Identity Theft News

Password theft on the rise

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

A recent report by anti-virus giant McAfee said that keylogging viruses that attempt to steal passwords are proliferating across the internet, particularly targeting online gaming.

As online economies trading virtual money and items sprang up with the release of massively multiplayer games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest, so too did new opportunities for scam artists and other cybercriminals. There exists a growing black market where virtual cash, swords, and even characters can be bought for real-world money.

The McAfee report also asserts that the software used has become a great deal more sophisticated than its predecessors, often attempting to silently disable security programs before carrying out its function. It can also be very difficult to trace the online location to which the keylogger is sending its stolen data.

Online gaming is not the only sector targeted by password thieves. Some enterprising scammers enlist the help of unsuspecting "mules" to receive payments from hacked accounts. The money is then sent on to the thief in the form of a cashier's check or money order, cleanly laundering it.ADNFCR-1765-ID-19381668-ADNFCR

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