New Free Web Service Confirms Theft Of Your Identity

September 18, 2009 – 7:28 AM

A new, free Web-based search service that combs real identity-theft trafficking forums used by criminals lets consumers proactively check if they are a victim of identity theft.

The StolenID Search site is a partnership between ID theft prevention firm TrustedID and U.K.-based Lucid Intelligence, a firm founded by two former Scotland Yard investigators that maintains a massive database of more than 120 million compromised personal accounts. In July Lucid announced plans to launch identity theft search services using the database, which was built from a collection of stolen identity information from law enforcement databases and from volunteers who monitor criminal ID theft marketplaces.

To research whether they’re at risk of ID theft using TrustedID and Lucid’s StolenID Search service, users type in their names and email addresses for an initial search. They are prompted for more information if there’s a match — as well as verification that they are who they say they are — to drill down into more detail about which of their personal information is making the rounds on the black market.

“This is the first time Americans have direct access to information that’s out there that indicates their information has been compromised,” says Lyn Chitow Oakes, chief marketing officer for TrustedID, which launched StolenID Search yesterday. “This tells you that someone is trying to buy your stolen information from a thief who’s trying to sell it. Whether or not they are successful in using that information, we don’t know.”

Oakes says the search encompasses everything from a victim’s name, address, and phone number to secret passwords, financial information, health insurance data, credit cards, and bank account numbers.

For $15, the service offers more specific details on how the data was compromised, where it came from, as well as instructions on what to do next as a victim.

Source:
http://www.darkreading.com/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220000940&cid=RSSfeed