Limewire User? Thanks for Your Banking Data!
Fri 7 Sep 2007 2:02 PM

I've been saying this for years: using a peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing program like Limewire or KaZaA or Soulseek or whatever can open up your hard drive to such an extent that people can find anything on it. Including your financial records. In fact, a Seattle, Washington man has been arrested in what the Justice Department is calling the first case against someone accused of using P2P programs to commit identity theft.

Gregory Thomas Kopiloff apparently used P2P programs to troll other computers for financial information, which he then used to open credit cards for online shopping, and went on quite a spree (according to a four-count indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court). Kopiloff apparently bought over $73,000 worth of goods online, then resold those goods at steep discounts, and pocketed the proceeds. While people have been prosecuted for using P2P networks to illegally share or obtain copyrighted music, movies and software, the Justice Department says that this is a first for what is an equally - if not more - troubling matter.

For years, I've been telling people to be very wary of P2P networks. Many of the "songs" on them are actually viruses. If you've ever downloaded a song, double-clicked on it, and it didn't play, you think "Oh - bad download." In reality, you've likely been caught by a virus masquerading as a song. Now, when you add to that the possibility of identity theft (and you know if one guy's doing it, hundreds of others are to follow), now might be an excellent time to rethink that whole "free" music thing.

While you can "lock down" most P2P programs, they're not very effective. There are ways to get around them quickly and easily (no, I'm not going to tell you how). My advice? Grow up. Be an adult. Buy your music, and save your identity.