Yahoo! News – More Identity Theft Offline Than Online-Study

Federal regulators warn that the Internet is the thriving frontier for identity theft, but 72 percent of the thefts of personal information for scams last year was done offline, a new report says.

Identity theft — the practice of stealing someone’s personal information and running up bills in their name — cost Americans $52.6 billion last year, the report says.

Thieves got their victims’ bank or credit information online in just 12 percent of the cases.

Identity thieves aren’t making a killing electronically — they’re picking through trash and thumbing through lost or stolen wallets,…

Yeah, it bugs me those numbers as a percentage don’t get to 100, but I can live with it.

I have family members (hi, mom!) who cannot believe how much of my life goes online, including my buying and bill-paying. Some is discomfort with the truly new (so, I push this button and all my money vanishes to where?) to fear of the Dread Internet Pirate.

DIPs exist, but are less common than the old fashioned theives. Just thought you should know.

This belongs here because all docs drive Lexus cars, right?

SC Magazine

Lexus cars may be vulnerable to viruses that infect them via mobile phones. Landcruiser 100 models LX470 and LS430 have been discovered with infected operating systems that transfer within a range of 15 feet.

“If infected mobile devices are scary, just thinking about an infected onboard computer..,” said Eugene Kaspersky, head of anti-virus research at Russian firm Kaspersky. “We do know that car manufacturers are integrating existing operating systems into their onboard computers (take the Fiat and Microsoft deal, for instance).”

It is understood the virus could affect the navigation system of the Lexus models, it transfers onto them via a Bluetooth mobile phone connection. It is still unclear which operating system the cars in question use.

I’ve given this about 20 seconds of thought, and am still wondering why anyone would go to the trouble of writing a virus to screw up a Lexus.

The only answer I come up with is they’re trying to hack the security system, to make it easier to steal. Nothing else makes sense, unless it’s kids trying to prove they can break something.

Glad my car isn’t bluetooth capable. I’d be turning it off.

Update: Or, it’s a competitor (Mercedes, Porsche, Buick (snicker)).