July 2006 Archives

For some time, banks and credit-card companies have been warning computer users about so-called phishing emails that link to counterfeit Web sites where customers are asked to enter their account numbers and other personal information.

Now, savvy con artists are adding a new twist dubbed "vishing."

Customers of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust recently received emails telling them that their accounts with the company's online banking system had been disabled after the bank detected unauthorized access. They were told to dial a telephone number (with a local, Southern California area code) where an automated voice prompted them to enter their account numbers, personal-access codes and other details. It's not clear who was on the other end of the phone line, but it wasn't Santa Barbara Bank & Trust.

The incident was among the latest in a string of vishing, or voice phishing, attacks. Security experts say such schemes are made possible by Internet-telephone services, which allow computer users to quickly establish phone numbers, often without undergoing some of the verification checks used by traditional telephone companies. Also, Internet phone companies dole out numbers with a choice of area code, regardless of where in the country -- or world -- the user is located. That can make it much more difficult to locate fraudsters.

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(This article also appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, [Toronto] Globe and Mail, Arizona Republic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, [Denver] Rocky Mountain News and AOL News.)

The videogame industry is locked in a battle with state and local lawmakers around the country who want to rein in access to what they see as increasingly violent and sexually explicit games.

At issue are the content ratings attached to videogames, and the steps retailers take (or don't take) to make sure some games -- like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which included hidden nude scenes -- aren't sold to young players. Critics of the industry say that even though major retailers like Wal-Mart and Best Buy have voluntarily adopted policies to restrict sales of such games, enforcement can be lax. Several states want to impose fines on underage sales. What's more, some argue the ratings system needs to be overhauled because ratings are determined by a group created and funded by the game industry itself.

The videogame industry, meanwhile, is fighting back on two fronts. Last month, an industry trade group launched an initiative in cooperation with major retailers and three senators aimed at tightening sales policies for games. Less publicly, the group continues to aggressively challenge local legislative efforts in the courts, and has had success in getting some state laws overturned.

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