Privacy Commissioner launches new Facebook probe

New complaint highlights dissatisfaction with privacy changes that the popular social networking site has been making in the wake of last summer's in-depth investigation by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.


OTTAWA, January 27, 2010 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - In response to a new public complaint, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is once again launching an investigation into Facebook, the social networking site whose privacy policies and practices were the subject of a comprehensive probe by her Office last summer.

The complaint focuses on a tool introduced by Facebook in mid-December 2009, which required users to review their privacy settings. The complainant alleges that the new default settings would have made his information more readily available than the settings he had previously put in place.

"The individual's complaint mirrors some of the concerns that our Office has heard and expressed to Facebook in recent months," said Elizabeth Denham, the Assistant Privacy Commissioner who spearheaded the original investigation and follow-up.

"Some Facebook users are disappointed by certain changes being made to the site - changes that were supposed to strengthen their privacy and the protection of their personal information."

In July 2009, Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart released findings of an in-depth examination of the privacy issues raised by the California-based site, which now claims 350 million users worldwide.

Key concerns highlighted in the report related to Facebook's transparency and clarity - specifically, the need to better explain how it handles the personal information in its care. The report also recommended that Facebook provide users with increased control over their personal information. In August, following intensive discussions, Facebook agreed to modify its site in ways that would address the Commissioner's concerns.

Since then, however, changes to the site's privacy information, settings and tools have sparked criticism from users who feel that personal information posted to the site is, in some instances, even more exposed now than before.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada will investigate the complaint it has received, while continuing to follow up with Facebook as it introduces new changes to its site. The company committed last August to resolving within a year all of the concerns raised in the first investigation report.


The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is mandated by Parliament to act as an ombudsman, advocate and guardian of privacy and the protection of personal information rights of Canadians.

Joint force operation leads to arrests for debit card fraud

TORONTO, January 22, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - The continuing joint force partnership to combat credit debit and credit card frauds between the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB) - Identity Crimes Unit and Durham Regional Police Major Crime - Fraud Unit (DRPS) has resulted in the arrest of seven males and two females for point-of-sale terminal "pin pad" tampering.

The investigation which began in the Parry Sound area in November 2009 identified a group of suspects who were responsible for numerous incidents of credit card terminal tampering across the Greater Toronto area and Ontario. The investigation determined these suspects were also responsible for the use of the fraudulent debit card data collected from the tampered "pin pads". The suspects targeted various retail establishments which conduct credit and debit card transactions without the knowledge of the various retailers.

On January 21, 2010 investigators from the OPP OCEB-Identity Crimes Unit and Durham Regional Police assisted by Peel Regional Police, Toronto Police and Canada Border Services executed nine search warrants across the Greater Toronto area. As a result of the warrants, investigators arrested nine persons and seized stolen point-of-sale terminal "pin pads", hundreds of forged debit cards encoded with stolen debit card data, computer equipment used to encode magnetic stripes and over $100,000 in cash.

Investigators have laid charges under the new Identity Theft legislation brought into Canadian law on January 8, 2010.

Police along with the banking industry continue to work together to detect and prevent these crimes, which cost hundreds of millions of dollars in losses each year in Canada.

Anyone with information in relation to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Doug Cousens of the OPP Identity Crimes Unit at 1-905-671-6883 or Detective Jeff Caplan of the DRPS Major Crime - Fraud Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5702.

Police caution the public to always be alert and aware when using their respective bank debit cards.

Anonymous information can be sent to Crime Stoppers where tipsters may be eligible for a $2,000 cash reward.

How to Detect Online Scams

from HowStuffWorks.com
by Jonathan Strickland

"Hey buddy, come over here. Listen, keep this quiet. I've got a friend overseas who's trying to come here. He's filthy rich but he has to go through a lot of red tape on his side and ours. I was hoping you could help me out by spotting me a few thousand dollars so that we could grease the wheels a little. Don't worry -- once he's over here he'll repay your investment 100 times over. What do you say?"


If a random stranger approached you on the street and said something like that, you'd probably ignore him and keep walking. You might even report him to the local police. Who would trust someone they had never met with that much money? But an online scam very similar to the scenario above has fooled thousands of people into giving away millions of dollars to the scam artists. It seems that people who might be able to smell a rat in a real life encounter become more gullible while online... read more at HowStuffWorks.com

Scammers plan to clear out your gift card balance

from Scambusters.org

After the "season of giving" some of us can find ourselves
with a surplus of gift cards from stores where we can't or
don't want to shop.

The Internet provides the answer. Why not sell them -- usually
at a discount -- to someone who can use them?

Looks like a win-win situation -- until you encounter the gift
card scam artists.

Here's how they work: You offer your card on an auction or
classified ad site. A "buyer" asks for an electronic snapshot
of your balance as proof of its value.

They direct you to a bogus site, usually in the format of "My"
followed by the store name, followed by "Giftcard.com" (e.g.
"MyStoreNameGiftcard.com"), where they say you can get this
snapshot.

As soon as you key your card details in, the scammer has them
and will use or transfer the balance as quick as a flash.
That's it. You won't get your money back.

So, if you do have gift cards from Christmas -- or any other
time -- to sell, we recommend you use one of the sites
specially set up for these transactions (do a Google search
for "gift card exchange" -- but, remember, always double check
the credentials of any company you deal with). And recognize
even the legit exchanges often charge a hefty fee.

Or you could just "regift" them.

10 Top Scams of 2009 and 2010

from Scambusters.org

With a likely global toll of more than $1 billion lost to Internet and phone scammers in 2009, it's time to review our Top 10 scam predictions for the past year and throw forward our thinking on what's going to change in 2010.

Our predictions, (unscientifically) confirmed by the feedback we get from the hundreds of thousands of Scambusters subscribers and visitors, official surveys and the regular news reports we scan, once again came pretty close to the mark.

Identity theft and phishing remained the biggest source of scams in 2009, with, as we predicted, a stronger-than-ever showing from economy-related scams, which came in at Number 2.

Looking to the future, we expect many of the old patterns to repeat themselves, though often using new approaches to try to catch us out.

But there's also a growing threat that we've seen more and more evidence in 2009 -- from the "planting" of viruses and spyware -- and there's one newcomer to our list of Top 10 scams for 2010.

Let's take a closer look...at Scambusters.org

OPP Warns Public About Scam Targeting Grandparents

Email Hackers Pose as Family Member or Friend in Trouble


ORILLIA, ONTARIO, December 18, 2009 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), in cooperation with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), is warning people about a variation of the widespread "Emergency Scam" or "Grandparent Scam".

Traditionally operating as a telemarketing scam throughout North America, fraudsters contact potential victims while posing as a family member or friend in urgent need of cash. Often the scenario involves an accident or arrest, with a request that cash be sent through a money transfer company, such as Western Union or Money Gram.

In a recent variation of this scam, compromised contact lists from hijacked email accounts are used to send the potential victim an "urgent" email request for money from a friend or relative with whom they have a correspondence. Common themes continue to be hospitalization or imprisonment. The friend or relative is unaware that their account has been used to send out these requests to everyone on their contact list.

The OPP strongly suggests that anyone receiving a request for money, takes measures to verify the requestor's identity and the veracity of their story. Anyone who suspects an attempt at victimization is urged to call the CAFC at 888-495-8501.

Formerly known as Phonebusters, the CAFC was established in January 1993 and is jointly operated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Competition Bureau Canada.

Visit their website at www.phonebusters.com. Specific information on the "Emergency Scam" can be found in "List of Scams".

Home Stealing - How Crooks Can Literally Steal Your Home

Article Source: EzineArticles.com By Jeff Runyon

Everyone has heard of home burglary before, right? Thugs break in and take things of value from you home. But that is not what I am talking about here.

I am talking about a new criminal activity that has recently become very popular among thieves and crooks. I am talking about literally stealing your home from you without you even knowing about it.

The term is known as 'house stealing'. It not the actual physical act of loading your home on a tractor bed and driving off. It is perpetrated by a crook or band of thieves assuming your identity and changing the ownership of your home and cashing it out. This is another version in long line identity theft techniques. Here is how it happens and what you can do to protect yourself.

These con artists and fraudsters first target a property of interest. They find out the details of the properties ownership which is readily available as a public record at your local courthouse or city hall.

They create fake identity papers such as a counterfeit social security card or a phony driver's license. Then they make a trip to an office supply store where they can easily obtain the necessary real estate documents and paperwork they need. Using their fake identification card(s) and the newly created property deeds, they file these with you local government authorities. Unless caught during the act, the property ownership transfers into the name of the new owners. Then they are free to refinance or sell the property, all without the rightful owner ever knowing this has happened!

How does this happen? Doesn't the government agency know that it is a fraudulent activity? Apparently not since proper identification was provided. Now, your house is stolen and is in someone else's name. Now the new 'owner' can refinance or sell to an unsuspecting buyer, pocket the proceeds and disappear to start the con all over again somewhere else.

House stealing can be stopped. If you use a credit monitoring service or subscribe to an identification theft protection service, you may already be protected. Check with your service provider and check to see if they provide constant monitoring of your credit reports for any liens being placed against your home.

The actual process and the ease with which this can be done are downright frightening. What can you do to protect yourself? The FBI advises that the best way to ensure you are protected is to monitor your county or local authority's deeds office for any and all liens created and assigned against your property.

And there is a website you can visit for a free solution that does just that. This is free service will monitor public documents for any association with your registered property(s) and will alert you in any case there is a change made to them.

Find out more at their website at www.epropertywatch.com

I have been writing articles and publishing editorials for over 3 years covering a number of popular topics about everyday life. My interests as of late have involved temporary handicap access options and researching motorized wheel chair options for a short term situation. Discover the innovations and choices I found about wheel chair ramp options and choices to provide for temporary access needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Runyon