Using high-tech to combat low-tech theft
You know ID theft is a problem when it hits the likes of Fed chairman Ben Bernanke. We hear mainly about sophisticated phishers and hackers, but a lot of this is quite low-tech. Bernanke's wife had her purse stolen. In some cases, modern technology can be used to catch the bad guys.
Can Duruk, a senior at Carnegie Mellon, was robbed of his wallet and PIN information at gunpoint. They also made the mistake of taking his iPhone. Duruk went home and logged onto Skype to make phone calls (he had no home phone). He also logged onto MobileMe, an app that allows people to track the location of an iPhone. Using Google, he was able to follow the thieves virtually. With his online PNC account, he witnessed them withdrawing money from his account. All the while, he was updating the police about the activity. The thieves were soon apprehended at a local Eat 'n Park.
For more:
- here's an article from the school paper
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