2012 - Your taxe$ paying his campaign's use of gov't planes!

From: rapa Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 Subject:  Obama on the campaign trail--in US Air Force planes!!

How can he get away with this?

     The United States Air Force has established two new aircraft squadrons to support President Obama's travel needs during the campaign season.
      The 305th and 306th Expeditionary Airlift Squadrons were activated as subordinate units of the 89th Airlift Wing on December 1.
      The 305th will operate out of New Castle, DE, with 5 C-130H medium lift transport aircraft, 8 full sets of aircrew, 60 assigned maintenance personnel and 12 operations personnel.
      The 306th will operate out of Andrews AFB, with 4 C-17 heavy lift transports, 7 full aircrew, 60 maintenance personnel, and 10 operations personnel will be assigned.
      Operations for the two squadrons are to commence in April, and will run through the election.  The aircraft and personnel will be released back to their original units after Nov. 2.  Well, isn't that nice of him?

     NOTE: Considering his disdain for the military forces of America, this is truly incredible!  And why doesn't the Democratic National Committee pay for at least part of Obama's campaign expenses?  Furthermore, since Obama has already accumulated countless millions of dollars to support his campaign, why doesn't he use those funds for campaign travels?

     My colleagues and I are taking action!

     We're passing this information to everyone we know, and we plan to file complaints with the news media and every proper member of Congress!

     Regardless of your political affiliation or personal opinions, this man has no right to have ALL American taxpayers pay for his campaign expenses!
     This is factual.  Read it yourself (below): 

http://www.dcmilitary.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111209/NEWS09/712099912/89th-activates-2-eas-squadrons&template=PrinterFriendly  

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Published: Friday, December 9, 2011
89th activates 2 EAS squadrons 

By 89th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

     The 89th Airlift Wing activated the 305th and 306th Expeditionary Airlift Squadrons here Dec. 1. 
     The squadrons will play an integral role supporting presidential airlift in the coming months, through a mission known as "Banner Express." 
     "The Banner Express mission provides dedicated assets to our highest priority airlift - presidential support, 'said Col Allan Hess, 89th Operations Group commander. "Air Mobility Command accomplishes this during election years by standing up two squadrons, C-17s based here, and C-130s based in Wilmington, Del."
     Aircraft and personnel are pre-positioned to support an expected surge in airlift so the Air Force is postured to more efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the commander in chief while remaining good stewards of taxpayer funds. During the 2004 election season, Banner Express operations saved more than $18 million, largely from fuel savings.
     The 305th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, commanded by Lt. Col. Alonzo Bristol of the 142nd Airlift Squadron, will operate out of New Castle Air National Guard Base, Del., and will have approximately eight aircrews, 60 maintenance personnel, and about a dozen operations personnel supporting five C-130s. 
     The 306th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, commanded by Lt. Col. Ben Vorhees of the 315th Operations Group, Joint Base Charleston, SC., will operate from here, and will have seven aircrews, more than 60 maintenance personnel, and also nearly a dozen operations personnel supporting four C-17s. 
     "This will be an integral total force component of our Sam Fox team here at the 89th Airlift Wing," Hess said. Both commanders represent the Air Reserve Component and the squadrons' members include active duty, reserve and Air National Guard Airmen. Both the 305th and 306th Expeditionary Airlift Squadrons were originally constituted as the 305th and 306th Troop Carrier Squadrons in 1943, and were deactivated in 1951 and 1972, respectively. The squadrons played a significant part in Air Mobility Command history conducting "D-Day" airborne operations during Operation Neptune.
     The squadrons also participated in Operation Market Garden in September of 1944, and Operation Varsity in March of 1945, which led to the successful breach of the Rhine River into the heartland of Nazi Germany and ultimately the end of World War II only two months later. The squadrons were re-activated in 2003 under a provisional status for Air Mobility Command's Banner Express Mission. They are expected to commence operations in April 2012 and will deactivate in late November.

© 2012 Comprint Military Publications - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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o'welfare - The system is broken!

From: norwich Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 Subject: The system is broken!
I just found this,,, what do you all think about it? Take your blood pressure medicine, then click on this Youtube link:
video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wElqMl5TJM 

OUR SYSTEM IS DEFINITELY BROKEN! - http://www.AmericansForProsperity.org

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Nov 2 '10/'12 - Party of 'O' accomplishments! List'em, Read'em!

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S RECORD FROM THE OUTRAGEOUS TO THE ABSURD:

$26.2 Trillion:   Projected Federal Debt In 2020 Due To Obama's Binge Spending. (OMB, 7/23/10)

$13.6 Trillion:   Current National Debt. (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 10/19/10)

$8.5 Trillion:     Cumulative Deficits Caused By President Obama's Proposed Budget, FY2011-2020. (OMB, 7/23/10)

$3.9 Trillion:     Total Cost Of The Democrats' Tax Hike To Taxpayers. (Joint Committee On Taxation, 8/6/10)

$3.0 Trillion:     Amount Added To The National Debt Since Obama Took Office. (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 10/19/10)

$2.5 Trillion:     True Cost Of ObamaCare Once Fully Implemented. (Sen. Max Baucus, Floor Remarks, 12/2/09)

$1.42 Trillion:   Federal Budget Deficit For FY2009 – Highest In U.S. History. (Congressional Budget Office, 10/7/10)

$1.29 Trillion:   Federal Budget Deficit For FY2010 – Second Highest In U.S. History. (Congressional Budget Office, 10/7/10)

$868.4 Billion:  American Debt Held By China. (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 10/19/10)

$831 Billion:     Net Interest Payment On Our National Debt In 2020 Due To Obama's Budget. (OMB, 7/23/10)

$814 Billion:     Price Tag Of Obama's Failed Stimulus. (Bloomberg, 8/20/10)

$575 Billion:     Amount Of Medicare Cuts In ObamaCare. (CMS Chief Actuary Richard S. Foster, Memo, 4/22/10)

$569.2 Billion:  Amount Of Taxes In ObamaCare. (Letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 3/18/10)

$10 Billion:      The Cost Of The Teacher Union Bailout. (The Washington Post, 10/8/10)

$54 Million:      Amount Of Stimulus Funds Spent On A Napa Valley Wine Train. (ABC News' "Good Morning America," 2/2/10)

41.8 Million:     Number Of Americans Receiving Food Stamps. (Bloomberg, 10/5/10)

40 Million:        Number Of Businesses That Will Be Burdened By The Onerous IRS 1099 Requirement. (The Washington Post, 8/29/10)

$18 Million:      Cost Of The Stimulus Website Recovery.org. (ABC News' "The Note" Blog, 7/8/09)

14.8 Million:     Unemployed Americans. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)

9.5 Million:       Americans Working Part-Time For Economic Reasons. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)

6.1 Million:       Americans Unemployed For Longer Than 27 Weeks. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)

5.4 Million:       Number Of Properties Receiving Foreclosure Filings Since Obama Took Office. (RealtyTrac, Accessed 10/19/10)

3.8 Million:       Increase In the Number Of People Who Were In Poverty In 2009 Over 2008. (NPR, 9/16/10)

2.6 Million:       Jobs Lost Since Stimulus Was Passed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)

2.3 Million:       Private Sector Jobs Lost Since Stimulus Was Passed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)

1.2 Million:       Americans That Have Given Up Looking For Work. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)

964,900:            Number Of Jobs That Could Be Lost Per Year Under Cap And Trade. (Tax Foundation, 3/09)

89,000:             The Number Of Stimulus Checks Sent to Dead Or Incarcerated People. (The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire" Blog, 10/7/10)

$43,000:            Your Share Of The National Debt. ("The Daily History Of The Debt Results," TreasuryDirect, Accessed 10/19/10; U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov, Accessed 10/19/10)

23,000:             The Number Of Jobs Obama Knew His Drilling Moratorium Could Kill. (The Wall Street Journal, 8/21/10)

22,000:             Number Of Seniors In MA, NH And ME That Will Lose Their Medicare Advantage Plans As A Result Of ObamaCare. (The Boston Globe, 9/28/10)

$1,761:             Cost To American Families Per Year As A Result Of Cap And Trade. (CBS News' "Taking Liberties" Blog, 9/16/09)

$1,540:             The Amount Of The Tax Hike The Average Middle Class Family Will See As A Result Of The Dems' Tax Hike. (Tax Foundation, 8/1/10)

1099:                The IRS Form Every Business Will Have To File After Doing $600 Worth Of Business With A Vendor. (CNNMoney.com, 5/5/10)

100:                  Percent Of GDP That Our National Debt Will Rise To In 2012. (Office Of Management And Budget, 7/23/10)

83:                    Number Of Fundraisers Obama Has Attended As Of 10/12/10. (CBS News' Mark Knoller's Twitter Feed, Accessed 10/19/10; CBS News, 8/16/10)

80:                    Percent Of Small Businesses That Could Be Forced To Change Health Care Plans As A Result Of ObamaCare. (The Washington Post, 6/15/10)

79:                    Percent Of Stimulus Funds For Wind, Solar And Geothermal Energy Projects That Went To Foreign Firms. (Investigating Reporting Workshop/ABC's World News Tonight/Watchdog Institute, 2/8/10)

68:                    Percent Of Americans Who Think The Stimulus Was A Waste. (The Hill's "Briefing Room" Blog, 10/5/10)

60:                    The Percent Of Young Voters Who Are "More Cynical About Politics" Now Than When Obama Was Elected. (The Huffington Post, 9/15/10)

58:                    Percent Of Ohioans Who Say Obama's Frequent Visits To The State Make No Difference In How They'll Vote. (The Hill, 10/19/10)

53:                    Rounds Of Golf Played By President Obama Since Taking Office. (CBS News' Mark Knoller's Twitter Feed, Accessed 10/19/10; CBS News' Mark Knoller's Twitter Feed, Accessed 10/19/10 )

49:                    Visits To The White House By Andy Stern, Former President Of SEIU. (WhiteHouse.gov, Accessed 10/19/10)

37:                    Number Of Town Halls Obama Has Done Since Taking Office. (CBS News' Mark Knoller's Twitter Feed, Accessed 10/19/10)

33.3:                 Average Number Of Weeks It Takes An Unemployed Worker To Find A Job. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)

30:                    Number Of Waivers Granted To Businesses So That The White House Could Avoid Admitting ObamaCare Was Making People Lose Their Health Care Plans. (USA Today, 10/7/10)

27:                    Percent Increase In Premiums By Some Insurers In Colorado As A Result Of ObamaCare. (The Denver Post, 9/20/10)

25:                    DVDs Given To The UK's Prime Minister Gordon Brown On His First Visit. (The Daily Mail (UK), 3/9/10)

20:                    Straight Months That Food Stamp Participation Has Hit A Record. (Bloomberg, 10/5/10)

17.1:                 Percent Of Americans Either Unemployed Or Working Part-Time For Economic Reasons. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)

14:                    Straight Months With Unemployment Above 9.5%. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)

9:                     Number Of Vacations Taken By President Obama. (CBS News, 8/19/10)

4:                     Out Of 10 Likely Voters Who Once Backed Obama But Are Less Supportive Or No Longer Support Obama.  (Bloomberg, 10/12/10)

2:                     Place In The Line Of Succession That Joe Biden Believes He Is In (Hint: He's #1). (CBS News' Mark Knoller's Twitter Feed, Accessed 10/19/10)

2:                     Visits To The White House By Actor George Clooney. (E! Online, 10/12/10)

1:                     Number Of White House Investigations. (CBS News, 10/6/10)

1:                     Teacher Union Bailout To Motivate Teacher Unions For Midterm Elections. (The Washington Post, 10/8/10)

0:                     Other People Obama Will Have Left To Blame For His Failures In 2012. (The American People, 11/6/12)
Read more: http://www.gop.com/index.php/briefing/comments/obama_by_the_numbers#ixzz13X7APFyP

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o'bamanomics - Why Did Bernie Madoff Go To Prison?

From: baja  Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2010
      You asked HOW. Here is the ANSWER!!!

     Why did Bernie Madoff go to prison? To make it simple, he talked people into investing with him. Trouble was, he didn't invest their money. As time rolled on he simply took the money from the new investors to pay off the old investors. Finally there were too many old investors and not enough money from new investors coming in to keep the payments going. Next thing you know Madoff is one of the most hated men in America and he is off to jail.

      Some of you know this .. but not enough of you . Madoff did to his investors what the government has been doing to us for over 60 years with Social Security. There is no meaningful difference between the two schemes .... except that one was operated by a private individual who is now in jail, and the other is operated by politicians who enjoy perks, privileges and status in spite of their actions..
      Do you need a side-by-side comparison?  Well here's a nifty little chart.
      He did not bother with election part.  He just did his own thing!!!!!!!!

BERNIE MADOFF	SOCIAL SECURITY
Takes money from investors with the promise that the money will be invested and made available to them later	Takes money from wage earners with the promise that the money will be invested in a "Trust Fund" and made available later.
Instead of investing the money Madoff spends it on nice homes in the Hamptons and yachts..	Instead of depositing money in a Trust Fund the politicians use it for general spending and vote buying.
When the time comes to pay the investors back Madoff simply uses some of the new funds from newer investors to pay back the older investors.	When benefits for older investors become due the politicians pay them with money taken from younger and newer wage earners to pay the older ones.
When Madoff's scheme is discovered all hell breaks loose New investors won't give him any more cash.	When Social Security runs out of money they simply force the taxpayers to send them some more.
Bernie Madoff is in jail.	Politicians remain in Washington.

This coming November, It's  time to  flush this toilet and attempt to get our country back.

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2nd Amendment - o'big brother &http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=17942524 1984: " Papers Please ...again?" REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER

From: Dudley Brown Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 

Call me cynical, but whenever I hear anti-gun politicians talk about these issues nowadays, I've come to expect a new thinly-veiled assault on our Second Amendment freedoms.

Either they want to ban our guns, track our guns . . . . . . Or track us.

Well, after years of watching our illegal immigration problem grow steadily worse -- and watching our elected officials refuse to lift a finger in response -- the politicians' "fix" is finally in.  It's a new Federal Biometric ID card.

That's right. Instead of controlling our borders, the politicians want to control you and me. They want to give amnesty to illegal immigrants and make us prove we're not criminals!

And President Barack Obama, Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are all working hand in glove to ram this new scheme into law as part of their new "comprehensive immigration reform" package.  [aka "pandering for votes"]


If passed, the Federal Biometric ID card included in the new amnesty bill will:

• Include a "unique biometric identifier" -- like fingerprints, retinal scans or even a scan of the veins on the back of your hand; and,
• Allow bureaucrats to watch your every move, as the Federal Biometric ID card will almost certainly be produced with RFID tracking technology; and,
• Include virtually unlimited amounts of personal information about you -- like what guns you own, for instance.

And this new Federal Biometric ID would be required for any person wishing to hold a job legally in the United States.   So I guess the welfare recipients don't have to get one.   I don't know about you, but I'm outraged.   It seems that whenever politicians are using terrorism, crime, illegal immigration or something else as their excuse, it's really you and me in their crosshairs.   Just remember those Department of Homeland Security memos listing pro-gun, pro-constitution activists as "domestic extremists."   How would you like to be told you can't board a plane because your new Federal Biometric ID Card told a TSA agent you supported some political candidate the new anti-gun regime thinks is too "pro-constitution?"


Even if you place complete 100% trust in the intentions of all federal government bureaucrats, what if there's some "accident?"   After all, you and I have heard the news stories of government officials "losing" laptops chockfull of hundreds of thousands of records including folks' names, social security numbers, addresses and birthdates.   And, of course, you and I cannot ignore the fact that since ID cards are required to purchase a firearm, the Federal Biometric ID scheme will likely create a de facto national gun registry. 

Unfortunately, this fight will not be easy -- just take a look at the makeup of Congress.   Anti-gun, anti-freedom Speaker Nancy Pelosi has an enormous House majority.   Throwing party labels aside in the Senate and counting EVERY anti-gun Senator leaves you and me with a steep hill to climb.   And, of course, we can't forget about President Obama.   He's already come out publicly in favor of Senator Lindsey Graham's and Chuck Schumer's "bipartisan" bill -- so you and I must expect he'll do whatever it takes to enact the Federal Biometric ID scheme.   There's no doubt about it -- our backs are against the wall.   But there is good news.


Coming on the heels of the Healthcare fight -- and all the lies, smoky backroom deals and outright bribery employed to ram the bill into law -- there's not a real cozy feeling of "bipartisanship" right now in the U.S. Senate.   That's a HUGE plus.   It could be that with the exception of Senator Graham and perhaps a couple of others, you and I may not have as much difficulty in keeping even marginally pro-gun Republican U.S. Senators in our fold as we would normally.   Also, many key Democrat Senators come from states that have recently REFUSED to comply with the original DANGEROUS ID Bill.   As we move deeper into this election year, many of these Democrats are going to grow even more nervous about voting AGAINST their state legislatures to pass the similar new Federal Biometric ID Scheme.   That means we can win this fight, but it won't be easy.

The anti-gun politicians believe their best shot at passing the Federal Biometric ID scheme is to move FAST. That's why your IMMEDIATE help is so vital.  

You see, I've already prepared a massive targeted mail, phone and e-mail program that I'm ready to launch as soon as I can pay the up-front costs.   And then if I can raise the resources, I'd like to run hard-hitting radio, TV and newspaper ads, as well.   The goal is to start a grassroots fire against a new Federal Biometric ID scheme in the states represented by key Republican and Democrat Senators.   We'll point out that there's an overwhelming majority of citizens in their states who are opposed to a Federal Biometric ID card.   We'll also mention these voters are ALL watching these Senators' votes very carefully this election year.   Believe me, these Senators WILL get the message.   But I can't do any of this without your help.

I know I'm asking a lot from you.  But this could be it.    This could be the major, knock-down, drag-out fight we've been waiting for ever since President Obama was elected.   Until now, we've beaten the gun-control crowd to the punch -- publicizing and mobilizing a firestorm of grassroots opposition to the gun-grabbers radical schemes before they could even get them off the ground.   But unless you act now, we won't be so lucky this time.
Sincerely, Dudley Brown Executive Director

P.S. The key provision in Senators Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) and Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) amnesty bill backed by President Obama is a new mandated Federal Biometric ID card that would be required for any person to hold a job in the United States legally. This card would include untold amounts of personal information (like gun ownership) and biometric tracking technology that would allow government bureaucrats to track our every move.



To help the National Association for Gun Rights grow, please forward this to a friend. To view this email as a web page, please click this link: view online. Help fight gun control. Donate to the National Association for Gun Rights.  That's why I hope, if at all possible, you will agree to a contribution of $25. Of course, if that's simply too much, and you can't afford such a contribution at this time, I understand. But will you agree to chip in at least $5 or $10? I know you understand what's at stake. So please rush me your most generous contribution of $25, $10 or at least $5 TODAY!

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o'who? - social security numbers? (audio, 9m50s)

keywords: The Mask, Barry Dunham Barack Hussein Sotoero Obama Jr., medical records, birth certificate, Jerome Corsi, World Net Daily, undocumented worker, amnesty (for himself?), illegal alien, man without a country

related: http://obamareleaseyourrecords.blogspot.com/2010/05/could-this-be-obamas-waterloo.html
Neil Sankey - Barack Hussein Obama Addresses & SS Numbers -

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o'who? - Who is he? ...Dr. Orly Taitz and Major Cook (Youtube video, 9m33s)

video source, 20Jul09: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdBVN7azPs8

Quote: "Dr. Taitz brings forward allegations that Barrack Obama is unlawfully holding the position as President of the United States. She currently is representing approx. 170 military members including commissioned officers in a lawsuit to force Barrack Obama to produce his birth cirtificate, proving that he is eligible to hold the position of President. Please visit http://www.freedomfighterradio.net for this and other stories concerning our struggle for freedom."
related: http://forums.hannity.com/showthread.php?t=1559761
Identity Theft? related video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHYwIM2gpJE (1m45s)

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The U. S. Constitution and the President
source, excerpts: http://home.comcast.net/~sharonday7/Presidents/AP0601.htm

1. What are the qualifications to be president? How old must you be? [eligibility, requirements, minimum age]

Reply: It is found in the Constitution of the United States, Article II, Section 1, Clause 5:

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

2. What does it mean in the Constitution when it says "natural born Citizen?"

From Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition: "Natural born citizen. Persons who are born within the jurisdiction of a national government, i.e. in its territorial limits, or those born of citizens temporarily residing abroad."

Constitution Society: Founding Documents	Online Books	History Links	Quotations: American Values
TimeLine of: the Magna Carta	Declaration of Arbroath	History of: The US Bill of Rights	Constitution + more Amendments

2010 Census Warnings [fraud, identity theft, privacy, safety]

From: rapa Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 Subject: some good info - 2010 Census Warnings

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Some very good information below.  Short quick read.

This information is being distributed by the Dallas / Ft. Worth IBMer Organization to warn it's thousands of members of fraud associated with the 2010 Census (some pre-census activity is already underway.)   However, this warning is for ALL citizens so you may want to pass it on to everyone you know.

2010 Census Cautions by Susan Johnson - August 3, 2009 12:07 pm

Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers
With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft.   The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country.   Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.   The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

** If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice.   Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions.   However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.

** Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information.   Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.   While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, it will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers nor will employees solicit donations.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home.   However, they will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.

Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.org.

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  A great civilization is not conquered from without, until it has destroyed itself from within. - W. Durant

Tolerance is the last virtue of a dying society. - Aristotle

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Good Chance Your Credit Card Data Was Stolen: Feds Bust Biggest Identity Theft Ring

By DEVLIN BARRETT, AP  posted on http://www.walletpop.com

WASHINGTON (Aug. 17) — Federal prosecutors on Monday charged a Miami man with the largest case of credit and debit card data theft ever in the United States, accusing the one-time government informant of swiping 130 million accounts on top of 40 million he stole previously.

On Aug. 17, federal investigators announced what is said to be the largest identity theft ring in U.S. history.   Thieves targeted more than 130 million credit and debit card numbers used at 7-Eleven stores, supermarket chain Hannaford Brothers and those processed by Heartland Payment Systems.   Heartland coincidentally, suffered another major breach just last year.

Gonzalez is a former informant for the U.S. Secret Service who helped the agency hunt hackers, authorities say. The agency later found out that he had also been working with criminals and feeding them information on ongoing investigations, even warning off at least one individual, according to authorities.

Gonzalez, who is already in jail awaiting trial in a hacking case, was indicted Monday in New Jersey and charged with conspiring with two other unnamed suspects to steal the private information. Prosecutors say the goal was to sell the stolen data to others.

Albert Gonzalez, 28, broke his own record for identity theft by hacking into retail networks, according to prosecutors, though they say his illicit computer exploits ended when he went to jail on charges stemming from an earlier case.

Gonzalez is a former informant for the U.S. Secret Service who helped the agency hunt hackers, authorities say. The agency later found out that he had also been working with criminals and feeding them information on ongoing investigations, even warning off at least one individual, according to authorities.

Gonzalez, who is already in jail awaiting trial in a hacking case, was indicted Monday in New Jersey and charged with conspiring with two other unnamed suspects to steal the private information.  Prosecutors say the goal was to sell the stolen data to others.  How much of the data was sold and then used to make fraudulent charges is unclear.

Investigators in such cases say it is usually impossible to quantify the impact of such thefts on account holders.

Prosecutors say Gonzalez, who is known online as "soupnazi," targeted customers of convenience store giant 7-Eleven Inc. and supermarket chain Hannaford Brothers, Co. Inc.   He also targeted Heartland Payment Systems, a New Jersey-based card payment processor.

According to the indictment, Gonazalez and his two Russian co-conspirators would hack into corporate computer networks and secretly place "malware," or malicious software, that would allow them backdoor access to the networks later to steal data.

Gonzalez faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the new charges.   His lawyer did not immediately return a call for comment.

Gonzalez is awaiting trial next month in New York for allegedly helping hack the computer network of the national restaurant chain Dave and Buster's.

The Justice Department said the new case represents the largest alleged credit and debit card data breach ever charged in the United States, based on a scheme that began in October 2006.

Gonzalez allegedly devised a sophisticated attack to penetrate the computer networks, steal the card data, and send that data to computer servers in California, Illinois, Latvia, the Netherlands and Ukraine.

Also last year, the Justice Department announced additional charges against Gonzalez and others for hacking retail companies' computers for the theft of approximately 40 million credit cards.  At the time, that was believed to be the biggest single case of hacking private computer networks to steal credit card data, puncturing the electronic defenses of retailers including T.J. Maxx, Barnes & Noble, Sports Authority and OfficeMax.

Prosecutors charge Gonzalez was the ringleader of the hackers in that case.

At the time of those charges, officials said the alleged thieves weren't computer geniuses, just opportunists who used a technique called "wardriving," which involved cruising through different areas with a laptop computer and looking for accessible wireless Internet signals.   Once they located a vulnerable network, they installed so-called "sniffer programs" that captured credit and debit card numbers as they moved through a retailer's processing networks.

Gonzalez faces a possible life sentence if convicted in that case.

Restaurants are among the most common targets for hackers, experts said, because they often fail to update their antivirus software and other computer security systems.

Scott Christie, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice in New Jersey, said the case shows that despite the best efforts by companies to protect data privacy, there are still individuals capable of sneaking in.

"Cases like this do cause companies to sit up and take notice that this is a problem and more needs to be done," said Christie.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. 2009-08-17

Good Chance Your Credit Card Data Was Stolen

Federal prosecutors on Monday charged a Miami man with the largest case of credit and debit card data theft ever in the United States, accusing the one-time government informant of swiping 130 million accounts on top of 40 million he stole previously.   So, do the math. There are 307 million people in the U.S. at the moment. 170 million credit cards were stolen. This is from big chains like TJ-Maxx, 7-Eleven and others.   Here is the article that has been all over the news today: http://www.sunbeltchannelnews.com/NSE0N9/090819-Identity-Theft-Ring

What do I need to know as a consumer?

Q: how can I tell my information has been compromised?

A: Almost every state has a law, making companies that suffer a data breach notify you if your personal data may have been breached.   In the mean time, you should monitor you bank and credit-card accounts and report any unusual activity to that financial institution.

Q: How do I protect myself?

A: To begin with, get copies of your credit report to make sure the data is accurate. Under federal law, you are entitled to one free copy of you reports each year from each of the three credit reporting bureaus.   You can also ask them that a fraud alert be put on your file.   Next you ask for a credit freeze on your account to help prevent further fraud and identity theft.

Second, It would be very wise to spend five to 10 minutes a day looking online at bank and credit-card accounts to make sure that every transaction you see is legit.   You can call your bank and ask for a new credit card.   This is done a lot when people lose their wallet.   Having a new card will get you a new number for that same account and does not count against you.

Third, you do not want to have your (new) credit card number leave your PC without permission.   

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Q: What is my liability if someone steals my card data?

A: With your credit card, you are generally liable for no more than $50 in unauthorized usage under federal law; many cards have "zero liability" protections for unauthorized activity.   Meaning it will not cost you a dime, except for a lot of time and hassle.

With a debit card though, they can empty your account in minutes!   Your liability can vary for each institution; this depends on how soon you report any loss and whether you used your signature.   A growing number of banks and companies including Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. offer zero-liability programs, although this protection generally covers your signature-based purchases.  
In other words, hackers with a stolen debit card number really can empty your bank account.

Discuss this week's SunbeltSecurityNews Editor's Dossier here:
http://www.sunbeltchannelnews.com/NSE0N9/090819-Forum-Discussion

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