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FaceTime Identifies Man Selling Credit Card Details Online

FaceTime Security Labs has identified a man selling debit and credit card details along with PIN numbers. The man had also included a copy of his photograph and his location.

The materials collected were posted on a 'Warez Forum', a discussion zone where hackers trade counterfeit video games and various media content. Some of the details related to e-mail addresses of receivers, suggesting they had been collected from an online system at the back end.

Senior Director of malware Research, Chris Boyd, at FaceTime Labs, said that it was unusual to find that the individual who had posted the information wasn't himself a carder with professional capability. Vnunet reported this on December 7, 2007. What seems apparent is that the person just came across a pile of sensitive data and since then has been distributing it as fast as possible.

The case seems to represent some stupid criminal's work because the poster included all of his information, his photo and his location in his personal forum called "Avatar", Boyd said.

The security company advises people to be very careful when they receive an IM message carrying a link that leads to some website, or a piece of download, even if it arrives from a known person. Many malware spread fast via IM messages to subsequently steal private data. It is always safe to verify a file or link from its sender before opening or clicking it.

Boyd said that he and his team of researchers are constantly trying to find malware, spyware, botnets and hacking incidents that could potentially compromise company and personal data.

Boyd further said that people generally take a risk when they do online shopping or just hang out on the Internet, but FaceTime thinks the risk can be reduced by initiating specific moves or by applying common sense. No company would refrain from using e-mail simply because they receive spam, rather, they need to ensure a balance between the benefits from the Internet and ways to prevent risks from it, Boyd suggested.

FaceTime has reported the incident to authorities but there is no news if the seller has been arrested.

» SPAMfighter News - 12/21/2007

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