet communication is encrypted, or making sure that a website has a real-world location.

The survey showed that people in the north-east and Yorkshire were the people most careful about shopping online and over 60% of them said that they check to make sure that the website was clear before buying. In London only around 40% of people checked.

Callcredit is a consumer data firm and Owen Roberts is in charge of credit checking and he has recently commented about the figures, “At this time of year people find it very easy to get caught up in a Christmas shopping frenzy and they see great deals online and a very keen to take advantage of them.

The problem is that consumers might rush into the purchase without checking to see if the site is secure and this means they are more susceptible to being scammed. I would strongly urge people buying online to make sure that they are buying from a reputable dealer who will protect your card details effectively.”

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A recent YouGov survey indicated that 47% of online Christmas shoppers were not checking to make sure the required payment information was encrypted.  A whopping 68% of shoppers said they didn’t check for a contact address or telephone number in the company’s ad – a very risky oversight, since without that information they would have no recourse if merchandise ordered did not arrive, or other problems occurred.

The survey further noted that Londoners are less cautious than those in some other areas.  62% of shoppers in Yorkshire, the Humber region and the North East said they checked that the site had encryption features, compared to only about 43% of Londoners.  Of all those polled in the survey, around 7% said they didn’t check for security at all.

Another YouGov survey earlier this year revealed that almost one fifth of online shoppers had been victims of fraud when making an online purchase.  Every consumer protection organisation has emphasised that online shoppers should always take the few extra seconds to check for security before clicking on that final ‘submit’.

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Dan Cobley, the recently appointed chief of Google recently gave an entertaining presentation about the future and how everything will be made digital. He put a great deal of emphasis on why privacy is so important in the digital age.

Google+ is regarded as a way of sharing information through Google itself rather than a social network. They have also recently started a programme informing people of why they see the adverts they do when browsing the web. This even allows some control over what adverts people are seeing so that they can be better targeted towards them.

Facebook on the other hand are facing a great deal of criticism about how much they track a user’s activity after they have left the Facebook website. Germany is a country where privacy online is taken very seriously and it seems that Google are targeting themselves towards people who are concerned with security.

A couple of years ago the chief executive of Google commented that the company is more likely to face privacy investigations in Europe than it is elsewhere in the world. This is perhaps an indicator that Facebook, which seems much less concerned with users privacy, might be facing legal intervention and potentially consequences.

Another problem that Facebook is facing that Google is not is the lack of big brands advertising on their website. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal has said that larger brands tend to advertise on other mediums instead of Facebook.

Another security issue is to do with banking and a few years ago chip and pin machines were brought in because banks wanted to do more to tackle credit card fraud. Another technology that is becoming more prevalent is the use of QR codes, major companies are starting to put them on most of their products which have links to promotional websites.

Flow is a recently launched application for the iPhone that has been created by Amazon. It identifies products using image recognition and once it  has done this it opens Amazon’s website so that you can order the product from your mobile phone. Unfortunately the service is not available in the UK just yet but Amazon are planning to launch it in the UK soon.

This is no surprise considering that half the UK population now own a smart phone and 70% of all mobile phone sales are for these devices. This suggests that within the near future the vast majority of people will have smart phones and this is providing great opportunities for retailers.

Retailers are expecting that sales from mobile devices are going to be higher during the Christmas period this year than before. Price comparison on mobile phones means that people can save money while shopping on the high street.

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The study also showed that people are not being careful enough with their identities. They are not taking basic steps such as verifying the identities of people who phone them or shredding household bills. Too many people are simply giving out information when they are asked for it, or displaying it prominently online.

The head of Action Fraud is Jamey Johnson, who commented, “Once a fraudster has a few details about a person they can use that information to commit a whole host of crimes. Loans can be taken out in a person’s name and items bought with them. Bank accounts can also be commandeered and money removed from them. Last month we saw around £250,000 lost because of identity fraud.”

Recent statistics have suggested that identity fraud is becoming more of a problem, this year there have been 80,000 reported cases but it is expected that many people are not reporting the crime so this figure could actually be much higher. Some estimates have said that identity fraud grew by over 10% in 2010 alone. Simon Elson is a security expert with Norton and he has said, “Credit card fraud is one of the biggest Internet crimes in the world.”

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Fellowes carries out research exclusively for this campaign, and the results show that even though over 95% of the population are well aware of the risks of ID fraud, the number of victims falling foul of the fraud is still rising due to people being careless with their personal details.

7% of the population have now been the victims of ID frauds, commonly known as identity theft. This means that there have been over 4m victims in the UK, the average individual cost of each fraud comes to £1.190, but some unfortunates have lost around £9000.

CIFAS,  the Fraud Prevention Service in the UK, has reported that the number of cases concerning ID frauds that have been reported to authorities is continuing to rise, and this year alone, there have been 80,000 cases reported so far.

Research shows us that as the risk is rising, UK citizens are not taking enough care of their personal details:

- A quarter of us (25%) are still not taking simple yet key precautions such as shredding bills and bank statements before putting them in the bin
- Only 57% of those surveyed verify emails or calls from organisations before responding
- 46% wouldn’t report a lost driving license or passport straight away
- 59% do not follow up when mail fails to arrive and just 13% regularly check their credit rating
- Encouragingly, 83% of the UK public check for unfamiliar transactions on bills and statements and 86% have security software on their home computer so in some areas consumers are being more vigilant

Complacency extends to online activities as well, with 88% of people who use social networking sites having shared information that could be used to commit identity fraud such as their address or date of birth. Furthermore, only 18% of those interviewed said they were concerned about sharing information on or the security risk of social networking sites, with 10% sharing information about others that could then be used to assume their identities.

When it comes to identity fraud, prevention is always key. Some easy ways for individuals to protect themselves include:

- Always checking for unfamiliar transactions on bank statements
- Shredding all documents containing sensitive information using a cross-cut shredder before throwing them away
- Looking into mail that goes missing
- Carrying out regular personal credit report checks
- Redirecting post for at least six months when moving house
- Limiting the amount of information shared when using social networking sites

Andrea Davis, spokesperson from campaign partner, Fellowes, said:

“No-one can afford to be complacent about ID fraud, everyone is at risk, whether young or old. It is important to ensure that you are not delivering your information straight into the hands of fraudsters. The risk is very real – both off and online – and we should all be taking steps to protect our identities. It is worrying that one in four people may be literally throwing their identities away and a huge number of people are sharing sensitive information on line. Simple steps like shredding sensitive information, being careful about the information you share online and generally being cautious about giving out your personal details will help to keep your identity safe.”

Jamey Johnson, head of Action Fraud, the national fraud reporting and advice centre, said:

“Stealing an identity is just the beginning for a fraudster. With few details, accounts can be taken over, loans can be applied for and purchases can be made, all without the consent or knowledge of the individual, potentially costing the victim substantial sums of money. Last month alone (September) Action Fraud saw over £245,000 worth of loss due to identity theft. The worrying part is that this figure was generated from a limited amount of reports, suggesting the amount lost to ID theft would be much higher if more people were reporting.

“It is important to report a loss to Action Fraud, but it is more important to protect yourself from it happening in the first place. Limiting access to your personal information is the key to safety from ID fraud. Remember, personal details are as valuable as cash to a fraudster.”

Simon Ellson, Norton by Symantec’s internet security expert, said:

“This year the internet and its ever-evolving nature has continued to inspire criminals who commit ID fraud. Just as technology evolves, so too do the methods of cybercriminals. In the last 12 months in particular, we’ve seen more opportunist criminals take advantage of ‘starter kits’ that allow them to carry out sophisticated attacks with relatively little tech know-how.

“According to the Norton Cybercrime Report 2011, the largest piece of consumer research conducted into cybercrime worldwide, online credit card fraud is one of the top three cybercrimes and accounts for 10% of all cybercrime in the UK.”

For more tips and advice on how to prevent identity fraud, visit the campaign’s website, www.stop-idfraud.co.uk. The website contains a downloadable advice pack for consumers as well as a business guide.

This year’s campaign is supported by the Metropolitan Police, City of London Police, Fellowes, Norton, the National Fraud Authority, Action Fraud, IFCAG, Equifax, CIFAS – The UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, Scottish Business Crime Centre, e-Crime Scotland, the Home Office and the Royal Mail.

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The move to bring back the scheme is being organised by the agency as well as the Office of Fair Trading. It is also supported by a great many ticket sellers including, The Society of London Theatre, the National Arenas Association, and the Concert Promoters Association. The new scheme is being declared as the new industry standard and its logo will be featured on all authorised ticketing websites. This will prove that they are secure, trusted and safe.

Those who sign up to the scheme will also know that if they do not provide tickets as stated they will be fined and other penalties will be levied against them. There will be strict trading rules that they also have to adhere to.

In 2006, Tessa Jowell was the culture secretary and she issued a warning about the industry. She highlighted the problem of fraud and said that the government should introduce legislation governing the area. Later consultation decided that self-regulation within the industry was the best option.

The scheme is similar to one currently being operated by travel agents in the UK. The secretary of STAR is, Jonathan Brown, who has said, “Fraud in the industry is a widespread problem and we need to tackle it immediately. This solution is a good step towards this.”

The National Fraud Authority has recently stated that ticket fraud in the UK is estimated to be nearly £170 million. Mr Brown also added, “we need to restore consumer confidence as this is essential to the survival of the industry.”

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Many stores have increased the number of vouchers they are issuing to encourage people to spend in their stores. Many retailers have said the problem is having more self checkouts as these allow people to use fraudulent vouchers much more easily.

Estimates from the industry have said that fraudulent vouchers are costing retailers tens of millions every year. Some stores are considering stopping vouchers because the fraud levels are so high. The Bank of England commented, “consumers are facing the biggest reduction in their living standards in recent decades.”

The first prosecution for voucher fraud was pursued by Tesco against Penny and Nigel Ward. The couple pled guilty to reusing vouchers which saved them over £1000 in groceries. They were sentenced to 12 months community service as well as ordered to pay compensation to the supermarket.

The Institute of Promotional Marketing has said, “it would be far better if people just stuck to the terms and conditions, we’re not going to be asking the police to arrest people who must use every coupon but we are concerned about more serious links to criminal organisations.”

The consumer group Trading Standards Institute has commented, “if people are intentionally misusing these vouchers, they are potentially committing fraud and for this they can be prosecuted in court.” MoneySavingExpert.com has said, “people should be very cautious about misusing vouchers as it is a potentially serious offence. If you want to avoid prosecution do not deceive or lie to the stores as this is what will get you in trouble. Mistakenly using a coupon twice is not an offence”

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