MyCRA Specialist Credit Repair Lawyers

Tag: Fraud

  • What Happens If You Lie On Your Home Loan Application? What could happen if you lie on your application?

    What Happens If You Lie On Your Home Loan Application? What could happen if you lie on your application?

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    What Happens If You Lie On Your Home Loan Application?

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    Studies reveal that 37% of home loan applicants lie on their homeloan application forms

    With the real estate market hotting up homebuyers will need to make themselves look as good as they possibly can to get a loan in a very competitive and tightly regulated loan market.

    Those suffering from FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out, may even be tempted to lie, inflating their earnings, assets and the like, but leading Australian consumer and financial law firm MyCRA Lawyers says don’t, because it’s potentially fraud and now your bank will find out.

    Despite that it seems Australians, particularly those taking out investment loans, are fudging their applications.

    A recent survey by investment bank UBS found up to 37 percent of applicants had lied on their loan applications.

    The survey of 903 Australians found those who had bought more than one property in a single financial year were the most likely to lie.

    About half of borrowers with two or more investment properties admitted to being less than truthful about their earnings and debts.

    “Chances are to date most people will get away with lying, but that’s now changed, as banks are able to see your statements even from another bank when you give permission as part of your loan application.

    “Since the Royal Commission into banking lenders, particularly the big 4, have the ability to share information about potential borrowers.  

    It means if you lie about your wage the bank will be able to cross check it against your statements.

    If you lie about your debts they will be able to check with just about every lender in the country except your local loan shark,” Mr Doessel said.

    So what if you have already lied, well you might be okay, provided you don’t fall behind in your repayments or don’t try to refinance. But beware!

    “It is fraud, and fraud is a serious crime in Australia punishable by jail,” Mr Doessel said.

    “Even if you don’t get a ten year stretch, being convicted of a fraud offence is a real pain in the backside.  

    You might recall the last time you applied for insurance they asked if you’d been convicted of fraud, well now you will have to say yes, not only is it embarrassing, it means you won’t get insurance or at best have to pay a much higher premium,” he said.

    “For most people the easiest way to boost your chances of being approved for a home loan or any loan for that matter is to have a deposit and a good credit history.

    “A blemished credit file these days is behind more people to being rejected for a loan than almost any another cause.

    “It is something easy to keep tabs on by annually requesting a copy of your credit file from the three credit reporting bodies in Australia, you can find links to these at https://www.FreeCreditRating.com.au, and if you find something we’re happy to take a look and point you in the right direction,” Mr Doessel said.

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  • Cybercrime Hot Spots In Victoria, Queensland And New South Wales – ACORN Receives 39,000 Cybercrime Reports In 2015

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    Do You Live In A Cybercrime Hot Spot In Victoria, Queensland Or New South Wales?

    Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network receives more than 39,000 reports

    [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

    “18 January 2016

    The Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN) is continuing to boost law enforcements  efforts to crack down on cybercrime, with more than 39,000 reports received from individuals and organisations in 2015.

    As Australia’s reliance on technology grows, and online shopping remains an increasingly attractive option for busy Australians, the cost and incidence of cybercrime  is expected to increase.

    ACORN is a national policing initiative that allows cybercrime victims to easily and instantly report cases of criminal activity online, as well as providing information on how to avoid falling victim to cyber criminals.

    Many instances of cybercrime go unreported because victims either do not know where to report, don’t think it’s worth reporting, or are reluctant to do so.

    The leading types of cybercrime being reported to the ACORN are online fraud and scams, with 19,232 reports received, accounting for 49 per cent of the total reports received in 2015.

    Online trading issues which affect Australians who buy and sell goods online were the second highest type of cybercrime reported; the ACORN received 8,368 reports which accounts  for 22 per cent of total reports in 2015.

    Victoria received the highest number of cybercrime reports, closely followed by Queensland and New South Wales.

    The majority of reported victims of cybercrime were between 20 and 40 years of age (40%), followed by the 40-60 age group (38%).

    Over the past year, email, social networking, and website advertising have been the top three reported online channels used by cybercriminals to target their victims.

    The Government launched the ACORN in November 2014 as an easy way for the public to report cybercrime and contribute to a national intelligence database which authorities can use to identify and shut down criminals.

    I encourage all members of the public to be vigilant online and to work together to ensure a safer and more secure digital environment for all Australians by reporting to the ACORN.

    The ACORN can be accessed online at www.acorn.gov.au.”[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”15″ bottom_margin=”5″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][fusion_text]Who do you know that might have been the victim or almost the victim of an online scam or an identity theft issue or that has a bad credit rating, you might like to think how much you’d appreciate some help if you’d just been through something like this, and how grateful you’d be if your friend or trusted advisor let you know that you have options to get your life back.  

    Let your friends know that MyCRA lawyers has an independently audited success rate of 91.6% of all matters taken on* received a successful default removal resolution and approx. a 1/3 of them received the good news within 7 days or less.[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”15″ bottom_margin=”5″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][fusion_text]As you think about who you might refer, you might think back over the clients that have been rejected for credit issues by you or your lenders for the past 3 or so years.  Hope is an amazing gift you can give them and it’ll cost you nothing to mention MyCRA Lawyers to them all.  Refer them through using our simple and convenient 90-second online referral form by clicking the button below.[/fusion_text][fusion_button link=”” color=”default” size=”large” stretch=”” type=”3d” shape=”pill” target=”_self” title=”” gradient_colors=”|” gradient_hover_colors=”|” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”” icon=”fa-user-plus” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” modal=”online-referral” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”1″ animation_offset=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””]Quick – Easy – 90 Second Client Referral – Click Here Now[/fusion_button][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”15″ bottom_margin=”5″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”1px” border_color=”#a7d686″ border_style=”solid” padding=”5px” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”double solid” sep_color=”#d4af37″ margin_top=”10px” margin_bottom=”10px” class=”” id=””]Testimonial[/fusion_title][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”yes” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”center” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] Mortgage Broker Jonathan Salter MyCRA Lawyers Testimonial on LinkedIn[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”double solid” sep_color=”#d4af37″ margin_top=”10px” margin_bottom=”10px” class=”” id=””]Testimonial[/fusion_title][fusion_text]

     “Thank you so much I will tell all my Doctor friends, family, and I will recommend them to you.”

    “… for me impossible to get any loan, without your help …”

    “… And Lauren Andrew, ahhh Phillip Anthony, Cory – they are all amazing, you know? I can’t tell you how beautiful the service was, it’s amazing, it’s changed my life. It’s changed my life and it’s saved me thousands of dollars because you know the bank wanted to give me 10% because of my credit file. My excellent, my credit history now, it’s back on track…”  Dr Kamal Zgheib – Qld

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    Dr Kamal Zgheib default removal | MyCRA Lawyers Testimonial
    Dr Kamal Zgheib default removal | MyCRA Lawyers Testimonial

    Listen to the Telephone call between Graham Doessel and Dr Kamal.

    [/fusion_text][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”double solid” sep_color=”#d4af37″ margin_top=”10px” margin_bottom=”10px” class=”” id=””]Testimonial[/fusion_title][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”yes” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”center” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] Testimonial | MyCRA Lawyers Happy Credit Repair Client | 1300-667-218[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”yes” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”bottomshadow” hover_type=”zoomin” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”center” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”fade” animation_direction=”up” animation_speed=”1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] Testimonial | MyCRA Lawyers | Credit Repair Experts | 1300-667-218[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”double solid” sep_color=”#d4af37″ margin_top=”10px” margin_bottom=”10px” class=”” id=””]Testimonial[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_section_separator divider_candy=”bottom” icon=”” icon_color=”” bordersize=”1px” bordercolor=”#333333″ backgroundcolor=”#333333″ class=”” id=””/][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”https://mycralawyers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/bkgd_bw2.jpg” background_parallax=”fixed” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”#e5e4e4″ border_style=”solid” padding_top=”65px” padding_bottom=”50px” padding_left=”20px” padding_right=”20px” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”double solid” sep_color=”#d4af37″ margin_top=”10px” margin_bottom=”10px” class=”” id=””]Testimonial[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_testimonials design=”classic” backgroundcolor=”” textcolor=”” random=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_testimonial name=”Jess” avatar=”female” image=”” image_border_radius=”” company=”Qld” link=”” target=”_self”]Thank you so much for a great service that was professional and very prompt.[/fusion_testimonial][/fusion_testimonials][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_testimonials design=”classic” backgroundcolor=”” textcolor=”” random=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_testimonial name=”Sean” avatar=”male” image=”” image_border_radius=”” company=”NSW” link=”” target=”_self”]thanks a lot for stellar results on the client I referred Friday. Credit Card Default from a trigger happy major was removed in 3 days. Impressive[/fusion_testimonial][/fusion_testimonials][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_testimonials design=”classic” backgroundcolor=”” textcolor=”” random=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_testimonial name=”Joseph” avatar=”male” image=”” image_border_radius=”” company=”WA” link=”” target=”_self”]I would like to inform you that, after spoken to you yesterday, I called Veda and they told me that my credit default has been removed. I also ordered for my new credit report and indeed the Optus default listing was not there, plus my credit score went up 546 – 716%. I Just want to thank you guys for following up
    Thank you
    [/fusion_testimonial][/fusion_testimonials][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”20″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””/][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_testimonials design=”classic” backgroundcolor=”” textcolor=”” random=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_testimonial name=”Awhina” avatar=”female” image=”” image_border_radius=”” company=”WA” link=”” target=”_self”]Thank you very much for your prompt handling of this matter. Thank you also to Corey who saved me a lot of to and throw (billing minutes) by quickly accessing my file for an up-to-the-minute update, supported by ‘NOW’ emails regarding progress, including clear understandable trust account billing.

    I found it very refreshing get have an ‘off the record’frank discussions drawing on the experience of the team to be absolutely golden! I was able to carry on with business, rest assured myCRA Lawyers had everything under control.

    MyCRA delivered on time and on budget.

    Top Job Guys!! I will gladly recommend MyCRA Lawyers to family and friends in the future[/fusion_testimonial][/fusion_testimonials][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_testimonials design=”classic” backgroundcolor=”” textcolor=”” random=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_testimonial name=”Stefan” avatar=”male” image=”” image_border_radius=”” company=”Qld” link=”” target=”_self”]I contacted MyCRA Lawyers after being off work with an injury.
    It started by missing a couple of small payments, power, phone then an existing loan I had.
    Still unable to return to work, things started to compound exponentially and before I knew it I started getting calls from up to 3 different debt collectors 5 times a day.

    I felt powerless to do anything about it and decided to give Graham Doessel at MyCRA Lawyers a call. Within the first week Graham and his expert team had completely removed the $1000 debt but more importantly, the default listing from VEDA. Their high success rate of removing defaults, combined with their extensive knowledge of debt collectors not adhering to certain rules they must follow means the defaults can be removed quicker than you would expect.
    I would certainly recommend their services, and can’t tell you how satisfied you feel when the burden is lifted.[/fusion_testimonial][/fusion_testimonials][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”3_5″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Complete your application to the right

    As you think about who you might refer, you might think back over the clients that have been rejected for credit issues by you or your lenders for the past 3 or so years.  Hope is an amazing gift you can give them and it’ll cost you nothing to mention MyCRA Lawyers to them all.  Refer them through using our simple and convenient  90-second online referral form by clicking the big Green Button to the right.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_5″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”30″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][fusion_button link=”” color=”default” size=”large” stretch=”” type=”3d” shape=”pill” target=”_self” title=”” gradient_colors=”|” gradient_hover_colors=”|” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”” icon=”fa-user-plus” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” modal=”online-referral” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”1″ animation_offset=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””]Quick – Easy – 90 Second Client Referral – Click Here Now[/fusion_button][fusion_modal name=”online-referral” title=”Refer Your Client Safely, Quickly and Easily To MyCRA Lawyers.” size=”large” background=”” border_color=”” show_footer=”yes” class=”” id=””][contact-form-7 id=”6860″ title=”Online Referrer”][/fusion_modal][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible” margin_top=”20px” margin_bottom=”20px” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_separator style_type=”none” sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””/][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible” margin_top=”20px” margin_bottom=”20px” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_separator style_type=”none” sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””/][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible” margin_top=”20px” margin_bottom=”20px” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_separator style_type=”none” sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””/][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Past results are no indication of future success.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Two Australians arrested for ID Theft

    Police StationAustralian Federal Police announced late last week they had arrested two men producing fake identity material and committing credit card fraud. We look at the details of this arrest (which was a joint operation by the Identity Security Strike Team), and the recommendations Police make to ensure YOU lessen your chances of falling victim to identity theft and having your ability to obtain credit impacted by defaults.

    By Graham Doessel, Founder and CEO of MyCRA Credit Rating Repair and www.fixmybadcredit.com.au.

    Police report the operation began in January when intelligence gathered in previous operations identified a 52-year-old Beverly Hills man suspected of manufacturing fake identification and credit cards. Here is an excerpt from their media statement last week:

    Following investigative activities over the past eight months, search warrants were executed at a number of locations on Tuesday, including a Riverwood premises where police will allege that the 52-year-old man manufactured false documents, including driver licences, Medicare cards and credit cards. A 47-year-old Burwood man was identified as sourcing the identification information and supplying the completed false identification documents to others.

    A substantial amount of cash was also seized during Tuesday’s search warrants. The alleged criminal activity used high-end printing and manufacturing equipment to produce cards that were strong versions of officially-issued items.

    NSW Police Force Serious Crime Director Peter Cotter commended investigators for their efforts dismantling the group.

    “They had a well-resourced set-up and were capable of quickly reproducing a range of fraudulent identification documents which appeared to be the genuine article, making them particularly difficult to detect in our community,” Detective Chief Superintendent Cotter said.

    “This is a great example of how powerful law enforcement is when we work collaboratively to combat crime. The arrests serve as a warning for others who choose to engage in this type of criminal behavior.”

    NSW Roads and Maritime Services Director of Customer and Compliance Peter Wells said improved links with other identity issuing agencies was continuing to ensure identity thieves were apprehended.

    Identity theft is the curse of the 21st Century and that is becoming more evident in our industry of credit rating repair. There are more and more people needing help with repairing their credit file due to having their identity misrepresented in some way.

    Often the first time we are aware of identity theft is when we apply for credit and are flatly refused due to defaults on our credit file that are not ours.

    Credit file defaults are difficult for the individual to remove and generally people are told by creditors they remain on our file for 5 years, regardless of how they got there.

    Although it seemed so easy for the fraudster to use your good name in the first place, you are now faced with proving the case of identity theft with copious amounts of documentary evidence.

    If you have neither the time nor the knowledge of our credit reporting system that you may need to fight your case yourself, you can seek the help of a credit repairer. A credit repairer can help you to clear your credit file and restore the financial freedom you rightly deserve.

    The reason a credit repairer is usually so successful in removing your credit file defaults, is their relationships with creditors, and their knowledge of current legislation.

    If you have just found out you are a victim, we recommend you also contact the Police. Don’t be embarrassed – it is only through identity theft being reported that data gets collected and appropriate preventative measures eventually get put in place.

    Police offer some “red flags” which may show your identity security has been compromised. Top of their list, was your credit report. Checking your credit report regularly is essential to ensure your information is accurate. Your personal details on your credit report should also be checked to ensure they have not been altered by identity thieves. You can check your credit report free once per year. Click here to find out more

    POLICE TIPS FOR PROTECTING YOUR IDENTITY:

    •Check your credit report every year. If you find that you have been marked as having unpaid accounts, for example, that you have never heard of, you might have become the victim of an identity theft.

    •If you are on the phone, confirm that the persons you are making contact with are who you think they are.

    •Lock postal mailboxes to deter theft of mail.

    •Always store any personal or financial documents in a safe place.

    •Do not provide your tax file numbers or other identifying information to people who don’t have a requirement to know.

    •Destroy old documents and cards before disposing of them, otherwise your rubbish could become someone else’s means to stealing your identity.

    •Keep your credit and debit cards secure and never let them leave your sight when paying for something, for example the bill at a restaurant.

    •Report missing or stolen passports to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

    •Report missing or stolen driver licenses to your state/territory roads and traffic authority.

    •Report missing or stolen credit/debit cards to your bank or other financial institution.

    •Report missing or stolen mobile phones to your telecommunication provider.

    •Ensure that your personal computer has up to date software and antivirus software installed.

    •Be aware of phishing emails through which criminals will try to elicit your personal information (including credit card numbers).

    If you would like to know more about identity theft and your credit file, visit this link http://www.mycra.com.au/identity-theft/.

  • Children targeted for clean credit history

    children credit historyAn interesting story just out of the United States on ID theft attempts on the credit files of children. Whilst Australia has vastly different laws when it comes to children and credit history, we want to share this story with you, to show that children are targets for fraudsters – and to explain what the dangers may be for our Australian children when it comes to fraudsters and their credit file.

    By Graham Doessel, Founder and CEO of MyCRA Credit Rating Repair and www.fixmybadcredit.com.au.

    An alarming report by ABC 2 WBay last week ‘ID Thieves Targeting Children’s Clean Credit History’, revealed that children and adolescents have become the fastest growing sector of identity theft victims in the United States. In the U.S., children are allocated a Social Security number from birth, and it is this number that fraudsters are using to steal the identities of their young victims, and take credit out in their name. Here is an excerpt from that story:

    Experts warn from the time your child gets a Social Security number, their personal information needs to be protected.

    “Be aware of how your children’s personal information is used just like your own information–Social Security number, and date of birth–be aware of how it is being used,” says Jim Walsh, U.S. Postal Inspector.

    In a recent case, more than 500 elementary school kids in Los Angeles had their information compromised.  A suspect with access to school files sold the kids’ personal information to another suspect.

    “There were hundreds of accounts opened and most of the accounts were used to get money,” said Walsh.

    The suspects withdrew cash advances, or they would sell the names to make fake IDs.

    Postal inspectors say children have clean credit histories, which makes them appealing to criminals.

    “If they apply for a loan or try to get credit, they could find out their credit is basically ruined and wouldn’t know it the whole time they are growing up,” said Walsh.

    That’s why it’s important to periodically check your child’s credit.

    Unlike the U.S. system, Australian children don’t have a social security number, so they are protected from any immediate identity theft. But what Australian Police have been concerned about in the past is that children are still targets for fraudsters due to their clean credit history, but instead of using personal information straight away as in cases in the U.S. it may be being stored or ‘warehoused’ until the child turns 18.

    The main area Police have been concerned about is Facebook – which remains incredibly popular with children, and gives them the option to openly share their personal information on the internet.

    The Australian Federal Police’s national co-ordinator of identity security strike team, Ben McQuillan spoke about the dangers of identity crime as far back as 2011 at a forum in Sydney on money laundering and terrorism.

    He warned listeners about what was then a new trend of ‘warehousing’ which involves storing data for a time, making it harder for a victim or bank to trace where and when the data was stolen.

    ”If people know your full name, your date of birth, where you went to school and other lifestyle issues, and they were to warehouse that data, there is a prospect that could then be used to take out loans or credit cards or to create a bank account that could then be used to launder money,” Mr McQuillan told the Sydney Morning Herald.

    This warning was echoed by Queensland Fraud Squad’s Superintendant Brian Hay, who warned that criminals were targeting the personal information of our young Facebook users.

    Supt Hay said criminals had been known to be storing the personal information of children around the world in databases to be used when they turn 18 and are able to take out credit.

    “We know that the crooks have been data warehousing identity information, we know that they’ve been building search engines to profile and build identities,” he told Channel 7’s Sunrise program in October 2011.

    “We need to tell our children if you surrender your soul, if you surrender your identity to the internet it could come back to bite you in a very savage way years down the track,” he said.

    This data warehousing could leave the newly credit active young person blacklisted from credit well into their 20’s. For 5 years they are locked out of credit, refused cards, loans, even mobile phones. It need not be major fraud to be a massive blow to the identity theft victim. Unpaid accounts for as little as $100 can have the same negative impact on someone’s ability to obtain credit as a missed mortgage payment. So any misuse of someone’s credit file can be extremely significant.

    Proving the case of identity theft when attempting to recover a clear credit rating is already difficult for the individual to undertake, as the onus is on the victim to prove to creditors they didn’t initiate the credit. Adding to that the fact that the perpetrator would be long gone with the actual act of identity theft happening years earlier – and those young people will have a very difficult task of recovery indeed.

    So how can we protect our children? In the same way we may protect our own identity and credit file.

    It begins with taking an active role in children’s computer use, and realising that their personal information is just as coveted as our own. Perhaps even more so – as the likelihood the child will have a clean credit history to begin with is even higher.

    Image: imagerymajestic/ www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net children credit history

  • Nobody immune to identity theft as fraudsters turn their focus to investors

    Media Release

    Nobody immune to identity theft as fraudsters turn their focus to investors

    Wealthy, educated Australians looking to invest have become prime targets for the new breed of fraudster who are concocting elaborate scams designed to lure their hard earned savings. A national credit repairer says this demonstrates that the threat of fraud and identity theft is not limited to the naïve, but for all Australians.

    CEO of MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs, Graham Doessel says victims of the latest very sophisticated investment scams probably did not think they were in a high risk group, but he warns that all need to be on edge about where we could get caught out.

    “We need to get away from this idea that somehow those people that fall for scams are gullible. This is simply not true in all cases. Identity theft is the new black in criminal circles, and some of those criminals are willing to go to great lengths to fool their victims – particularly if the profits are lucrative,” Mr Doessel says.

    The Australian Crime Commission and Australian Institute of Criminology reported this year that more than 2600 Australians have lost in excess of $113 million to this type of investment fraud, but it is believed there is a high level of under-reporting and the extent is far greater. (1)

    They warn that the scam is incredibly sophisticated and has fooled even experienced investors with elaborate back up data, including fake websites and publications and fraudsters even issuing online press releases in the hope of extracting major dollars from their victims.

    Australians have been targets for this fraud because of high levels of superannuation and retirement savings. The Australian economy is also known to have been less affected by the global financial crisis than other nations.

    Mr Doessel says victims can lose their nest egg, and can also have their identity hijacked and potentially credit taken out in their name, which can rob them of the ability to obtain credit in the years when they will need it most.

    “Many people in this age group will generally have a good clean credit rating, and fraudsters can use the personal information they become privy to in order to set up a fake identity. This gives them access to huge amounts of credit in their victim’s name as well,” he says.

    He goes on to say “Fraudsters are never so kind as to pay the credit back -meaning the identity theft victim is hit twice – financially ruined and with no ability to borrow for 5 to 7 years due to bad credit history.”

    The Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows 514,500 Australians were victims of scams in 2011, with 44,700 people citing actual identity theft in the same year. (2)

    Credit reporting agency Veda Advantage also recently reported in its Australian Debt Study that one in five Australians have had their identities stolen or had their personal or financial data illegally accessed. (3)

    Matthew Strassberg, a Veda senior advisor said: “Whilst credit card fraud is a common form of identity crime, many people do not realise that with only a small amount of personal data, an identify thief could take out a second mortgage on a house, or open up a new line of personal credit and purchase items in their name or under a false identity.”

    Mr Doessel says pinpointing identity and credit fraud early can be difficult.

    “Fraudsters often change contact details, and many victims don’t know they have been scammed until they apply for credit and are refused,” he explains.

    He says sometimes there can be some early warning signs of identity theft, and people should watch out for these occurrences:

    1. Strange unaccountable withdrawals on credit or personal bank accounts. It may not need to be a big amount to indicate fraud. Many criminals do ‘test’ amounts to begin with before extracting more significant amounts.

    2. Phone calls or emails from what often appear to be legitimate companies, asking for money or personal details. If you have given bank details or personal information in this way either online or on the phone there is a high chance it was a scam. Verify with the company in question.

    3. Can’t log in to social networking or bank accounts.

    4. Bills or letters of demand sent to you for accounts you don’t know about.

    5. Missing mail – particularly credit card statements which could indicate someone has overtaken your accounts. In this case no news is not good news.

    6. Credit refusal due to a bad credit rating.

    If people feel they may be vulnerable to identity theft, they should alert their creditors, and also alert credit reporting agencies, who may be able to ‘flag’ their accounts to prevent fraudsters accessing credit in their name.

    Mr Doessel says regular credit checks are vital – and if a credit check reveals any “surprise bad credit” through possible identity theft – victims should act immediately to notify Police.

    “This crime is not very widely reported. But it is only through people reporting it that any real statistics get collated. Likewise, if people want to try and repair their credit rating following identity theft, the first thing I tell them is to make sure they have a Police report,” he says.

    For more information on restoring a credit rating following identity theft, contact MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs on 1300 667 218 www.mycra.com.au.

    /ENDS.

    Please contact:

    Lisa Brewster – Media Relations Ph  3124 7133 media@mycra.com.au

    www.mycra.com.au www.mycra.com.au/blog

    246 Stafford Rd, STAFFORD Qld

    MyCRA Credit Repairs is Australia’s leader in credit rating repairs. We permanently remove defaults from credit files.

    (1) http://www.ministerhomeaffairs.gov.au/Mediareleases/Pages/2012/Third%20Quarter/9July2012-Newwarning-seriousinvestmentfraud.aspx
    (2) http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbytitle/B634CE9C7619C801CA25747400263E7E?OpenDocument
    (3) http://m.smh.com.au/nsw/identity-theft-hits-one-in-five-study-20120705-21j37.html

     

    Image: worradmu/ www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

     

  • Credit file warning: Organised crime groups focused on stealing your identity

    In the future, the security of your personal information may be more crucial than ever. A warning coming from the Australian Crime Commission that organised crime groups will be more likely to hone in on opportunities associated with identity theft to commit crimes in the future. This could have serious implications for every aspect of your life. Your identity is basically your good name, and financially, it is also the key to your ability to obtain credit through your credit file. If you become an identity theft victim, you may also become a victim of credit fraud and end up in serious debt and with bad credit history for years. We look at what is happening, what is predicted for the future, and the 10 ways you can protect your personal information.

    By Graham Doessel, Founder and CEO of MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs and www.fixmybadcredit.com.au.

    The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) has said at a national conference for credit professionals that identity crime is used by almost all of the serous and organised criminal groups operating in Australia and is a key enabling activity for a range of frauds.

    The ACC’s Chief Executive Officer, John Lawler presented at the Dun and Bradstreet Consumer Credit Conference, ‘Credit risk in Australia – The road ahead’ last week. Mr Lawler spoke on ‘Global trends in consumer fraud’. Mr Lawler said identity crime is a “key facilitator” for organised crime groups because it is an anonymous crime which can enable significant fraud.

    “Every single person in this room and the various sectors and organisations that you represent are targets for organised crime,” he told the Conference.

    “Criminals will exploit technology to not only carry out new crimes but commit traditional crimes on a much larger scale.”

    The ACC estimates organised crime is currently costing the Australian economy at least $15 billion per annum – and that the impacts of this are significant and growing.

    Globally, the cost of cyber-crime alone has been calculated at $388 billion annually. This is more than the global market in marijuana, cocaine and heroin combined ($288 billion).

    Mr Lawler says the amount of personal information requested and stored online, along with the growing popularity of social networking sites, provides organised crime with a larger pool of victims and data to harvest:

    •Phishing attacks have become well designed and targeted.
    •Companies are being increasingly targeted as criminals are attracted to large volumes of data stored in single systems.
    •Organised criminals are also warehousing data for later use, making it more difficult to detect when and how data breaches have occurred.

    He says that the most threatening crime groups are diversified in the nature of their crimes – so they are running several ‘games’ and warned that these groups are increasing their level of involvement in fraud. He says this is due to the big pay offs. It’s anonymous so generates less risk, whilst bringing in “some significant profits.” The range of fraud types can include credit card fraud, mass marketed fraud, revenue and taxation fraud, superannuation fraud and financial market fraud.

    “Organised criminals seek to conduct significant research on their intended victims and tailoring their operations to target weaknesses.

    Serious and organised crime is embracing technology and the cyber environment like never before. The use by organised crime of professional facilitators, the use of false and stolen identities provides them with access to systems and data on an unprecedented scale. One manifestation of this is the unlawful access to and supply of illicit commodities, malware and illegal firearms through online sites such as darknets.

    This interface is occurring at all levels from an individual perpetrator to sophisticated serious and organised criminal networks. The anonymity and obfuscation of identity/location provided by the cyber environment facilitates these criminal acts,” he said.

    He warned of the prevalence of “white-collar” fraud like investment fraud. Which don’t target the naïve, but target those with plenty of money looking to invest prior to retiring. The scams are extremely well thought out:

    “Fraudulent syndicates rely on establishing a perception of legitimacy, trustworthiness and success. Syndicates typically establish virtual offices or fictitious corporations which mirror legitimate businesses. They build a perception of legitimacy through highly professional looking websites that provide press releases and make false claims of outstanding corporate performance. They are often linked to false regulator sites and can manipulate search engine data so that those undertaking due diligence are provided with affirmative responses in relation to the investments that are being yielded,” he explained.

    The ACC says education is key to improving our steeliness against this type of crime. They have written a letter via Australia Post to every householder in Australia warning of the risks of serious and organised investment fraud in Australia.

    But they say both businesses and the public sector have a role to play in understanding the ways they can minimise risk to all consumers.

    10 Ways To Protect Your Personal Information From Identity Theft

    1. Keep virus software up to date on your computer. Install automatic updates and perform regular virus scans.

    2. Keep your privacy settings secure on all social networking sites.

    3. Keep your passwords and PIN numbers secure. Don’t carry PIN numbers with your credit/debit cards, change passwords regularly and use a variety of passwords for different purposes.

    4. Check all your credit card and bank statements each time they come in.

    5. Cross-shred all personally identifiable information which we no longer need, rather than throwing it straight in the bin.

    6. Buy a safe for your personal information at home.

    7. Don’t give any personal information or credit card details to anyone via phone or email unless you are sure the site is secure, and or you can verify the company details.

    8. Be aware of who gets your personal information and for what purposes. What can these people do with the information they are gathering? For instance, is it really necessary for the site you are registering on to have your date of birth?

    9. Keep up to date with the latest scams by subscribing to the government’s ‘SCAM watch’ website.

    10. Check your credit file for free every 12 months. By requesting a copy of your credit file from one or more of the major credit reporting agencies, you can be aware of any discrepancies which may need to investigated. Often it is only through a credit check which comes back with defaults on your credit file that many realise they have been victims of identity theft.

    Report any incident of identity theft, no matter how small, or even if you have been reimbursed for the damage – to the Police. The more people that report identity theft, the more effective will be Australia’s Government and Police response to it.

    If you are already an identity theft victim, it can be difficult to navigate the current credit reporting system to have the bad credit history removed from your credit file.

    MyCRA Credit Repairs can completely remove bad credit history such as defaults, clearouts, writs and Judgments from credit files that have errors, are unjust or just shouldn’t be there. Contact a Credit Repair Advisor on 300 667 218 or visit www.mycra.com.au for more information.

    Image: Salvatore Vuono/ www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

     

  • Identity theft risks for Australian online banking customers: what you need to know

    Commbank’s customers have been warned about phishing scams which could threaten the financial safety of its customers, but this scam applies across the board to all merchants, and all customers should take care not to fall for the viscious emails designed to steal your money from and your good credit rating.

    By Graham Doessel, Founder and CEO of MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs and www.fixmybadcredit.com.au.

    In June, for Cyber Security Awareness Week 2012, we explored the prevalence of phishing scams in Australia – particularly around merchants – banks, credit cards and even Paypal.

    In the posts Experts say getting hooked by Australian Paypal or Amex phishing scams could result in identity theft and following on with Company Obligations on Phishing Scams we looked at both the ramifications of falling for phishing scams in terms of bad credit from identity theft on your credit file and the possible obligations of companies to inform their customers when the company name is being used to promote a phishing scam.

    Commonwealth Bank is the latest company to warn customers about these phishing scams which are hooking many people with their clever requests and look-alike websites.

    The emails are to do with account verification.

    The phishing email asks the customer to verify their details due to a high instance of fraudulent activity. Once they click on the link, they are diverted to the fake bank website, where they enter their personal details and banking information into the so-called “customer” database. At which point if people take the bait they are in reality leaving themselves at very high risk of not only bank fraud, but identity theft through revealing their personal information.

    Commbank recently released a statement on its blog warning its customers about the prevalence of such scams in its post Alert: Identity theft targeting Australian consumers:

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is currently investigating a new identity theft scam which is targeting customers of financial institutions, including Australian banks. The scam aims to steal personally identifiable information such as your Internet Banking username and password, passport, driver’s licence, Medicare and birth certificate details.

    The scam manipulates consumers to believe they are using their bank’s normal Internet Banking website, when they are actually using a fake website controlled by the scammers.

    The fake website prompts the consumer to login with their username and password, upon which they are presented with a screen similar to below.

    The message states: “Due to recent frudulant[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][sic] use of NetBank services we require an Electronic ID Check to verify your identity. This is a one-off process.”

    If you see this message, we recommend you:

    i) DO NOT enter your personal details;
    ii) Contact your financial institution immediately. NetBank customers should phone 13 22 21;
    iii) Install and run a trusted anti-virus program on your computer;
    iv) Importantly, you may need to reset or reconfigure your Internet modem or router. We recommend contacting your Internet Service Provider to verify your modem or router has the correct DNS settings.
    v) In your web browser, enter the full address of your Internet Banking website beginning with https:// (for example, https://www.netbank.commbank.com.au). Entering the ‘s’ in https:// makes it is easier to tell whether or not you are interacting with the legitimate Internet Banking website. If you receive security warnings, or no response, it may be an indication you are affected by the scam.

    Commbank reports that these quite legitimate looking emails have not only been asking for account information, but even more alarmingly – identifiable personal information such as a copy of the customer’s birth certificate, copy of passport and copy of driver’s licence.

    This kind of information in the wrong hands is going to land someone in a whole lot of hot water with unpaid debts, and in turn threaten the clearness of their credit file. Not to mention the risk involved in just clicking on any attachment – opening the customer up for Trojan viruses and other cyber-nasties.

    If the fraudster is able to construct a fake identity from the personal information they have gained, it means they have access to their victim’s good name through their credit rating.

    The fraudster can potentially run up credit all over town in the victim’s name. If the crime is fairly sophisticated, most victims don’t know about it until they have a string of defaults weighing heavy against their name, and the obligation then to prove it was not them that instigated the credit in the first place.

    And so ensues a pretty stressful, difficult time for the victim. With this type of fraud they have not only lost money from their accounts, but are staring down the barrel of credit refusal for 5 years with a string of defaults they’re not responsible for. It’s not always easy to prove your innocence – sometimes people don’t know how identity theft has occurred and often the crooks are working from overseas syndicates and are difficult to trace.

    So here’s what the screen might look like – avoid it and avoid identity theft and its evil twin, bad credit.

    But if you have clicked on a link like this – I would recommend thinking about changing your passwords anyway before using any merchant from that computer again – just in case you’ve downloaded malware with your attachment.

    If you think you are the victim of identity theft, you should immediately contact Police. Also, if want to fix your bad credit after identity theft, talk to our Credit Repair Advisors at MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs about your situation and they can help you make the right moves to restore your good name. Call 1300 667 218.

    Image identity theft: chanpipat/ www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

    Image screen shot phishing scam: courtesy Commbank blog site: http://blog.commbank.com.au/your-bank/alert-identity-theft-targeting-australian-consumers/[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Are you at risk of identity theft?

    How much are you putting your life, your personal information and your credit file at risk of fraud? Test your awareness of identity theft, determine what you don’t know and take some steps to protect you and your family. This initiative is part of Privacy Awareness Week 2012, of which MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs is a partner.

    By Graham Doessel, Founder and CEO of MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs and www.fixmybadcredit.com.au.

    Last year, as part of Privacy Awareness Week, the Asia-Pacific Privacy Authorities developed an Id Theft Self-Assessment Test in which you are asked 11 questions on various topics. At the end, you will receive an assessment of how at risk you are of identity theft.

    Here’s some things you may not know about identity crime…

    Identity crime is an area which is ever-growing and ever-changing.

    It is reported that 1 in 6 people in Australia is a victim or knows someone who has been a victim of identity theft or fraud in the past 6 months.

    Victims are not always ‘gullible’ as may be the impression in the wider community. Many experts say it is not a matter of if you experience an identity theft attempt, but when.

    It can originate from someone you know – for example an acquaintance obtains identity documents or credit card details to impersonate you. Or more increasingly it comes from professional fraudsters whose main occupation is to steal personal information and financial details in order to commit fraud.

    Fraudsters are after your personal information. The internet is a big source of personal information and its ever increasing use makes you more vulnerable to identity crime than ever.  This means identity crime can have very long arms – often it originates from overseas crime syndicates. Social networking, online banking, company databases and email scams can all be havens for today’s cyber- criminal.

    You can also fall victim to a number of rampant telephone scams, credit card skimming, or criminals can also take to going through your rubbish bin for anything they may be able to use to steal your identity.

    Identity theft is increasing because the pay-offs are huge for criminals. It is estimated identity crime costs Australians $1 billion a year (OECD Committee on Consumer Policy, Online Identity Theft, February 2009, p. 37).

    In cyber circles alone, world estimated costs for cybercrime are staggering.  Cyber-crime expert Mischa Glenny says that while there are no precise figures out there, the White House suggested in 2009 that cybercime and industrial espionage inflicts damage of around U.S. $1tn per year, which is almost 1.75% of GDP.

    “Traditional bank robbers must be absolutely gobsmacked when they hear sums like this being hoovered up by cyber- criminals week in, week out,” he says.

    How can I be affected?

    We consider if someone is alerted to having money stolen from credit cards early, or perhaps is able to call their bank and stop fraud in its tracks – that they are the lucky ones.

    The unlucky identity theft victim is unaware of the fraud until their identity is misused, and their credit rating with it. When identity theft damages your credit rating – it is because the fraudster has been able to overtake credit accounts, or has gained access to enough personally identifiable information about you to forge new identity documents.

    This gives the fraudster access to credit cards, loans, even mortgages which allows them to extract significant amounts of money without you realising it straight away.

    If credit accounts are not repaid – after 60 days you may be issued with written notification of non-payment and the intention for the creditor to list a default on your credit file. It is at this moment that some people who were previously unaware of any problems find out they have been victims of this more sophisticated type of identity theft.

    But often the credit file holder has also had their contact details changed – and this means it is not until they apply for credit in their own right and are refused that they find out about the identity fraud. This can be a significant time after the initial crime.

    Some signs to watch out for include:

    1. Strange unaccountable withdrawals on credit or personal bank accounts. It may not need to be a big amount to indicate fraud. Many criminals do ‘test’ amounts to begin with before extracting more significant amounts.
    2. Phone calls or emails from what often appear to be legitimate companies, asking for money or personal details. If you have given bank details or personal information in this way either online or on the phone there is a high chance it was a scam. Verify with the company in question.
    3. Can’t log in to social networking or bank accounts.
    4. Credit refusal
    5. Bills or letters of demand sent to you for accounts you don’t know about
    6. Missing mail – particularly credit card statements which could indicate someone has overtaken your accounts. In this case no news is not good news.

    What can I do if I suspect I am a victim of identity theft?

    Notify Police immediately. Many people do nothing due to embarrassment, or because they don’t believe the fraud was significant enough. But is only through this crime getting reported that statistics get collated, and we start to have any chance of catching the criminals.

    Notify creditors. You may need to cancel credit accounts.

    Obtain a credit report. This report is free once per year for every Australian who holds a credit file. It will indicate to you whether any of your contact details have changed, or whether there have been credit enquiries on your account. If you act quickly enough, you may be able to stop your credit rating from being affected by black marks which would come from fraudsters obtaining credit in your name.

    Notify credit reporting agencies of the possible fraud. They will be able to put an alert on your credit file.

    Police may assist you in obtaining a Victims of Commonwealth Identity Crime certificate, if they believe you are eligible. You can apply to a magistrate in your State for this certificate, which may help in recovering your credit rating or credit accounts. Victims need to have had a Commonwealth Indictable Offence committed against them. For more information, visit the Attorney-General’s website www.ag.gov.au.

    What steps can I take to prevent identity theft?

    1.Keep virus software up to date on your computer. Install automatic updates and perform regular virus scans.
    2.Keep your privacy settings secure on all social networking sites.
    3.Keep our passwords and PIN numbers secure. Don’t carry PIN numbers with your credit/debit cards, change passwords regularly and use a variety of passwords for different purposes.
    4.Check all your credit card and bank statements each time they come in.
    5.Cross-shred all personally identifiable information which you no longer need.
    6.Buy a safe for your personal information at home.
    7.Do not give any personal information or credit card details to anyone via phone or email unless you are sure the site is secure, and or you can verify the company details.
    8.Be aware of who gets our personal information and for what purposes. What can these people do with the information they are gathering? For instance, is it really necessary for the site you are registering on to have your date of birth?
    9.Keep up to date with the latest scams by subscribing to the government’s ‘SCAM watch’ website. For a list of ways your computer can put you at risk, visit the governments Stay Smart Online website www.staysmartonline.gov.au.
    10.Check your credit file.

    If you or someone you know needs help to remove bad credit history on their credit rating following identity theft, contact MyCRA Credit Repairs, www.mycra.com.au or call tollfree on 1300 667 218 for confidential advice and help restoring your good name.

    Image above: Chris Sharp/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

    MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs is proud to be a partner for Privacy Awareness Week 2012.

  • Identity criminals harvesting data on our children

    Media Release

    10 November 2011

    Police are concerned identity criminals may turn to targeting the Facebook accounts of children, storing their readily available personal information until they come of age.

    They confirm ‘warehousing data’ is a new trend amongst identity criminals, and warn personal information could be stored and used to set up fake identity documents when the child turns 18, which would allow fraudsters to take out credit in their name.

    A national credit repairer cautions this could leave the newly credit active young person blacklisted from credit well into their 20’s.

    “The amount of personal information that many young people have freely available for viewing on Facebook is frightening. These young people don’t grasp that the information they are posting now, can come back to haunt them later – if that information is stored and misused, their lives can be turned upside down – for 5 years they are locked out of credit, refused cards, loans, even mobile phones,” Director of MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs, Graham Doessel says.

    The Australian Federal Police’s national co-ordinator of identity security strike team, Ben McQuillan spoke about the dangers of identity crime on Tuesday at a forum in Sydney on money laundering and terrorism.

    He warned listeners about the new trend of ‘warehousing’ which involves storing data for a time, making it harder for a victim or bank to trace where and when the data was stolen.

    ”If people know your full name, your date of birth, where you went to school and other lifestyle issues, and they were to warehouse that data, there is a prospect that could then be used to take out loans or credit cards or to create a bank account that could then be used to launder money,” Mr McQuillan told the Sydney Morning Herald.

    Mr Doessel says identity theft  is not only about the initial loss of monies, but if the fraud amounts to credit accounts in the victim’s name going undetected and unpaid past 60 days, a person’s credit file can be ruined for 5 years due to defaults.

    “It need not be major fraud to be a massive blow to the identity theft victim. Unpaid accounts for as little as $100 can have the same negative impact on someone’s ability to obtain credit as a missed mortgage payment. So any misuse of someone’s credit file can be extremely significant,” he says.

    Proving the case of identity theft when attempting to recover a clear credit rating can be difficult for the individual to undertake, as Mr Doessel says the onus is on the victim to prove to creditors they didn’t initiate the credit.

    “The fact that the perpetrator is long gone and the actual act of identity theft happened years earlier will only add to that difficulty,” he says.

    Identity theft and subsequent fraud has become rampant worldwide. A survey commissioned by the Attorney-General’s office in July showed 1 in 6 Australians had been or knew someone who had been the victim of identity theft or misuse.

    The survey also revealed that the majority of identity theft or misuse occurred over the Internet (58 per cent).

    A U.S. study released earlier this year, revealed some alarming statistics about Facebook. Of the 20 million minors who actively used Facebook in the past year, 7.5 million—or more than one-third—were younger than 13 and not supposed to be able to use the site.

    It also revealed that one million children were harassed, threatened, or subjected to other forms of cyber-bullying on Facebook in the past year.

    “Clearly, using Facebook presents children and their friends and families with safety, security, and privacy risks,” the report said.

    Mr Doessel recommends parents take an active role in their child’s computer use. He recommends parents and children engage in what information is being provided quite publicly on social networking sites:

    1. Keep Privacy settings high, browse in a secure web browser, which should begin with https: and set profile to ‘Friends only’.
    2. Don’t post personally identifiable information such as full name, date of birth, phone number, and address.
    3. Do not add friends you don’t know. They could be gathering information about you or spreading viruses.
    4.  Be careful about clicking on links – even if they come from friends. Many posts contain viruses which can spread through your whole friends list, or links to sites which require you to enter personal information.
    5. Parents and children should sign up to the government’s StaySmartOnline’s alert system www.staysmartonline.gov.au , which provides many tips for safe social networking.

    If people are concerned their information may already have been compromised, they should contact authorities. For those who are credit active, they should check their credit file immediately, which could bring up any inconsistencies.

    A credit report is free once a year, and can be obtained from one or more of Australia’s credit reporting agencies.

    Any change in contact details, or strange new credit enquiries which show up on the report could mean that the person’s credit file is being misused.

    “If there are defaults on the victim’s credit file, they can instil the help of a credit repairer who can work within the legislation to negotiate with creditors and restore the clear credit rating,” Mr Doessel says.

    /ENDS.

    Please contact:

    Lisa Brewster – Media Relations   media@mycra.com.au

    http://www.mycra.com.au/ 246 Stafford Road, STAFFORD QLD. Ph: 07 3124 7133

    MyCRA Credit Repairs is Australia’s leader in credit rating repairs. We permanently remove defaults from credit files.

    Links:
    1.http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/police-warn-of-sophisticated-plan-to-steal-identities-20111108-1n5l8.html#ixzz1dB4ctHcT
    2.http://www.ag.gov.au/www/ministers/mcclelland.nsf/Page/MediaReleases_2011_ThirdQuarter_3July2011-Newresearchshowsidentitytheftaffectsoneinsixpeople
    3.http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/june/electronics-computers/state-of-the-net/facebook-concerns/index.htm

    Image: Clare Bloomfield / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Bill to fight global cybercrime coming in New Year

    The war on global cybercrime and identity theft continues…

    The Government’s Cybercrime Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 is set to be passed through the Senate in the New Year, according to reports from The Australian Newspaper ‘Australia to join global anti-cybercrime fight’ today.

    Attorney-General Robert McClelland told a Council of Europe meeting yesterday in France that the Government’s Cybercrime Bill will have the “endorsement of Parliament in the new year,”

    “For our part, there is no doubt that once Australia has taken the necessary steps to provide for accession to the Convention on Cybercrime, we will be better placed to take on the challenge globally,” he said in a keynote address.

    “Our domestic laws will criminalise more nefarious cyber activity and give our crime fighters the right modern tools.

    “Information required to prosecute cyber criminals will be protected from destruction whilst law enforcement agencies seek warrants for its access,” he says.

    Back in June we blogged about this Bill, ‘Government brings in new laws in war against cyber-crime and identity theft’ following the Government’s signing of the cybercrime treaty in May, and as it made swift changes to some of Australia’s laws to allow the Bill to be passed and implemented with ease. The changes were seen as a necessary response to the growing threat of cybercrime and the global nature of the crime.

    Australia will be joining the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, of which more than 40 nations have already signed or become a party to the Convention, including the USA, UK, Canada, Japan and South Africa.

    The Convention allows countries to co-operate in investigations to deal with international crimes committed on computer networks, such as online fraud.

    The Bill will also give Australian police greater powers to force internet service providers to retain data of customers who are suspected to have committed a cybercrime while the matter is being investigated.

    The convention has been criticised by some such as Kapersky Lab’s CEO Eugene Kapersky, who says if non-European, non-English speaking countries will not “join the club” there will be failure.

    “Do you think it’s real that if a government computer in Russia is infected, that they will let the US in? Or that the White House will let Russia in? And then China or Latin America? Forget about it,” Kaspersky told SC Magazine.
    “It hasn’t worked in 10 years.”

    Instead, Mr Kaspersky advocates the need for an “internet Interpol” to manage international crime investigations and liaise with national police forces.

    Currently there appears to be great difficulty in investigating and prosecuting international cybercrime rings –especially in respect to online fraud cases. Much of the internet-generated identity theft is not initiated on Australian shores. The worldwide web provides easy international access, meaning elaborate schemes intended to commit identity fraud can be generated from any country and impact ordinary Australians.

    In fact, current advice about overseas scams on the government’s SCAMWatch website is almost a disclaimer for failure to prosecute perpetrators of overseas scams:

    “due to the ‘fly by night’ nature of many scammers, it is extremely difficult to track them down and take action against them. Though it depends on the circumstances of each case, the ACCC may not be able to take action or enforce Australian Court orders against the many scammers that are based outside of Australia.” the SCAMWatch website explains.

    Anything which increases the likelihood of accountability for identity theft and fraud as it relates to the global market should be seen as a positive step, as would the implementation of some of Kapersky’s ideas.

    One thing which is certain is we can never rest on our laurels. Constant monitoring and improvement needs to continue and be pushed for to keep up with the vast array of changes technology and the crime that ultimately follows it.

    For more information on identity theft related to credit files, contact MyCRA Credit Repairs tollfree on 1300 776 218 or visit the main website www.mycra.com.au.

    Image: digitalart/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Don’t throw away your identity on rubbish day

    Rubbish day will never be the same again…not when fraudsters are sniffing around rubbish bins like alley cats at night looking for any kind of personally identifiable information on unsuspecting residents.

    If people think there’s nothing that can be done with that old electricity bill, or scoff at credit card offers and bin them immediately, they may be surprised to know that the information they throw away could be pilfered and those criminals could be putting everything they hold dear at risk.

    A growing crime known as ‘dumpster diving’ threatens the bank accounts, and the good name of many Australians every night. Personal information has become such a valuable commodity, criminals are willing to rifle through people’s rubbish to obtain it.

    Here’s how it happens…

    At night criminals are out on the streets of Australia going through rubbish bins. They are hunting for personal information to commit identity theft. This may not be their first time at a particular rubbish bin. They may be adding information to what they already have.

    Or piecing together information from a variety of sources including the internet, until they have enough to go about obtaining duplicate copies of identification documentation.

    Once this happens, they are able to take out credit such as loans, cards and even mortgage properties in the victim’s name.

    This comes as Today Tonight  in its story ‘Identity Theft Alert‘ interviewed Rob Forsyth from security company SOPHOS on 14th October.  It was revealed that 2 in 5 Australians put old bank statements and other key personal papers into recycling.

    Mr Forsyth says no suburb is immune to fraudsters rifling through that rubbish on the hunt for personal information.

    “They know, because it’s public information which councils have pick-ups on which day, and whether it’s garden waste or recycled waste, and they will cruise through those streets in the middle of the night and go through the garbage bins,” Mr Forsyth says.

    He says once they have enough personal information, they will on-sell that information abroad – including dumped bank statements, credit card offers, phone bills, which already bear the person’s name and address.

    The Australian Crime Commission cites identity theft as the “fastest growing crime in Australia” , and a survey commissioned by the Attorney-General’s office in June revealed 1 in 6 people had been or knew someone who had been a victim of identity theft or misuse.

    There are significant long-term implications for the identity theft victim past the initial monies lost if fraudsters gain access to a person’s credit rating.

    If an account – fraudulent or otherwise – goes unpaid past 60 days, the creditor will list the non-payment as a ‘default’ on the person’s credit file. This default will remain on the credit file for 5 years and can severely hinder  any chances of obtaining credit during that time.

    Often the first time victims of identity theft and subsequent fraud find out about the crime is when they go to apply for a loan or credit card and are refused due to defaults they were not aware of.

    Adverse credit file listings such as defaults are not removed easily, and at this stage, victims have to do a whole lot of work to try and prove to creditors they were not responsible for the unpaid accounts, including providing Police reports.

    Information should be treated with the respect it gets in criminal circles.

    Here’s some simple ways to protect personal information from identity theft:

    – Buy a shredder and cross -shred every piece of personally identifiable documentation that is no longer required before putting in the rubbish bin.

    -Buy a safe for personal documents at home

    -Put a lock on the letterbox to avoid mail being stolen.

    -NEVER give out personal information to any person or entity without verifying their identity .

    -Personal information is valuable – always question the need for people to have it. If in doubt – opt out.

    – Obtain a credit report regularly. People who may be vulnerable to identity theft can contact one or more of the major credit reporting agencies in Australia and request a copy of their credit file.  A credit file report is free for Australians every 12 months.

    For a fee, Veda Advantage offers credit file holders an alert service, which tracks any changes to their credit file within a 12 month period.This could detect suspicious entries such as new credit enquiries or changes in contact details which would point to an identity theft attempt, allowing steps to be taken before the fraud affects the person’s good credit rating.

    Personal information is so valuable to fraudsters. Shred it before you bin it, and lock it up if you want to keep it. Filter who gets it.  Protect your identity and your credit file integrity.

    For more information on identity theft and credit repair, people may contact MyCRA Credit Repairs on 1300 667 218 or visit the main website www.mycra.com.au.

    Image: Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Internet dating scams rampant in Australia

    Lonely hearts watch out – your wallets or your good credit rating could be next!

    It was revealed by Queensland’s Courier Mail last week that more than $15 million was lost by victims of dating scams last year. This was perpetrated by overseas criminals mainly from West Africa, masquerading as online love interests.

    In response, dating websites in Australia will be now be required by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to display scam warnings in an attempt to combat one of the fastest growing types of scam, preying on lonely people. It is threatening action against companies that fail to comply.

    A top-level fraud conference on the Gold Coast was told almost 600 Australians had lost $15.1 million to cyber-criminals posing as potential partners, with one-in-five being duped of more than $100,000.

    Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said romance scams had become the “fraud of choice” and victims were being left financially and emotionally crushed.

    “We’re seeing thousands of Australians sending millions of dollars to criminals overseas every month,” he told the International Organised Fraud Symposium at Sanctuary Cove.

    “Apart from losing large amounts of wealth and in some cases their homes as a result of this brutal type of offence, some people take suicide as an option,” he said.

    And the victims? Mostly elderly widows.

    Queensland Police Fraud Squad chief superintendent Brian Hay said women “are twice as likely to be victims”.

    “It’s particularly savage. We’re talking about vulnerable people who put their heart on the line and lose their house and life savings as well,” he said.

    How the scams work

    The Government’s SCAMWatch website explains in more detail how these dating scams work.

    “Scammers target victims by creating fake profiles on legitimate internet dating services. Once you are in contact with a scammer, they will express strong emotions for you in a relatively short period of time and will suggest you move the relationship away from the website, to phone, email and/or instant messaging. Scammers often claim to be from Australia, but travelling or working overseas.

    They will go to great lengths to gain your interest and trust, such as sharing personal information and even sending you gifts. Scammers may take months, to build what seems like the romance of a lifetime and may even pretend to book flights to visit you, but never actually come. Once they have gained your trust they will ask you (either subtly or directly) for money, gifts or your banking/credit card details. They will pretend to need these for a variety of reasons.” The website explains.

    How scams affect the victims

    For people who have fallen for this type of scam, generally they are robbed of money. But in some cases, the fraudsters can have enough personal information about their victims to be able to get credit cards or loans or even mortgage properties in their name.

    The costs of identity theft can be significant long term for the victim and are magnified by the fact that  identity fraud is not often detected until the victim attempts to take out credit in their own name and is refused due to credit rating defaults they didn’t initiate.

    It can be quite a shock for someone to realise their entire financial freedom has been taken away, along with any monies that have been stolen from them. Basically someone with credit file defaults finds it extremely difficult to obtain credit for 5 years while the listing is part of their credit record.

    Any kind of credit account (from mortgages and credit cards through to mobile phone accounts) which remains unpaid past 60 days can be listed as a default by creditors on the victim’s credit rating. Credit rating defaults remain on credit files in Australia for 5 years. The consequence of people having a black mark on their credit rating is generally an inability to obtain credit.

    Repairing a credit rating in Australia can sometimes be difficult for the individual to undertake. By law in Australia, if a listing contains inconsistencies the credit file holder has the right to negotiate their amendment or removal, but the difficulty is, to clear their good name, the identity theft victim needs to prove to creditors they did not initiate the credit. Not only are victims generally required to produce police reports, but large amounts of documentary evidence to substantiate to creditors the case of identity theft.

    SCAMwatch outlines some ways people can protect themselves when dating online:

    -ALWAYS consider the possibility that the approach may be a scam…Try to remove the emotion from your decision making no matter how caring or persistent they seem.
    -Talk to an independent friend, relative or fair trading agency before you send any money. THINK TWICE before sending money to someone you have only recently met online or haven’t met in person.
    -NEVER give credit card or online account details to anyone by email.
    -Be very careful about how much personal information you share on social network sites. Scammers can use your information and pictures to create a fake identity or to target you with a scam.
    -If you agree to meet in person, tell family and friends where you are going. If this includes overseas travel, consider carefully the advice on www.smarttraveller.gov.au before making any plans.
    -Where possible, avoid any arrangement with a stranger that asks for up-front payment via money order, wire transfer or international funds transfer. It is rare to recover money sent this way.
    -If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
    -Money laundering is a criminal offence: do not agree to transfer money for someone else.

    For more information, or for people who need help restoring a credit rating following identity theft contact MyCRA Credit Repairs tollfree 1300 617 218 or visit the website www.mycra.com.au.

    Image: renjith krishnan/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

     

  • Internet fraud can happen to anyone

    Media Release

    3 October 2011

    Many of the new forms of online fraud are sophisticated and elaborate – often even fooling those who believe they are computer-savvy, according to a national credit repairer.

    Director of MyCRA Credit Repairs, Graham Doessel dismisses claims victims of online fraud are stupid and are ‘asking’ to be ripped off and says keeping abreast of current scams is sometimes the only way to avoid being a victim.

    “Some of my clients have been cleverly fooled by scammers, who have weaved a tangled web of lies and deceit. It is not just a case of ‘oh we were asked to  send money so we did’ – most people believed they were dealing with legitimate companies and have been unlucky to end up on the wrong end of fraud,” Mr Doessel says.

    Mr Doessel’s comments come as Superintendent Hay, head of the Fraud and Corporate Crime Group, told the Brisbane Times recently, each month about 2000 Queenslanders transferred a total of $2 million to scammers in Nigeria and Ghana.

    Superintendant Hay, joined Investigators from Nigeria, Ghana and the United  States at a conference south of Brisbane last week, focused on tackling the global “fraud pandemic”.

    He urged people to have more compassion for victims of scams.

    “Fraud victims are victims of a crime, they need our respect and need our support and need our help to rebuild their lives,” he says.

    Mr Doessel says his company helps people clear adverse listings from their credit file which they believe should not be there. He says when a client experiences identity theft which leads to the scammer taking out credit in their name, they are left financially crippled.

    “Basically the victim ends up with defaults on their credit file which unfortunately means they are black listed from credit for 5 years. These victims can’t borrow for anything – they can’t even take out a mobile phone plan,” he says.

    Identity theft and subsequent fraud has become rampant worldwide. A survey commissioned by the Attorney-General’s office in July showed 1 in 6 Australians had been or knew someone who had been the victim of identity theft or misuse.

    The survey also revealed that the majority of identity theft or misuse occurred over the Internet (58 per cent), or through the loss of a credit or debit card (30 per cent).  Stolen identify information was primarily used to purchase goods or services (55 per cent) or to obtain finance, credit or a loan (26 per cent).

    Mr Doessel says by blaming the victims of identity theft and scams, we are making light of the often sophisticated nature of fraud and for this reason more people could possibly fall victim to it in the future.“

    People need to know this business is lucrative, and the fraudsters are vehement. New scams are being cooked up every day to dupe people into giving over their money or their personal details. Just because people aren’t fooled by the current scams, doesn’t mean they are totally immune,” he says.

    He says internet users need to keep up-to-date with all scams being perpetrated in the community, and this can start with subscribing to the Government’s Stay Smart Online, and SCAMWatch websites, which  alerts people to new scams and viruses as they arise.

    “Unfortunately this is a war we are all waging against unknown criminals from an unknown location, that can be whoever they want to be in order to steal people’s money or their good name. Fighting it starts with risk awareness and being extremely protective over who gets our personal information,” he says.

    /ENDS.

    Please contact:

    Lisa Brewster – Media Relations   Mob: 0450 554 007 media@mycra.com.au
    Graham Doessel  – Director   Ph 07 3124 7133

    www.mycra.com.au www.mycra.com.au/blog 246 Stafford Rd, STAFFORD Qld
    MyCRA Credit Repairs is Australia’s leader in credit rating repairs. We permanently remove defaults from credit files.

    Links:
    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/technology-news/fraud-victims-just-dont-listen-police-20110927-1kv5t.html#ixzz1Zg5GiF9x
    http://www.ag.gov.au/www/ministers/mcclelland.nsf/Page/MediaReleases_2011_ThirdQuarter_3July2011-Newresearchshowsidentitytheftaffectsoneinsixpeople

    Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Dumping of e-waste in Ghana exposes sensitive data to potential identity thieves

    Media Release
    29 September 2011

    The illegal dumping of Australian e-waste on overseas shores and the potential for those discarded hard drives to still contain sensitive data which exposes the former owners to identity theft and potential misuse of their credit file, demonstrates how urgently Australia needs to change its attitude towards personal data, according to a national credit repairer.

    Director of MyCRA Credit Repairs, Graham Doessel says personal information is a valuable commodity nowadays.

    “Identity theft and subsequent fraud is a lucrative business for criminals, and personal details are the key to potentially racking up thousands of dollars of credit in the victim’s name.”

    “To avoid identity theft, people need to develop the ethos that personal information should be destroyed when it is no longer required, whether that involves cross-shredding documents, or properly wiping hard drives of stored data before discarding,” Mr Doessel says.

    These warnings come after it was revealed by SBS’s Dateline program this week that western countries across the globe, including Australia, had been illegally dumping some 500 containers worth of e-waste such as TVs, monitors and computers into Ghana every month.

    While many locals scavenge the waste for copper and other valuable resources, it was revealed by a local journalist that getting private information from hard drives was also possible and demonstrated accessing personal information from one of the dumped hard drives.

    “You can find personal information, company information…So people can take information and then use it to frame you up or do something against you,” journalist Enoch Messiah says as reported by ZD Net Australia.

    Mr Doessel says a lot of identity fraud is committed by piecing together enough personal information from different sources in order for criminals to take out credit in the victim’s name. He says often victims don’t know about it right away – and that’s where their credit file can be compromised.

    “There is no simple re-imbursement for loss on this scale. Not only can the victim’s bank accounts be drained, but they can also find themselves with several defaults on their credit file that they did not initiate, basically destroying their ability to obtain all forms of credit unless they can be removed,” he says.

    He says once the victim’s credit rating is damaged due to defaults from this ‘stolen’ credit, they are facing some difficult times repairing their credit rating in order to get their life back on track.

    “These victims often can’t even get a mobile phone in their name. It need not be large-scale fraud to be a massive blow to their financial future – defaults foras little as $100 will stop someone from getting a home loan,” he says.

    Once an unpaid account goes to default stage, the account may be listed by the creditor as a default on a person’s credit file. Under current legislation, defaults remain on the credit file for a 5 year period.

    “What is not widely known is how difficult credit repair can be – even if the individual has been the victim of identity theft, there is no guarantee the defaults can be removed from their credit file. The onus is on them to prove their case and provide copious amounts of documentary evidence” he says.
    According to ZD Net, the government recently passed legislation mandating a co-regulatory scheme for computer and TV recycling in Australia, set to be phased in at the end of this year.

    “But people should still be aware that whenever they want to discard a hard drive, they should take adequate measures to ensure all sensitive data is adequately removed before it leaves their hands,” Mr Doessel says.

    Adrian Briscoe, general manager of Asia Pacific for data recovery company Kroll Ontrack, told ZDNet Australia that the best methods to ensure data is completely removed was to use software that overrides the hard-drive sectors seven times, or to physically wipe the hard drive using a degausser that pulses the drive with electromagnetic radiation. Briscoe said it was vital to personally ensure the data is erased before getting rid of old hard drives.

    “I don’t think people necessarily understand the dangers of just releasing a computer back … they have no guarantee that once they release a computer physically, that the data won’t turn up again because they have not actually witness the data being erased,” Briscoe says.

    For more information on credit repair following identity theft, people can contact MyCRA Credit Repairs tollfree on 1300 667 218 or visit their website www.mycra.com.au.

    /ENDS.

    Please contact:   Lisa Brewster – Media Relations   Mob: 0450 554 007 media@mycra.com.au
    Graham Doessel  – Director    Ph 07 3124 7133  www.mycra.com.au www.mycra.com.au/blog 246 Stafford Rd, STAFFORD Qld

    MyCRA Credit Repairs is Australia’s leader in credit rating repairs. We permanently remove defaults from credit files.

    Links: http://www.zdnet.com.au/dumped-aussie-e-waste-a-security-threat-339323066.htm

    Image: Sura Nualpradid/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

     

     

  • Australia’s identity theft prevention improving

    It seems the nation has ramped up its focus on identity theft. We are more fearful of this crime than we are of a terrorist attack, and this is due in part to recent global data breaches which have directly affected the security of Australians. It is also due to the long lasting effects of identity theft and the difficulties that can ensue with our credit rating.

    Improvements occurred to our national strategy on identity theft this week, with the Attorney-General, Robert McLelland announcing two more states have signed on to the Government’s national Document Verification Service (DVS). This service allows authorised government agencies to cross-check identity documents to prevent identity theft or fraud.

    Identity theft occurs when someone uses our personal details without our knowledge for the purposes of fraud. It is occurring more readily than ever with the mass use of technologies such as the internet, social networking, i-phones and credit cards.

    Nowadays we conduct so much of our financial and personal business online and via our phones. When we shop online – we give over passwords, personal details and credit card details. When we want to catch up with someone, we do it via Facebook or Twitter – giving over details like where we are, who we’re with, when we are away from home.

    The reason we do all of this is because it is so darn convenient and fun. Our relationships can change, improve. Sometimes jumping online to pay our bills or pick up some birthday presents can be the only way we have time to get those things done nowadays.

    Unfortunately, it is also a convenient way fraudsters can extract details which may be used in order to set up fake identification in our name. Criminals may only need a small amount of very precise information about us to go about requesting ‘replacement’ copies of our documentation, or to create a fake document that can all be used to obtain credit in our name.

    Apart from the initial monies which may be lost due to fraud, the major consequence of identity theft is the destruction of our credit rating. A bad credit rating means most people are black listed from obtaining mortgages, personal loans, credit cards and even mobile phone plans for the term of the listing which is 5-7 years. Any way the Government can improve its system to protect people from this kind of fraud should be well received.

    This week, Victoria and Western Australia joined the rest of Australia in using the DVS, which Mr McLelland says will allow documents commonly used as proof of identity to be quickly checked electronically by the issuing agency.

    “For example, if you are using your Australian Passport as proof of identity to apply for a copy of a NSW Driver License, the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority will now be able to instantly verify the authenticity of the passport with the Australian Passport Office.  This ensures that documents haven’t been cancelled or personal information falsified.” Mr McLelland says.

    He says the purpose of the DVS is purely to allow authorities to verify document authenticity, and no information will be retained on any central database.

    “A number of State and Territory and Commonwealth Government agencies are already using the system. It’s already possible to verify the validity of Australian-issued passports, visas, and birth certificates and driver licenses from other States and Territories through the DVS,” he says.

    However, according to a recent article by CRN Magazine’s Liz Tay, an audit conducted last year by the Australian National Audit Office found the $28.3 million service had “significant problems” and was rarely used.

    “Auditors reported that the DVS performed less than ten transactions a day – well under initially expectations of one million a day – and was weighed down by issues with timeliness and accuracy,” the article says.

    This comes as the Government released results from an identity theft survey last week which showed 1 in 6 Australians have been or know someone who has been a victim of identity theft or misuse in the past 6 months.

    Let’s hope the government takes the necessary steps to improve its system to ensure it is genuinely going to make progress in the fight against this ever-growing war on identity crime.

    Suspect identity theft? Visit the MyCRA Credit Repairs website for help with what to do and how to repair your credit rating following identity theft.

    Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net