Kathryn Warma, assistant U.S. attorney in the Computer Hacking and Internet Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office says the identify theft is very common, but not to many people know it exists.
Wood, says Warma, would type keywords such as "tax return" or "bank account" into the Limewire search box which allowed him to download files with that type of personal information from shared folders of naive or unsuspecting Limewire users.
The convicted felon also searched specifically for college financial aid forms, says PCWorld, which include "exhaustive personal and financial information about the family." Wood would then use the info to open accounts, receive credit cards, and make purchases in their names.
"Many of the victims are parents who don't realize that Limewire is on their home computer," added Warma.
Wood was originally arrested for fraud, after selling a Mac computer on Craigslist, but giving the buyer a box that included no computer but instead a book and a vase in the shape and weight of a mac. The victim then set up a similar deal as a police sting and Wood was arrested on the spot for selling an empty box to a police officer.
While searching Wood's computer, authorities found tax returns, bank statements and other personal info from over 120 victims from across the US.
Wood also apparently had ties to Gregory Kopiloff, the first man to be convicted in the US for using P2P to steal identities. Kopiloff is currently serving four years in prison.
Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 12 Aug 2009 17:18
