Wow.  Wasn’t sure whether to put this in News or Hoaxes.  I put it here since someone is playing a pretty good trick on an identity thief.

Story: http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=266381&GT1=7703

WASHINGTON—Did Internet thieves steal Herman Munster’s MasterCard number?

Crooks in an underground chat room for selling stolen credit card numbers and personal consumer information offered pilfered data purportedly about Herman Munster, the 1960s Frankenstein-like character from “The Munsters” TV sitcom.

The thieves apparently didn’t realize Munster was a fictional TV character and dutifully offered to sell Munster’s personal details — accurately listing his home address from the television series as 1313 Mocking Bird Lane — and what appeared to be his MasterCard number. Munster’s birth date was listed as Aug. 15, 1964, suspiciously close to the TV series’ original air date in September 1964.

CardCops Inc., the Malibu, Calif., Internet security company that quietly recorded details of the illicit but wayward transaction, surmised that a Munsters fan knowledgeable about the show deliberately provided the bogus data.

“The identity thief thought it was good data,” said Dan Clements, the company’s president.

Clements said evidence indicates the thief, known online as “Supra,” was operating overseas. “They really stumble over our culture. He’s probably not watching any reruns of `The Munsters’ on TV Land.”

Herman Munster was portrayed by Fred Gwynne, who died in July 1993.

“Phishing” thieves often trick consumers into revealing financial secrets by sending e-mail requests that appear to originate from banks. A consumer’s financial details can be worth $4 and $40 among online thieves, who can use the information to open fraudulent credit accounts.

CardCops eavesdrops on conversations among thieves in underground Internet chat rooms to monitor for stolen credit card numbers being sold or traded. It offers monitoring services to alert consumers whose information is compromised by hackers.

No one is safe. Not even sit-com characters.

Funny—I sometimes code forms to take credit card info on a SSL to a cgi script.  When I test them, I usually use Herman Munster and 1313 Mockingbird Lane.  (On some others that require the name of a child and parent, I use Fred and Lamont Sanford.)

JoeDaJuggler - 21 June 2007 11:13 AM

Funny—I sometimes code forms to take credit card info on a SSL to a cgi script.  When I test them, I usually use Herman Munster and 1313 Mockingbird Lane.  (On some others that require the name of a child and parent, I use Fred and Lamont Sanford.)

BUSTED!!!!

When creating databases with customer names the Munsters are always on the list.  The one time I set something up for addresses I used their address as well since it was the only fictional one I could remember.  How oddly coincidental.

They could at least have stolen Daddy Warbucks’ or Bruce Wayne’s or Jed Clampett’s bank details. . .

Only use Daddy Warbucks’.  I wouldn’t want Bruce Wayne or Uncle Jed coming after me.

Charybdis - 21 June 2007 11:17 AM

When creating databases with customer names the Munsters are always on the list.  The one time I set something up for addresses I used their address as well since it was the only fictional one I could remember.  How oddly coincidental.

I’ve used the address, too, when filling in forms sometimes.  I suppose it’s probably one of the most famous and most-used fictional addresses around.

Charybdis - 21 June 2007 11:19 AM

Only use Daddy Warbucks’.  I wouldn’t want Bruce Wayne or Uncle Jed coming after me.

That’s half of why I’d want to see them steal their information. . . 

* * * * *

“Hey there, Mister Supra, remember me?”

BAM!!!  POW!!!  PUNCH!!!

“I’ve been looking for you.  The bank. . .they repossessed my Batmobile when my checks bounced!”

THUD!!!  KERPOW!!!

“Do you have any idea how long it took me to walk here?!?  Feel my wrath, nefarious criminal scum!!!”

KABLOOIE!!!

I hate the Munsters.

Now Gomez Addams, now there’s a man to look up to…;-P

Ooh, I agree. I always intended to dress up as Morticia for Halloween, which would have been a hoot. But six months ago, I cut about a foot of hair off, and now…well, it’s still past my shoulders, but it’s not really of Morticia quantity. It would have been a hoot, though.

But I must say that the Munsters do have a pretty cool address. I don’t remember ever hearing the Addamses’ address.

I believe it was Cemetry Ridge or lane or something like that.

And I wanted to go as Gomez at Halloween but the only girl I knew who fitted the bill as Morticia wanted to go as Snow White. Morticia would have made her look much sexier.