Identity theft and account hacking? There’s an app for that!

July 5, 2010 – 3:31 am

This weekend, a small but undisclosed number of iTunes accounts were hacked by a developer whose rogue ebooks inexplicably captured 42 of the top 50 best seller slots on the iTunes App Store this weekend. It seems that purchases through the hacked accounts helped propel the books into their high sales positions, but it’s unclear if that’s the whole story. Apple hasn’t said if the iTunes store was hacked as well. The developer, Thuat Nguyen, has since been booted for violating the App Store’s terms of service.

People that have iTunes accounts should be on the lookout for unauthorized charges. Apple claims that developers do not have access to any sensitive user data, such as credit card numbers, and one would hope that’s true. In fact it’s hard to imagine that they would. If you have noticed unauthorized purchases your iTunes account for a bunch of odd-sounding ebooks, change your iTunes password and cancel that credit card.

The web is rife with fraud and hacking. Make sure you’re using complex passwords that aren’t easily guessed. Consider protecting your identity with identity theft protection, and protect your accounts with credit report monitoring.

Identity Theft Online