Online fraudsters 'steal 3.3bn' Aug 18, 2009
Security firm Symantec calculated the figure to quantify the scale of fraud it found during a year-long look at the net's underground economy ... Symantec said it was likely that many of the cards offered for sale were invalid or cancelled and bank accounts closed but it added: "These figures are indicative of the value of the underground economy and the potential worth of the market." ... "High frequency use and the range of available methods for capturing credit card data would generate more... (BBC News -- Business)
Charges in Major Hacking Case... Aug 18, 2009
"For too long a time they have not paid enough respect to the sophistication and organization of the underground economy.". Robert Tomsho, Joseph Pereira and Timothy W. Martin contributed to this article. (The Drudge Report)
Hackers make most of bleak job scene Aug 16, 2009
The hackers usually sell the important data collected from resumes, like mobile numbers, addresses, email IDs and other personal details, in the underground economy. Also Read. (India Times)
Comity and tragedy! Aug 11, 2009
InconvenientTruth wrote on Aug 9, 2009 11:39 PM:" And how much tax income would legalized marijuana add to the federal coffers, Bob? I don't see any actual facts, figures, or hard data in your article. I do favor legalizing marijuana, BTW, but not "hard" drugs. However, if you were to tax legal weed at a high enough rate to reach the CBO's estimates of what government-funded health-care would cost (soaking the rich won't cut it), you would create a massive underground economy supplying illicit... (Winona Daily News, MN)
Click to read:Jobless Rate Falls to 9.4% as Layoffs Slow Aug 8, 2009
- What the hell is the underground economy ... "What the hell is the underground economy." You sure you want to know. (CBS News)
'Snakehead': Keefe's eye-opener on Chinatown smuggling, stolen lives Aug 6, 2009
Though Keefe intertwines stories and subplots into a compelling and informative book, it reads long. Because the subject is largely unknown and foreign to most readers, he interrupts its mystery-thriller story line with requisite but sedating "backgrounders," often over-detailed, on topics such as the history of Chinese immigration in America and Chinatown's underground economy. But overall, Keefe maintains a commendable fairness and objectivity reporting a fascinating story. (USA Today -- Life)
Break-Ins, Bombers, and the Fat Police Jul 25, 2009
Keefe, whose new book delves into the underworld of immigrant smuggling in New York's Chinatown, discusses the subculture with Venkatesh, a Columbia University sociologist who has studied the underground economy of Chicago gangs. 3) ": Reason No. 1: He was not worthy," by Jack Shafer. (Slate)
The Snakehead Jul 22, 2009
I'm a huge admirer of both (which I for Slate) and , and your work on the underground economy, gang culture, and the urban poor was a touchstone for me during the years I spent researching. So this should be fun. (Slate)
Dark Reading Launches a New Database Security Tech Center Jul 16, 2009
The study also found that, in spite of strict guidelines such as the , payment card data represents 98 percent of all compromised records, due in part to the existence of a sophisticated underground economy with a well-established infrastructure for monetizing this information. "While much of Dark Reading's coverage has previously focused on building perimeter defenses against network attacks and vulnerabilities, the focuses specifically , issues and defenses - because enterprise database... (PR Newswire)
Click to read:Pot No Longer Focus of Anti-Drug Campaigns Jul 16, 2009
Pot is part of the underground economy in too many states already -- people are growing it in National Forests for goodness sake. Legalize it, period. (CBS News)
State asks employers to pay for agencies Jul 14, 2009
Without the protections provided by Cal-OSHA and the office of the labor commissioner, the underground economy would erode fair competition and leave employers worse off, said Dean Fryer, spokesman for the state Department of Industrial Relations, which oversees the two divisions. Companies that don t buy workers comp coverage for their employees or pay minimum wage could charge less for their products and services, undercutting legitimate businesses. (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)
Multiagency raids bear down hard on Barrow's drug trade Jul 1, 2009
It disrupts the whole local underground economy and keeps more drugs off of the street, Guthas said. "It's much more disruptive to the drug trade if you can arrest a large number of dealers at one time," he said. (Athens Banner-Herald)
* Tax committee frowns on credits Jun 18, 2009
Huang said it would take a long time for the working poor to redeem earned income tax credits and that the underground economy and a lack of comprehensive taxation data would complicate the matter. The most urgent task was to bring down unemployment, which is expected to escalate in the summer, he said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
Workplace fraud task force collects $1.4m in 1st year Jun 18, 2009
The report, filed by the Joint Task Force on the Underground Economy and Employee Misclassification, is the result of hundreds of investigations, workers testimony, and several town hall meetings, including on to be held tomorrow in Boston. Governor Deval Patrick named the task force last year to compel state agencies to jointly crack down on workplace fraud and employee misclassification that allowed employers to skirt wage and labor laws. (Boston Globe)
Was T-Mobile's Security Compromised? Jun 17, 2009
Instead, they sell data on the underground economy. If there was a breach, it's possible that the thieves won't get away with it. (eSecurityPlanet)
Nigerian Mafia Attacks Ghanas Economy Jun 16, 2009
Money laundering considered a mafia crime is a main operation of the underground economy, and is a bane of all economies. Information available to this paper shows that the practice is widespread in Ghana presently than meet the eye. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
The Mirage of the African Union Jun 2, 2009
These solutions lay not in imposing additional taxes on the 30% visible businesses and small formal sector workers, but ensuring that the close to 70 % of Africas underground economy is unearthed and nurtured with low business entry rules, and perhaps taxed a low flat tax regime. Increased corporate taxes on perceived ostentatious products ought to be reflective of the wider implications for governments own revenue and employment figures. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
13 indicted in counterfeit DVDs case May 22, 2009
CD and DVD counterfeiters and their suppliers foster and live off an underground economy at the expense of this country s creative artists and citizens, U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said in a statement. Recent headlines. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
Ode to California May 19, 2009
Nor does it include lost tax receipts from the underground economy ... Nor does it include lost tax receipts from the underground economy. (Townhall.com)
Xanax Nation Beats a Panicked Nation Any Day May 15, 2009
Its a little more cumbersome than a deferred compensation plan, but at least the underground economy gets a lift. Alternative (Energy) Bubble. (Bloomberg -- Columnists)
Southern hostility May 15, 2009
This report documents the human toll of failed policies that relegate millions of people to an underground economy, where they are beyond the protection of the law, said Mary Bauer, who wrote the report and directs the Immigrant Justice Project at the Montgomery, Ala. law center. (Paragould Daily Press, AR)
Sports betting bill passes Del. legislature May 14, 2009
"I think it's going to be an unbelievable cash cow,'' said Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Dover. "We're the only ones on the East Coast, and there's a huge underground economy that no one's been able to measure. . (MSNBC -- Sports)
USCs lone year with Mayo could be costly May 14, 2009
Even if we want them to be amateurs and we want them to follow the rules, the underground economy is going to kick in. " ALSO ON THIS STORYIt is not easy for any program recruiting from the top of the recruiting lists to find prospects that are entirely unspoiled, but particular players are considered by coaches to be almost radioactive. It's not hard for the public to discern which players fit that description. When multiple schools withdraw from recruiting a McDonald's All-American or an elite... (MSNBC -- Sports)
Serb Violence in Northern Kosovo Ov... May 13, 2009
Soaring unemployment has given rise to rampant corruption and a thriving underground economy based on illegal trade. While Pristina controls the Albanian areas, Belgrade, which does not recognize Kosovo s declarations of independence, effectively is in control of the Serb areas as in northern Mitrovica. (Suite101.com)
Delaware state Senate passes sports betting bill May 13, 2009
"We're the only ones on the East Coast, and there's a huge underground economy that no one's been able to measure.". But Bonini, who favors cutting spending instead of raising revenue, voted against the bill because he believes the money generated would lead to a more bloated state government. (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- More)
* High time to debate marijuana law: Schwarzenegger May 9, 2009
The redwood forests of northern California are famous for their marijuana cultivation, creating an underground economy that has continued to thrive despite the US decades-long war on drugs. The Golden State has been a leading rebel against the federal governments strict interdiction policies, becoming the first of 14 US states to allow marijuana for medical use as far back as 1996. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
More cases of data loss May 8, 2009
If they fail to do so, then in an underground economy, where data is money, they and other key stakeholders may find they are in real danger of falling behind in the race to stay in control. Paul Bahnisch is KPMG IT Advisory Partner. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Business)
3.5M Kids Under 5 On Verge Of Going Hungry May 8, 2009
No one has mentioned the underground economy which is a big "x" factor in what is available to US poor people and it is not easily quantifiable. The underground economy in poor communities supports drug abuse, cigarette smoking, soda pop, etc ... Those engaged in the underground economy represent a culture which relies upon declarations of entitlement and victimization, mired in fatherless families 00004000 , saddled with poor self-esteem, and desperately searching for someone to love them, even... (CBS News)
Future of filesharing May 8, 2009
However, further down the rabbit hole, this filesharing model has also helped cultivate a new underground economy one that attracts the partaking of the underground warez scene that thrives on the ever-increasing filesharing urges and needs among unsuspecting Internet users. As of now, seemingly, nobody can do anything about it. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Technology)
Two Sacramento car washes hit in labor law sweep May 7, 2009
Our efforts are directed at illegally operating car wash businesses as part of the underground economy, California Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet said in a news release. These underground operations do not provide the protection workers are legally afforded, have a negative impact on our state s economy and an unfair advantage over competitors who do follow the law. (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)
Ron Fetch: FairTax defended again May 5, 2009
The underground economy - hookers, drug lords, etc. - may not collect taxes on their services, but under the FairTax they would be paying tax whenever they purchase something. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Better Net security ranking for Msia Apr 29, 2009
Attackers used bot-infected computers, phishing sites and spam e-mails to derive personal information such as credit card and bank accounts details and sold them in underground economy for gains, Kannan said. Web surfers can visit a comprised website and unknowingly place their personal and financial information at risk, he added. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Business)
Obama's Recipe For Change Not My Cup of Tea Apr 29, 2009
Raise taxes and the productive will work less, adopt tax shelters, barter instead of sell, turn to an underground economy -- and the government will get less money. The perfect bar bet with a liberal would be to wager that massive government deficits in the '80s were not caused by Reagan's tax cuts. (Human Events Online)
Mac Botnet Still a Danger, Symantec says Apr 28, 2009
The exploit is well-written, he said, and can be controlled both through direct call home and through P2P pathways, making it a malware platform whose use could be sold in the underground economy. "Whoever did this invested a lot of up front work in it," he said. (eSecurityPlanet)
Geek Secrets for Cheap Tech Gear Apr 28, 2009
It's a misconception that geeks have some sort of underground economy where the patrons speak in binary code or some TLA**-infested language that sounds like Klingon. In fact, just the opposite is true. (Datamation)
Hackers' discount - stolen card details for 8 cents Apr 16, 2009
While the wider economy has suffered its worst period in generations, the online underground economy has "consolidated and matured", the Global Internet Security Threat Report by the anti-virus vendor Symantec says ... "Credit card information advertised on the underground economy consists of the credit card number, address, phone number, CVV2 number [the security number on the back of the card] and PIN," the report says ... The goods and services available through the underground economy... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Technology)
Documentaries Apr 15, 2009
MSNBC Doc Block: MSNBC Films and documentary programming- msnbc. Watch as a Niagara Falls rescue force uses teamwork in an attempt to save a man from the 180-foot drop into the icy depths below. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Business Booming for On-Line Thieves Apr 15, 2009
"That tells us that there are still the same number of buyers. The underground economy has not been affected by the recession.". Related. (ABC News -- Business)
Pennies for your thoughts and credit card Apr 14, 2009
"That tells us that there are still the same number of buyers. The underground economy has not been affected by the recession.". One reason is that the prices for some records have been falling for years and can't go much lower. (MSNBC -- Crime)
Book a bed and breakfast, catch a computer virus Apr 14, 2009
"The most popular item for sale on underground economy servers in 2008 was credit card information, accounting for 32 percent of the total," the report said. "The price for each card can be as low as 6 cents when they are purchased in bulk.". (Yahoo News -- Technology)
Regulators Close Colorado Bank Apr 12, 2009
Their negative impact extends to every area from Sub-par loans & defaults, Underground economy, Massive document fraud, Lower standard of living, Crime, Overflowing prisons , Bankrupted hospitals, Failing schools, Property Taxes, Insurance costs, Environment, Culture, Welfare costs, Welfare fraud, SS fraud, Voter fraud, Disrespect for our laws & country, our Constitution against invasion and even Balance of payments occurring from oil and other imports to support the 20 to 30 million illegal... (CBS News)
The black market: Notes from the underground Apr 8, 2009
According to Mr Schneider, who uses a combination of two even more complicated statistical methods, the size of the underground economy is equivalent to less than 8% of GDP in the United States, whereas in Greece it reaches 25% and in Italy 22. In Italy, of course, the Mafia still makes out handsomely. (The Economist)
Newsweek: Why Mexico is ground zero in drug war Apr 3, 2009
This is even worse when we are in a recession and want all the money possible to be flowing into the real economy and not the underground economy. Wake up America (I'm pointing my big fat finger at you ultra conservatives who think mandatory minimum sentencing is still a good thing). (MSNBC -- International)
Strife In The Big City: Jobless Rates Up Apr 2, 2009
Their negative impact extends to every area from Sub-par loans & defaults, Underground economy, Massive document fraud, Lower standard of living, Crime, Overflowing prisons , Bankrupted hospitals, Failing schools, Property Taxes, Insurance cos 00001745 ts, Environment, Culture, Welfare costs, Welfare fraud, SS fraud, Voter fraud, Disrespect for our laws & country, our Constitution against invasion and even Balance of payments occurring from oil and other imports to support the 20 to 30 million... (CBS News)
Obama's Loophole Quest Skips Gaping Tax Break: John M. Berry Apr 1, 2009
That figure, as large as it is, doesnt include income of the deeply underground economy, including most criminal enterprises. Thats certainly hundreds of billions more, and no tinkering with the tax code is going to bring it into the light of day. (Bloomberg -- Columnists)
A dry town...in theory, anyway Apr 1, 2009
"It was held out as a social solution to families being torn apart from alcoholism, but it spurred lawlessness and an illegal, underground economy.". "We take Albany as a case study and its response to Prohibition and what happened here mirrored what happened in other cities," Bailey said. (Albany Times Union)
Bosnia's jobless rate at 43 percent and rising Mar 29, 2009
They do pump a lot of cash back into the underground economy: Officials say remittances total 23 percent of GDP, and added up to roughly $2. 4 billion in 2007. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
U.S. cities deal with a surge in shanty towns Mar 26, 2009
"That's all part of that underground economy," Mr. Barfield said. "It's what happens when a person is trying to survive.". (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
White House Steps Up Drug Cartel Fight Mar 25, 2009
Their negative impact extends to every area from Sub-par loans & defaults, Underground economy, Lower standard of living, Crime, Overflowing prisons , Bankrupted hospitals, Failing schools, Property Taxes, Insurance costs, Environment, Culture, Welfare costs, Welfare fraud, SS fraud, Voter fraud, Disrespect for laws, our Constitution against invasion and even Balance of payments occurring from oil and other imports to support the 20 to 30 million illegal aliens in this country. One has to only... (CBS News)
Recession batters immigrant workers across all economic levels Mar 24, 2009
"[Immigrants are] faring the same, and probably, in many cases, worse than the rest of us, especially if they're working in the underground economy," said George Noel, director of the Massachusetts Department of Labor, who is conducting an inquiry into the state's low-wage workforce. Affecting the high end of the economic spectrum, Congress just banned companies that receive federal bailout money from replacing laid-off American workers with skilled foreign workers, called H-1B's for the name of... (Boston Globe)
Stop the drug war now, more than ever Mar 24, 2009
I want every wannabe "Scarface" currently slinging dime bags in a school cafeteria to suddenly discover that the underground economy isn't working for them anymore ... What would they do if Uncle Sam decided it was now in the country's best interests to drain the fetid swamp of the underground economy by legalizing and then slapping a sin tax on narcotics, like we do every other legal drug from alcohol to cigarettes ... Our prisons are bulging with people who turned to the underground economy to... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Project labor agreements Mar 22, 2009
As one element of the uncritical celebration of the unregulated free market, these developers and contractors have driven down wages and safety standards through the expansion of the underground economy and the exploitation of immigrant workers. In light of the global financial meltdown, there is a greater appreciation for the appropriate role of government regulation and the need to reverse the trend of economic inequality. (Boston Globe)
More of this story Mar 19, 2009
Right now, it s being distributed through an underground economy, Blais said. The proposed legislation would make possession of 1 ounce of marijuana or less a civil infraction punishable by a 100 fine. (Newport Daily News, RI)
Labor issues hit home: my home Mar 17, 2009
Owing to a lack of funds, the Department of Justice is "not currently working any underground economy cases," said communications director Tony Green. As the recession intensifies -- "I have a lot of friends who are extremely talented, college educated . . . and without jobs," Sebastian said -- so do passions on changing demographics of the work force. (OregonLive, OR -- News)
Mafia loan sharks making a killing Mar 15, 2009
Now, Fara said, the untaxed underground economy is growing even larger. "Certainly I am worried," he said. (Boston Globe)
Beijing Gets the T-Bond Blues Mar 15, 2009
The Post reports that the as companies and consumers struggle to make ends meet; the WSJ notes that analysts are of the underground economy and now believe that informal trade may help stave off urban decay and unemployment. The Post reports on an that's making travel remarkably cheap for those who can still afford it; the NYT profiles an airplane repo man, who's earning big bucks repossessing private planes. (Slate)
Economy fuels rise in crime, police say Mar 10, 2009
Consumer desperation, anger, and frustration might also be the root cause of several other trends, police say: an increase in domestic violence, a proliferation of scams, and a greater willingness to buy wares such as iPods and GPS devices from pawn shops instead of retail stores - a choice that helps drive the underground economy. Lawrence police saw the number of home burglaries jump 52 percent, to 514, in 2008. (Boston Globe)
Seeking justice, Chinese land in secret jails Mar 9, 2009
The cat-and-mouse contest has created a sizable underground economy that enriches the interceptors, the police and those who run the city's ad hoc detention centers. Human rights activists and petitioners say plainclothes security officers and hired thugs grab the aggrieved off the streets and hide them in a growing constellation of unmarked detention centers. (International Herald Tribune)
Who's running U.S. immigration? Mar 5, 2009
The idea that enforcement alone will eliminate the underground economy is a great delusion. It runs up against the impossible arithmetic of mass expulsion - no conceivable regime of raids will wrench 12 million illegal immigrants from their jobs and homes. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Check hawala funding of terror: US Mar 1, 2009
"India's emerging role in regional financial transactions, its large system of informal cross-border money flows, large underground economy, widespread use of hawala and historically disadvantageous tax administration all contribute to the country's vulnerability to money laundering activities," the report maintained. "Historically, because of its location between the heroin-producing countries of the Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent, India continues to be a drug-transit country," it said,... (Sify.com, India)
Bartering booms during economic tough times Feb 28, 2009
"This is part of the underground economy that does not contribute to the GDP (gross domestic product), but it absolutely contributes to helping people and fostering trade," he says. Giesler and Rietsch both use Craigslist. (USA Today -- Tech)
Ohio taking on misclassified workers Feb 20, 2009
The new pact, which includes the state Department of Taxation, Bureau of Workers Compensation and , targets what Cordray called in a release an underground economy in Ohio and across the nation. Employers that misclassify workers as independent contractors or pay under the table, he said, are shorting unemployment insurance pools, not paying their fair share of local and federal taxes and getting a competitive leg up on other businesses playing by the rules. (Dayton Business Journal, OH)
Independent Kosovo faces new realities Feb 18, 2009
The mafia system here is so rampant, so integrated into the structures of society partly due to the need for an underground economy under the Slobodan Milosevic regime that some journalists say no problem is larger. When the UN mission disbanded in December, they say it handed the EU mission some 2,000 files of well documented cases of graft and other illegal activity. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
'Boom year' for hi-tech criminals Feb 7, 2009
"The underground economy is flourishing," said Dan Hubbard, chief technology officer at security company Websense. "They are not just more organised," said Mr Hubbard, "they are co-operating more and showing more business savvy in how they monetise what they do.". (BBC News -- Technology)
