Keystroke Cops

For more than a year, Jiang was copying more than just documents at Kinko's; the New Yorker secretly installed special software on public PC terminals that records individual keystrokes and used the program to steal passwords and other personal information from unsuspecting users. Jiang reportedly stole more than 450 user names and passwords using a program called Invisible KeyLogger Stealth to gain access to bank accounts and fraudulently open new accounts online.

However, seems Jiang got a little too greedy and was caught when he logged onto a victim's computer with GoToMyPC software, which allows users to access their computers remotely, while the victim was at home on his PC. But Jiang continued his hacker ways even after he was arrested last December and was out on bail, according to reports. He had not been sentenced at press time, but faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

Unfortunately, such schemes are not as rare as you think. Authorities say that a former Boston College student used similar keystroke-logging software to record student passwords and other confidential info from more than 100 PCs at the college campus. The former student also pled guilty to computer-fraud charges recently.

Maybe it's time for biometrics after all.