[ news_security_news ]
Card Scammers Act Like Robin Hood
David Utter
Staff Writer
2007-07-06
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
It may be hard to believe, but some Internet-based credit card thieves have been making charitable contributions of small amounts to verify if a card is valid or not.
Unlike a physical credit card theft that would be noticed in short order, stealing credit card details from someplace online may go unnoticed for a time. Thieves don't want to tip off the victim or his credit card issuer that something is amiss.
That means testing the card with a transaction a bank will likely ignore on a security basis. Symantec researcher Yazan Gable said this has become a new trend among carders, those who steal credit card information.
Gable said this practice has been observed with charities as well known as the Red Cross. "I guess the one thing to note here though is that at least some of the stolen money is going to a good cause," said Gable.
Bidding For Exploits: An auction site for zero-day exploits launched in Switzerland, under the name WabiSabiLabi. Four vulnerabilities for Linux, Yahoo Messenger, Squirrelmail, and MKPortal have been placed up for bid.
A firm called WSLabi, described as a vendor-neutral independent Swiss laboratory, claimed the open market it has launched would let security researchers receive market value for their findings.
Researchers and buyers would have to register with the site to participate in the auction marketplace. WSLabi said it won't accept material that comes from an illegal source or activity. They plan to vet the buyers to minimize the chance that cracks will be sold to criminals.
About the Author:
David Utter is a business and technology writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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