Federal prosecutors went after 3 alleged scammers in a case announced yesterday.
The charge involves stealing 130 million credit and debit card numbers from Fortune 500 companies. The card numbers and account information were then sold for $10-$100 per account.
The investigation suggests that a sophisticated group of hackers may have worked together. While the particular tactic used in this case (SQL injection) is apparently not too sophisticated, it was good enough to load up on card numbers.
What does this mean to you? It might be a reminder that there are lots of smart and desperate people out there willing to steal financial data. Review account transactions regularly, and watch credit reports for any signs of identity theft.
In many cases, consumers won't lose money as a result of fraud. However, it's possible. Inconveniences and indirect costs are much more probable.
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