Identity Thieves Often Relatives
Written by Evan SchumanWe all know that employees are the most likely source of theft at a traditional retail outlet. The latest trend is that identity theft– a huge retail concern with credit cards and especially the newer contactless cards–is also often homegrown.
A fascinating New York Times story today talks about family friends and relatives a likely source of such trust-abuse. The story specifically talks about ex-spouses. This is the problem with Social Security numbers and other lifelong identifications. Once breached, there’s no easy way to start anew.
The most chilling line was about a victim who complained to the District Attorney’s office that multiple checks and an old driver’s license were still missing and that her former friend could still fake her identity whenever she wanted to. The D.A. official told her: “Oh, she won’t do that again.”
Cards issued by European banks when used online cross border don't usually support AVS checks. So, when a European card is used with a billing address that's in the US, an ecom merchant wouldn't necessarily know that the shipping zip code doesn't match the billing code.
-Marc
