States Using ID.meID.me According to the company: ID.me simplifies how individuals prove and share their identity online - it provides secure identity proofing, authentication, and group affiliation verification for government and businesses across sectors. The company’s technology meets the highest federal standards for consumer authentication and is approved as a NIST 800-63-3 IAL2 / AAL2 conformant credential service provider by the Kantara Initiative. ID.me is the only provider with video chat and is committed to “No Identity Left Behind” to enable all people to have a secure digital identity. to Stop FraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim.: aka Moral Ambiguity
Guest EditorialGuest Editorial A Guest Editorial is an article written by an outside contributor or author who is not a part of the SCARS Management or SCARS Editorial Team.
We allow scam victims and stakeholders to contribute articles, commentary, or editorials for publication on RomanceScamsNOW.com for review and publishing. To submit an article please send it to contact@AgainstScams.org by Brett JohnsonBrett Johnson He is a Cybersecurity, Cybercrime, Fraud, and Identity Theft Expert. Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Writer, Podcast Personality. Former USA Most Wanted Cybercriminal, Identity Thief, Hacker, and Original Internet Godfather. He is also an Advisor to SCARS.
Brett is one of the top experts in the world on cybercrime, identity theft, fraud, and cybersecurity. His knowledge is unique. His education in cybercrime does not come from a book, he has hands-on training. His knowledge is from the criminal side of things and has an understanding of cybercrime that the majority of people on the planet will never possess.
Keynote Speaker and Consultant on Cybersecurity & CybercrimeCybercrime Cybercrime is a crime related to technology, computers, and the Internet. Typical cybercrime are performed by a computer against a computer, or by a hacker using software to attack computers or networks., and Global Identity TheftIdentity Theft Identity theft is when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. In both the U.K. and the United States it is the theft of personally identifiable information. Identity theft deliberately uses someone else's identity as a method to gain financial advantages or obtain credit and other benefits, and perhaps to cause other person's loss. The person whose identity has been stolen may suffer adverse consequences, especially if they are falsely held responsible for the perpetrator's actions. Personally identifiable information generally includes a person's name, date of birth, social security number, driver's license number, bank account or credit card numbers, PINs, electronic signatures, fingerprints, passwords, or any other information that can be used to access a person's financial resources. Expert, Advisory Board Member – AnglerPhish.com
In a bit of a mood today.
The following is a guest editorial for the benefit of our readers, and only reflects the views of the author!
I’m in a bit of a mood today!
You see, I expect Fraudsters to commit fraud. It’s what they do. It’s what I did. I respect that while not liking it and being firmly against it. What I don’t like or expect or even respect is when the solution further victimizes the victims.
Unemployment Fraud. Fraudsters have been eating it alive for months. It’s what they do. I’m seeing 16 year-olds on Telegram bragging about stealing $60k a week doing it. That’s $240,000 a month, $3.1 Million in a year. And I’m going to tell you the Truth no one else will–That kid is not going to get caught. Most these guys will NEVER be caught. That’s the Truth no one is supposed to say. Does Crime Pay? It damn sure does.
Initially, there was no security in place. NONE. All a fraudsterFraudster A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer. needed was PII, someone’s social security number and date of birth. Attach an address and Google Voice Number and you were good to go. Just needed an instrument of deposit: Greendot Prepaid Card, Chime Account, CashApp. Fraudsters LOVE CashApp. Cha-Ching.
That was it. No security or verification in place whatsoever. File 1000 claims using the same IP? Absolutely. No one was checking.
States lost BILLIONS. Money which could be used for the good of everyone in the state–gone forever. They finally implemented security. But they did it piecemeal, without understanding the criminals hitting their systems. My type of criminals. The criminals who understood identity theft, who knew how to properly commit those crimes. The types of criminals who had been circumventing for years the types of security states were implementing. It went as one would expect:
First Security Attempt: Security Questions. KBA. Knowledge. Based. Authentication. The questions asked when you open an account or change info on an existing account. The questions fraudsters have been answering for decades when they take over your accounts and steal your money. Easy answers to obtain. Easy security to bypass. Well, shit. That didn’t work.
Second Security Attempt: Send in Document Scans proving identity, bank account, address, etc. Easy enough to fake. Fraudsters been doing that one for years. One can buy fake doc packages for under $50 on the darkweb. And the document quality? Approaching 1:1 with the real thing. STRIKE TWO. Fraudsters screamed and laughed, “What else you got?!”
Third Security Measure: Send in a selfie holding the driver license. SecondEyeSolution does that all day long for $30. NEXT!
OK. How bout liveness detection? A live video holding the ID. How bout that? Hmm. Sounds good. Well, until I go down and grab me a crackhead, a burner phone, and a fake driver license with the crackhead’s picture on it. Works like a charm. And yes, that shit really does work.
Like I said, I’m in a mood today. All of that is expected. And truthfully, as those security measures are implemented some criminals dropped off at each stage. Not all. Not by a long shot. The ones who remained were just more skilled.
Oddly enough, I’m not here to talk about those fraudsters today. I’m here to talk about desperation. One should never act out of desperation. It often results in bad choices.
See–I’m in a mood today. And it’s not because of the fraudsters. I expect them to do what they do. What I don’t expect is for the solution to come with questionable consequences.
33 States currently use ID.me as security to stop unemployment fraud.
Now, I could talk about how there are currently 3 work-arounds fraudsters are bragging about online that defeats ID.me (including the crackhead anecdote above), but I’m not gonna do that. I’ve not tested the workarounds and EVERY security measure has a workaround. So no need to pick at that.
I’m not going to mention the multitude of people legitimately filing for unemployment benefits who are unable to receive them due to the friction caused by the ID.me system. And Oh, Boy–Is there friction! Legitimate people denied for weeks the benefits they need to survive because of the inability to pass the document submission or the impossible nature of speaking to a live person at ID.me. Nah, I wont mention that–even though I should. Well, I mean I did just mention it. And I’ll throw a link in as well of just one person’s story. https://abc11.com/idme-unemployment-id-me-my/10498998/
Nah, my issue is I read the Terms of Service and Privacy Statement over at ID.me. Yeah. I know, only criminals and attorneys read such things. I’m an ex-criminalCriminal A criminal is any person who through a decision or act engages in a crime. This can be complicated, as many people break laws unknowingly, however, in our context, it is a person who makes a decision to engage in unlawful acts or to place themselves with others who do this. A criminal always has the ability to decide not to break the law, or if they initially engage in crime to stop doing it, but instead continues.. I guess that counts.
I’m in a mood today because I have a real problem with States FORCING applicants to register with ID.me in order to receive the benefits to which they are entitled. Want your unemployment check? Well, ID.me wants all of your data, all of your information. That’s the price of getting the benefits those states owe you.
From ID.me Terms & Conditions
I have a real problem with applicants that have been forced to register at ID.me in order to get their benefits then having their data used by ID.me to sell advertising to those same applicants.
From ID.me Terms & Conditions
So yeah. I’m in a mood. I’ve other issues with this whole scenario which I could spend time hashing out. But bottom line is there is a LOT of moral abiguity here. People forced to use a system which then forces them to give up all their data in order to get a benefit they are entitled to. And then the system uses that data to additionally profit. Seems there isn’t much choice on the part of the applicant.
So yeah, Im in a mood today.
Brett Johnson!
About Brett Johnson
Cybersecurity, Cybercrime, Fraud, and Identity Theft Expert. Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Writer, Podcast Personality. Former USA Most Wanted Cybercriminal, Identity Thief, HackerHacker A computer hacker is a computer expert who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term hacker has become associated in popular culture with a security hacker – someone who utilizes their technical know-how of bugs or exploits to break into computer systems and access data which would otherwise be unavailable to them – hacking can also be utilized by legitimate figures in legal situations. For example, law enforcement agencies sometimes use hacking techniques in order to collect evidence on criminals and other malicious actors. This could include using anonymity tools (such as a VPN, or the dark web) to mask their identities online, posing as criminals themselves. Likewise, covert world agencies can employ hacking techniques in the legal conduct of their work. Oppositely, hacking and cyber-attacks are used extra- and illegally by law enforcement and security agencies (conducting warrantless activities), and employed by State actors as a weapon of both legal and illegal warfare., and Original Internet Godfather
I am one of the top experts in the world on cybercrime, identity theft, fraud, and cybersecurity. My knowledge is unique. My education does not come from a book, school, investigator, or commentator who has no practical experience on the subject of which they speak. I have hands-on training. My knowledge is from the criminal side of things. I have an understanding of cybercrime that the majority of people on the planet will never possess.
I built the first organized cybercrime community, Shadowcrew, while also establishing several forms of financial cybercrime. Shadowcrew was the precursor to today’s Darknet Markets and laid the foundation for the way modern cybercrime channels still operate today. I was placed on the United States Most Wanted List, convicted of 39 felonies and sentenced to 7 1/2 years in federal prison.
I am fortunate to be one of the few who have been able to step away from my life of crime–with the help of many. Today, I use the vast amount of knowledge I have concerning cybersecurity, cybercrime, identity theft, and fraud to help individuals and companies protect themselves from the type of person I used to be.
I speak and consult with some of the most well-known entities across the globe. Clients include The FBIFBI FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, the FBI is also a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and reports to both the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence. A leading U.S. counter-terrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigative organization, the FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes, including financial fraud., Microsoft, Lexis-Nexis, ThreatMetrix, VISA, Identity Guard, AARP, Emailage, MWAA, Elavon, TED, ISMG, Neustar, BBWest Bank, and numerous others.
Recently featured on CNNMoney, NBC, AARP, VICE, RT TV, Arstechnica, the Independent, FOX TV, and more.
Working to stop cybercrime and fraud worldwide. www.AnglerPhish.com and is an advisor to SCARSSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. on the darkweb and cybercrime prevention countermeasures.
To learn more about Brett or to contact him, please visit his LinkedIn Profile here
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This program is designed to help scamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. victims struggling to recover on their own and for those who want to understand the overall process. You can be using other resources, such as traumaTrauma Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety or other emotional shocks, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized. Trauma requires treatment, either through counseling or therapy or through trauma-oriented support programs, such as those offered by SCARS. counselingCounseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. A mental health counselor (MHC), or counselor, is a person who works with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Such persons may help individuals deal with issues associated with addiction and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; and aging. They may also work with "Social Workers", "Psychiatrists", and "Psychologists". SCARS does not provide mental health counseling. or therapy, qualified support groupsSupport Groups In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic, such as romance scams. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy. They can be supervised or not. SCARS support groups are moderated by the SCARS Team and or volunteers., or completely independent – on your own!
The SCARS Steps program is a complete program and is provided for the purpose of helping scam victims to overcome this experience. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues and challenges that a victim may have and help guide them through their recovery. But each person is different and it is important to understand your own reasons for being vulnerable to being scammed.
After the trauma of being scammed, you need to take steps to recover and move on. This may be an alternative to counseling in the short term, but we still encourage you to seek out professional help & support. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues, challenges, defects, or problems that a victim may have in a generalized way.
The SCARS GREEN BOOK will help you recover from your scam offline and it will always be there when you need it!
SCARS SLATE BOOK – Let Us Explain What Happened!
A Guide For Families & Friends Of Scam Victims
HOW TO HELP ROMANCE SCAM VICTIMS FOR FAMILIES & FRIENDS OF SCAM VICTIMS
This SCARS Publishing book represents a complete guide to help the families and friends understand how these scamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. work and how to help the victim.
The SCARS Slate Book should be purchased by family and friends to better understand what happened to the victim and the traumatic impact on them. But it can also be shared by the victim so that they do not have to explain to family and friends about the scam. This publication is to help others to help Scam Victims to make it through this traumatic experience and recover.
Each person is different and it is important to understand how relationship scamsRelationship Scam A Relationship Scam is a one-to-one criminal act that involves a trust relationship and uses deception & manipulation to get a victim to give to the criminal something of value, such as money! Click here to learn more: What Is A Relationship Scam? work and why people are vulnerable; to being scammed, how they were lured in, then groomed and manipulated. This understanding is essential in helping them through the process of ending the scam and then on to recovery. The SCARS Slate Book will provide the information necessary to help support a victim through this process.
SCARS RED BOOK
Your Personal Scam Evidence & Crime Record Organizer
ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION TO MAKE THE REPORTING PROCESS SIMPLE!
Helps you get and stay organized. This publication is to help Scam Victims organize their crime information. Complete this information before reporting to the police then bring this book with you
Before or after reporting to the police the RED BOOK gives you a dedicated tool to record all the essential facts of this crime. The Victim, the Scammers, the Money, and your Police interactions. Everything that really matters can be easily recorded for your immediate use and for the future!
As we have seen, money recovery/repayment programs can become available years after the scam ends and you need to keep all the details of this crime in case it is needed. We have also seen scammers being extradited to the U.S. and other countries, this will help in the event you testify or give statements, Additionally, this helps you have your information ready to qualify for victims’ benefits, compensation, or aid.
The Official SCARS RED BOOK is your way of recording all the important facts of this crime so that you do not lose essential information, Complete the RED BOOK then put it away with the confidence that you will have it if or when it is needed.
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By the Society of Citizens Against Relationship ScamsSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. Inc.
A Worldwide Crime Victims Assistance & Crime Prevention Nonprofit Organization Headquartered In Miami Florida USA & Monterrey NL Mexico, with Partners In More Than 60 Countries
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To see ScammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer. Photos visit www.ScammerPhotos.com
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