Thursday, February 28, 2013
   
Complete DHS Daily Report for February 28, 2013

Daily Report

Top Stories

 • Maryland’s highest court overturned a ruling of over $1 billion dollars in punitive damages to victims of a 2009 ExxonMobil oil spill in Baltimore County due to lack of evidence. – Baltimore Sun

2. February 26, Baltimore Sun – (Maryland) High court throws out $1B fraud verdict in Exxon leak case. Over $1 billion dollars in punitive damages sought by victims of a 2009 incident in which 26,000 gallons of oil spilled from an underground gas leak in Baltimore County was overturned by Maryland’s highest court in favor of ExxonMobil Corp. for lack of evidence. Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/north-county/bs-md-co-exxon-rulings-20130226,0,3969613.story

 • A Montreal-based company allegedly opened lines of credit with businesses across 40 States and defrauded them of nearly $10 million after ordering and receiving but not paying for goods. – Montreal Gazette

13. February 26, Montreal Gazette – (International) FBI probes $10-million scam, Montreal company allegedly involved. Companies in more than 40 States have been defrauded out of nearly $10 million from a scam where a Montreal-based company allegedly requested lines of credit from business, ordered goods and rarely or never paid for purchased supplies. Source: http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/probes+million+scam+Montreal+company+allegedly+involved/8019534/story.html

 • Forensic engineers have identified the source and cause of an 18.3 million gallon waste spill which occurred during Hurricane Sandy. – Virginian-Pilot

20. February 27, Virginian-Pilot– (Virginia) Sewer line break was years in the making. Forensic engineers have concluded on the cause of a Hurricane Sandy sewage pipe rupture which led to a weeklong spillage of 18.3 million gallons of waste into a Nansemond River tributary. Engineers claimed an external blow to the 30-inch concrete sewage pipe many years ago weakened the section, making years of corrosion and the hurricane’s abnormal pressure buildup from higher amounts of sewage to cause the break and the subsequent spillage. Source: http://hamptonroads.com/2013/02/sewer-line-break-was-years-making

 • A gunman remains at large after a dormitory shooting that left one student dead. – Reuters

27. February 27, Reuters – (South Carolina) One student dead after South Carolina university shooting. A shooting in a dormitory at Coastal Carolina University left one student dead February 26. Authorities placed the university on lockdown as they searched for the gunman, who they believe fled the campus. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/27/us-usa-shooting-southcarolina-idUSBRE91Q04220130227

 • While on assignment to investigate claims of sexual assault, two police officers and the suspect were killed in separate gunfire incidents. – Associated Press

30. February 27, Associated Press – (California) Santa Cruz shooting: 2 police officers shot and killed during sexual assault investigation; suspect also killed. Two Santa Cruz officers were shot and killed at a suspect’s home while on assignment to investigate claims of sexual assault. Police shot and killed the gunman after briefly chasing him down. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/santa-cruz-shooting_n_2770724.html

 • A corrections officer was fatally stabbed by an inmate wielding a makeshift weapon, marking the first death of an officer in five years. – Associated Press

33. February 26, Associated Press – (Pennsylvania) Officials: Inmate kills guard at federal prison in NE Pa., 1st such killing in nearly 5 years. An inmate fatally stabbed a guard at a federal prison in northeastern Pennsylvania using a makeshift weapon. The correctional officer suffered head and neck trauma and received multiple stab wounds in an incident that has not occurred in nearly five years. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/officials-inmate-kills-guard-at-federal-prison-in-ne-pa-1st-such-killing-in-nearly-5-years/2013/02/26/55a23620-8039-11e2-a671-0307392de8de_story.html

Details

Banking and Finance Sector

8. February 27, Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel – (Florida) 6 Broward men face federal charges in debit-card skimming scheme. Three of six Broward men remain at-large after skimming more than 400 bank customers’ information across 12 cities. The accused installed hard-to-notice reader devices along with hidden cameras at more than 18 banks. Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-federal-atm-skimming-20130226,0,6726149.story

9. February 26, Friendswood Journal – (Texas) Alvin man gets 27 years for multiple bank fraud. A man who participated in a $39 million scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders and financial institutes insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison. The total loss for loans on over 100 properties totaled $25 million. Source: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/friendswood/news/alvin-man-gets-years-for-multiple-bank-fraud-convictions/article_fa691d91-a9c1-56cf-8a0a-a41c28cf5ed8.html

10. February 26, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – (Washington, D.C.) SEC charges Connecticut-based hedge fund managers with fraud. An advisory firm and two hedge fund managers were charged by the SEC for lying to their investors about the fund’s financial condition and structure before it failure during the financial crisis. The hedge fund restructured its fund to favor a large investor but falsified records and marketing materials to keep investors from becoming aware of the changes which might have affected their investment decision. Source: http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2013/2013-28.htm

11. February 26, Lansdale Reporter – (Pennsylvania) Former Pottstown pastor convicted of mortgage fraud scheme. A former pastor along with real estate professionals and a group of congregants participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain $6 million in home loans. Each participant faces maximum possible sentences of 180 years. Source: http://www.thereporteronline.com/article/20130226/NEWS03/130229572/former-pottstown-pastor-convicted-of-mortgage-fraud-scheme#full_story

12. February 26, Indianapolis Business Journal – (Indiana) Carmel family members accused of securities fraud. The Indiana Secretary of State Office filed suit against a company and three of its members for securities fraud. The three members sold $10.4 million in ownership interests in rental properties to investors, but did so without being registered to sell them and also failed to register its securities offerings with the State. Source: http://www.ibj.com/carmel-family-members-accused-of-securities-fraud/PARAMS/article/39833

13. February 26, Montreal Gazette – (International) FBI probes $10-million scam, Montreal company allegedly involved. Companies in more than 40 States have been defrauded out of nearly $10 million from a scam where a Montreal-based company allegedly requested lines of credit from business, ordered goods and rarely or never paid for purchased supplies. Source: http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/probes+million+scam+Montreal+company+allegedly+involved/8019534/story.html

14. February 26, KIRO 7 Seattle – (International) Secret Service: Canadian crime ring withdrew skimmed funds. Canadian bank investigators grew concerned when customers’ account information was being used in Seattle to withdraw money. Their customers’ information, skimmed at Canadian coffee shops were used to withdraw nearly $500,000 at Seattle banks. Source: http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/canadian-crime-ring-withdrew-skimmed-funds-seattle/nWbMP/

Information Technology Sector

34. February 27, Softpedia – (International) Emergency Flash update to protect Firefox users. Firefox released an update to Flash which addresses vulnerabilities that target the browser and leave it susceptible to crashes and open to malicious attacks. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Emergency-Flash-Update-to-Protect-Firefox-Users-332853.shtml

35. February 27, Softpedia – (International) Oracle assigns tracking numbers to Java 7 Update 15 issues, but fails to confirm flaws. Oracle assigned tracking numbers to two Java 7 Update 15 security flaws exposed by researchers that could potentially allow for a complete sandbox bypass. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Oracle-Assigns-Tracking-Numbers-to-Java-7-Update-15-Issues-But-Fails-to-Confirm-Flaws-332817.shtml

36. February 27, Softpedia – (National) SSNs of 26,000 former US Government employees exposed due to printing misalignment. North Carolina Department of State Treasurers’ Retirement Systems Division reported a printing misalignment may have exposed roughly 26,000 former U.S. Government employee’s social security numbers in January. The agency alerted the former employees and assured them the information was not misused. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/SSNs-of-26-000-Former-US-Government-Employees-Exposed-Due-to-Printing-Misalignment-332915.shtml

37. February 26, The Register – (International) Attacker exposes ABC forum contributors. Australia’s national broadcaster, the ABC confirmed they were hacked by a hacktivist group and close to 50,000 audience member’s personal information was exposed and posted online. Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/02/26/abc_forums_cracked/

Communications Sector

Nothing to report


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