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
Department of Homeland Security
(DHS)
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