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+--- Thread: Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked (/thread-6396.html)
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - rich_f - 2010-09-19
Just a heads-up to anyone who didn't get the email last night, apparently someone tried to hack into the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles' mail and web servers, and there is a possibility that the JLPT applicants' personal info, including date of birth and the credit card info we used to pay for the exam might have been stolen.
Fun.
So you might want to call your credit card companies to have new cards issued.
Also, it might be a good idea to put a "Security Freeze" on your on all three credit reporting agencies. It prevents any of them from releasing your info to potential creditors without your explicit approval (which means nobody can go and get credit in your name, in theory.) I know you can do this in NC, where I live. Not so sure about other states, as laws vary from state to state.
I know it sounds paranoid, but, it's only a minor inconvenience to avoid a major one.
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - wulfgar - 2010-09-19
Thanks for the advice.
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - crayonmaster - 2010-09-19
Just got the email. Pretty bummed I have to cancel another credit card.
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - Erubey - 2010-09-20
Uhm shit well now I cant register for the test online....
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - shinra - 2010-09-22
I saw this too and gave them a call and there is really nothing you have to worry about. They don't ask for your CIV number and without there its really difficult to make unauthorized charges on your credit card. If you are really paranoid, you can call you bank and ask for a new card and if you ask them nicely, you wont accrue a service charge. This has happened to me 3 times now in the last 6 months so it is fairly common. Even the banks are attacked.
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - aslx3 - 2010-09-23
I keep getting e-mails like:
Your Email id has won 750,000.00 Pounds in the British GNLD Promo.
for claims Send Info:
Name___
Address___
and I know it's because of this because I never got any before. Anyone else? Should I be really worried? (read the above poster's post)
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - Anna B - 2010-09-23
If you're in the US, Federal law limits your liability for fraudulent use of your credit card to $50. I'll take that risk to avoid the new card hassle.
Actually, I did recently start getting some different email spam, all with the same look (multi-colored rectangle), but mine are for penis enlargement. Want to trade? I don't have a penis, but I could use 750K £. : )
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - pm215 - 2010-09-23
Anna B Wrote:If you're in the US, Federal law limits your liability for fraudulent use of your credit card to $50....what, even if you've been told your details have possibly been stolen and you chose not to tell your card company? I think that in the UK the bank might consider that to be "gross negligence" which would mean the liability limit didn't kick in. (They have to prove the negligence, so you'd probably get away with it as long as you didn't, for instance, post to a public forum about it :-))
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - Anna B - 2010-09-23
Your liability is limited to $50 if you don't report. It's zero if the charges occur after you've reported. Of course, the law is written in terms of lost/stolen card, not breach of computer security.
But really, all we know so far is that there was an attempted breach of JF's servers; we don't actually know if any data was accessed by outsiders. So what's to report? These situations come up fairly frequently, and so far I haven't heard of any massive repercussions from them, and I've had no notice from my card's issuer telling me to report to them if I'm notified of a situation like this.
That said, I do hope that no VISA execs are following the fora at koohi.com.....
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - rich_f - 2010-11-28
So I mentioned it in another thread, but it turns out that someone's been running fraudulent charges on the same debit card I used to pay for the JLPT. I just discovered the charges today, but apparently someone's been at it for a few weeks now. (Dangit.) (Scanned for viruses-- nothing. So I'm assuming some Human stole the numbers, either from JFLAC, who had a break-in, or some other retailer I used who had a light-fingered employee.)
I had canceled the debit card that I used to register for the test in September (right after the announcement), but looking at the replacement card, the bank only changed the last 4 numbers, so I wouldn't be too surprised if that's how it was compromised this time. It would just a matter of playing "guess the numbers" a few times until it went through. Try to purchase some random crap from random retailers with a bot that spews random numbers until one of them works. You could probably write that in python.
Apparently they used a video store in Illinois to make sure they could still make fraudulent charges on it. They'd charge $17.98 on it, then credit the same amount back a day or two later. They'd have to have someone on the inside to credit my account, though. They did it twice. Sloppy of them.
I froze the debit card, of course, and now I'll turn it over to law enforcement. (Wheefun. Not gonna hold my breath there.)
I checked my credit reports, and everything looks okay. I'll freeze those too, so nothing will get through them anymore. That will stop the credit card offers, anyway. Been meaning to do that.
I lost a whole day of studying so far due to this, and I'll lose more time on Monday when I go to my bank to start disputing things and setting up the process to get my money back. Needless to say, this totally sucks.
If I fail on top of this... ugh I don't even want to go there right now. -_-###
Japan Foundation, LA Database Attacked - vosmiura - 2010-11-28
The Japan Foundation informed my bank, so they blocked my card and sent a new one. Kind of annoying that JF was holding our card data on file long after charging for the test.