Boca News employee’s identity stolen via computer
October 12th, 2008
By Dale M. King
CITY EDITOR
Eric Nudelman, information technology manager for the Boca Raton News, has never been to Norfolk, Va. Not even close.
But someone in Norfolk knows Nudelman – at least by his credit card number. That person recently used it to buy a pizza – and Nudelman found out immediately when the credit card company alerted him.
Nudelman was a victim of identity theft, an insidious crime that can be inflicted without the victim’s knowledge – and can take years to rectify.
The Boca News IT manager feels someone stole his card number from a recent online purchase he made. So he used his computer skills to track the illicit purchase to a pizza parlor in Norfolk – and managed to reach the place by phone just as the delivery person was leaving.
Disinterested Police
Then, Nudelman called the police in Norfolk and spoke to a woman in the economic crimes division. He said she seemed uninterested in following up the lead.
“She said they only had three people – and one was not there,” Nudelman said.
After trying again the following morning, Nudelman said his car was switched from the police chief to internal affairs, then mistakenly to the fire department, then back to the economic crimes division.
After that, it wasn’t worth the effort for a $9.22 pizza charge – which Nudelman got back when he called the credit card company, reported the incident and cancelled the account.
The News employee said he learned several lessons from the experience.
Secure Site
For people buying items online, he said, beware of sites that list only “http.” A site with an “https” designation means it is secure.
He had high praise for his credit card company, which sends alerts to his Blackberry whenever a charge is made on his card. He said he was home one night when the alert came through, tipping him off to the pizza buy.
“The credit card company told me the charge was made in Norfolk, Va.,” he said. Nudelman was able to locate the pizzeria – a chain with five locations in that city. He called each until he got the right one.
“I spoke to the manager, and he said the driver was just leaving.”
But what bothered Nudelman was the fact that the cash register declined three other credit card numbers before it accepted Nudelman’s. And it didn’t seem to bother the cashier.
He was also miffed by the attitude of the police department. “They told me there was nothing they could do,” he said. “I told them that I had tracked the address of the house, but they told me five people live there – and any one of them could have ordered the pizza.”
“It shouldn’t be hard to start an investigation,” Nudelman told the officer. But it did no good.
Nudelman said he had used the credit card to make two online purchases earlier that week. The thief may have picked it up that way.
After his brush with identity theft, Nudelman said he urges people to “use any and all safety features” to guard personal information. And he said any time he makes a purchase online, he will make sure the site is designated “https.”
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