New wave of crime

For $20, your personal data could be sold several times to criminals who manufacture fake credit cards, say police, who report white-collar crimes are on the rise. Payment card fraud, identity theft and similar scams are not new but police say they have skyrocketed in recent years and ever-evolving technology may be to blame. Nanaimo RCMP report criminals who once broke into cars or homes are shifting to the white-collar variety, trading legwork for a computer screen. Massive amounts of data can be moved around with ease, say police, who in a recent Vancouver Island investigation say credit card numbers surfaced from South America. These thefts are easier, faster and more anonymous to pull off, with less risk and fewer penalties if criminals do get caught, say police. Multiple victims can mean a much more lucrative return. A single spreadsheet from a mobile fraud unit bust in Nanaimo last year potentially held $50,000 worth of data. Skimming credit card data can easily yield returns in the six figures, say police, and if you can imagine a way to do it, they say it has probably already been done. Criminals can use stolen or reproduced financial information to access or open bank accounts, transfer balances, apply for loans or credit cards and buy things that could include passports. Posted in: Account Takeover Identity Theft