Author: Data Breach HQ Editor

A data breach is an illegal or unintentional release of confidential or protected private/public information to an unauthorized third party. The word itself is enough to send shivers down the spines of most people, but what exactly does it mean? In its simplest terms, a data breach is an unauthorized transfer of personal or confidential information from one person to another without the consent of the former. Other words for the phenomenon include intentional information leak, unauthorized information disclosure, information leakage or simply information spill. Although the term data breach does not pertain to every type of breach, these are the three major types that are most common. This also applies to other types of incidents that happen within your company. First, the most common kind of data breach happens with employee information. An instance of this type of event can be someone entering an employee’s files without permission or authorization from management. In other words, they were allowed access to confidential or protected data without having any special approval from their superiors. Another important incident that could lead to data breaches is an individual gaining access to a company system. In this instance, the intruder has the legal right to have access to the system but is often unaware of the system’s safety measures. A third example of a data breach would be a company engaging in a...

Credit card fraud is often described as an umbrella term for any crime committed using a card, including a credit or debit card. The main purpose of fraud could be to gain access to goods or services, to make fraudulent payment to a third party that is under the control of a criminal, or simply to steal another person’s account. However, credit card fraud can also be a very lucrative business for those who are seeking to defraud other consumers. The amount of card fraud that occurs every year is staggering. In fact, many experts believe that it is one of the highest risks that people face. As a result of this, the financial and legal communities have created numerous laws and regulations to help deter this type of fraud. For instance, there are now more rules governing the issuance and use of credit cards than there are to regulate the use of other forms of plastic money in the United States. Although credit card fraud was considered a victimless crime for many years, recently we’ve begun to see more fraud being perpetrated against those who suffer losses from it. This has resulted in some innovative legal defense agencies for those who are facing a case of credit card fraud. In some cases, attorneys will work for the bank or company who issued the credit card to the cardholder...

What Are the Common Types of Online Scams? There are numerous scams out there, and most people don’t even know what they are. It is important to understand what scams are before you get involved with them. Most scams are fairly easy to spot, but it is also important to realize that a lot of scams are being perpetrated by unscrupulous individuals who are out to get your money. An advance fee scam is one of the more popular forms of con jobs and is often referred to as a ‘get rich quick’ scheme. The scam usually involves someone selling an item or service that is worthless, claiming that they will be able to get you rich if you give them a deposit upfront. In exchange for the large up-front payment, the scammer takes a large percentage of the total sum you receive from the transaction. The truth is, most of these types of scams are nothing more than blatant attempts at scams, but if you are looking to get rich quick, you may be interested in trying one of these scams out. Other types of scams involve fraudulent companies, promising you legitimate money making opportunities that are in fact nothing more than pyramid schemes. These pyramid schemes are designed to lure people in with the promise that if you sign up with their company, you can earn large...

Identity Theft – How To Identify It and How to Avoid It If you have ever received a package in the mail from someone who is asking you for money or some other type of personal or financial transaction, chances are that the package was stolen or compromised by identity thieves. You may be receiving packages from someone who is not only asking for personal information but also requesting for credit card numbers. Notifying the USPS Inspector when you suspect that there has been a change in address or has been using the mail to commit bank or credit fraud can help prevent identity theft and identity damage. When it comes to identifying theft, identifying the thief is not nearly as difficult as it sounds. Identity thieves have a very simple goal in their mind: steal your identity and use it to access a variety of financial transactions, such as obtaining credit or opening a checking account with an account that you have no association to. Once they have this information they have access to many different things including your social security number, personal credit accounts, and bank account information. If you are the recipient of a letter asking for your credit or banking account information, the information that you provide could very well be used for identity fraud. Identity theft is a problem that affects everyone on a...