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Internet Fraud Alert Makes Reporting Stolen Data Easier

by Caleb Johnson on June 22, 2010 at 01:16 PM

internet fraud alert logoSeveral public and private entities have teamed up to battle online fraud by creating a streamlined method to report it. According to Ars Technica, Internet Fraud Alert is a service that makes it easier for security researchers to report the stolen consumer data they find online. For example, if a researcher finds a stash of stolen credit card numbers posted on the Net, he or she reports the find to Internet Fraud Alert, and the service matches the stolen data with the bank that issued the card and notifies the institution.

Microsoft developed the service and then passes it off to the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), a non-profit organization that teaches people to combat cybercrime. Now, companies and organizations like Accuity, American Bankers Association, Anti-Phishing Working Group, Citizens Bank, eBay, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), National Consumers League and PayPal are on board, further legitimizing the service. Doing this under one roof may help eliminate much of the red tape surrounding hunting scammers. Companies and banks should be able to act quickly on reports, since they'll receive information from a single, secure source rather than a number of individual sources, saving consumers from more headache and hassle. [From: Ars Technica]

Tags: fraud, hack, identity theft, IdentityTheft, internet fraud, internet fraud alert, InternetFraud, InternetFraudAlert, Microsoft, security, top

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