Stories about: Western Union

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After more than 155 years during which it delivered millions of telegrams around the world, bringing news of births, deaths, weddings, wars and more, Western Union delivered its last telegram messages last Friday, ending a means of communication that began before the U.S. Civil War.

Antivirus researchers have uncovered a startling increase in organized virus- and worm-writing activity that they say is powering an underground economy specializing in identity theft and spam.

The Bank of America has warned its customers to be aware of a scam which attempts to get them to log in to a fake Web site which then captures their personal financial details.

More than half a dozen eBay Inc. users last week alerted the online auction company to an identity theft and a series of fraudulent auctions allegedly stemming from Ukraine. However, the victims of the scam are accusing eBay of being slow to respond because of its 30-day waiting policy for accepting fraud complaints online.

THQ scores three alliances, Visa gets smart

On the heels of the dismal security report card of numerous government agencies and the incessant attacks on high-profile Web sites, we wonder what it will take to secure the digital landscape in the new millennium. The U.S. General Accounting Office and the Inspector General released their report of 24 government agencies: Almost all received an F in security. In most of their attempts, the attack teams gained unauthorized access to data.

Recent hacks into consumer Web sites, such as Western Union Holdings Inc. and Ikea, are unlikely to shake confidence in the security of online shopping, according to experts watching the industry. Still, major credit card companies took steps to ensure security this week, with Visa USA Inc. and American Express Co. introducing new cards that promise to curb fraud.

Western Union Holdings Inc.'s Web site was out of commission for five days this week after a malicious hacker broke into the site and apparently copied the credit-card or debit-card numbers of about 15,700 Western Union customers.

In an effort to help banks and financial institutions pull smart-card technology from the slow-to-adopt quagmire of the U.S. market, Visa USA launched its "smart Visa" card platform this week.

The Web site of telegram and money-transfer company Western Union Holdings went back online Wednesday, five days after a malicious hacker broke into the site and apparently copied the credit-card or debit-card numbers of about 15,700 Western Union customers.