credit card identity theft

[Raider Ronnie]

Friday morning I get a phone call from my credit card co. about a bunch of charges attempted on my card, all about 2:00 - 3:00 in the morning. thankfully they denied most of them and they assured me I won't be responsible for the ones that went through. they also canceled my card!
Today I get a call from one of the companies (domain names) that the card was attempted to pay for a web site address.
What the F---
I asked my card co. how this happens, they tell me it happens to people who never even activate a card!!!
I've been seeing this stuff on the news lately but I never thought it could happen to me!!!
I don't do it very often, but I think I've made my last credit card purchase !!!

[Surfcastinglife]

even w/o cc u can still get ur identity stolen, accts can be opened using ur name consider urself lucky they can do a lot more damage u got hit by a noob

[thefishingfreak]

happened to me ron.
someone actually guessed my cc# and bought a mountian bike in navada off a website.
cc company took care of the charge and my local police sicked the postmaster general on the offender for postal fraud and recieving stolen property.
pain in the arse cause you gotta re-do everything.

[ThrowingTimber]

always hand your card to merchants upside down. And ask that they give it back to you upside down. You dont know who is behind you in line. *camera phones dont make noise* Shred your mail. Establish passwords with credit bereaus. You can call all major three and ask that your inromation be flagged that way when you have an inquiry it wont go through, immediately. Establish passwords with EVERYONE you use even cell phone companies. Sorry to hear, it really sucks.

[MikeTLive]

Part 1 -
Last Winter I bought a cell phone from an ATT kiosk in Prudential Center. They misspelled my name on the paperwork. When they setup the phone the name was misspelled in the directory listing too.

Fast Forward a month.

I get a letter in the mail with new ShopAtHome Visa cards. One for me (complete with mispelling) and one for my "wife" Totally Bogus name.

I immediately call the Card Folks, find out that it was registered within 12 hours from when I bought the Cell Phone. I cancelled it outright. I called ATT main office and gave them a ration. I then went back to the kiosk - not an official ATT Store so I had to go back to the city to return the frigin phone!!! - and I gave them a ration of crap too.

I then tagged my credit reports to have to call me for any credit inquiries.

The problem is that now my complete personal info is out there. It could show up again at any time. Someone could use it right now in Fla to pretend to be me and do something crazy like vote for G.W

Only next step is for me to change my social security number AND... here is the big kick in the head... Past Identity theft is not a valid reason for getting a new social.

Thats right.

Because there is not any known current impersonation actively occurring, I cant just go and get a new one.

Just like GW and the religeous extremists/terrorists This is a black cloud just waiting to erupt on me.

Part 2 -
got a letter in the mail a day or so ago from one of them domain stealing companies - they pretend like they are your company and when you renew you actually transfer to them at their crazy rates.

it was for a domain registered in my wifes name.

Back in May she had a credit card snagged.
We looked it up and verified that it was one of the charges that we got cleared. The card has long since been cancelled.
We still dont know how it happened.

[quick decision]

Happend to both my wife and myself. FYI-get a credit report and check it. Make sure thats all that was stolen. Then you can request a "fraud alert" from the cc company, which dose not allow anyone use any of your cards unless they contact you on the phone first.

[Mr. Sandman]

THis is pretty common and is a pain in the butt but you are not liable for charges made by unauthorized users. It has happend to me 2X in my life. Once in the 80's someone got my amex number and charge 5K worth of stuff. I never had to pay a penny.
The other when I live in RI on my visa card....someone was charging lots of expensive networking equipment to my card. Again, new card in days and no unauthorized charges. it was pretty hassle free except for changing my auto CC numbers.

Most of these numbers are gotten from discarded reciepts (according to the CC company investigators) and since then I purchased a shredder.

Online buying is actually pretty safe, probably safer then in person use. THink about it, you had over your card to an unknown person to pay your resturant tab. THis underpaid waiter then walks away into a private place and examines your card....He/she *could* do anything with it and you would never know. (like sell the numbers to a dirt bag)
I prefer online because there are very few people that actaully can get your numbers. In many of my transactions esp with venodrs I am not familiar with, the vendor does not know them (paypal).

Lesson....don't leave CC recipets in the trashcan.

[Raider Ronnie]

Update on my situation!
Yesterday I get a call from one of the companies that the card was attempted to be used .
The company sells webside addresses and someone tried to use my card to pay for their site.
So I ask the guy from this company to give me the name on the site .
He tells me he can't, it's confidential information, WHAT THE F---
Someone who is scaming with my info and they can't tell me who it was because it's "confidential info!!!
I spoke with someone today also who told me that ordering using a cell phone to make a credit card purchase is very risky and hackers can listen to a cell phone conversation!

[Diamond Tackle]

Originally posted by Raider Ronnie
Update on my situation!
Yesterday I get a call from one of the companies that the card was attempted to be used .
The company sells webside addresses and someone tried to use my card to pay for their site.
So I ask the guy from this company to give me the name on the site .
He tells me he can't, it's confidential information, WHAT THE F---
Someone who is scaming with my info and they can't tell me who it was because it's "confidential info!!!
I spoke with someone today also who told me that ordering using a cell phone to make a credit card purchase is very risky and hackers can listen to a cell phone conversation!

Once you claim fraud its confidential, but you can subpeona the info thru proper channels(your attny or your local police dept). Someone could rent rent a po box in your town with YOUR name and info and commit fraud, and once its determined to be fraud, the post office will not giuve you further info (real case). Fraudsters have gotten very brazen in recent years even taking out mortgages.Senior citizens are the most vulnerable esp with these visiting nurses,screen them carefully, this is the highest fraud scenario we see right now, as these visiting nurses can ditch the bills for a few months til a family member finally discovers it,or the collection agency starts calling.
Yes , cell fons are a radio signal and can be intercepted, not cloned (except thw old analog fons)but you can listen in to conversations.
Best protection, call all three credit bureaus(equifax, Experian and Trans union) and put a fraud alert on all 3 of them, if a creditor then opens a line of credit without following the specific instructions on your CBR, tell him to go scratch, and you dont have to fill out any affidavits as they claim, its their problem.
You are also entiteled to FREE CBR's once per year, dont pay the $9.95 they try to soak you for online.

[spinncognito]

Sorry to here of your misfortune. Although it has never happened to me, I know a few folks who have had a really bad experience with ID theft. There actually is some protection out there. Check out the link.

Spin






www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/sofficer

[piemma]

I work for a company that does Identity Theft Protection on the corporate level. My main account is MasterCard but we also protect Visa. If the problem involves either company, PM me and I will get your info to the proper people.

[outfished]

That bites big time. Keep in mind when ordering online. look for the verisign logo and always make sure your on a secure page. Also beware of spyware and the such. There are programs out there that allows someone else at the other end to monitor everything you type, passwords, cc numbers, EVERYTHING. I suggest running a free program called Spybot or Adaware or CWshredder(30 day trial on the last one), hell I use them all, but not at the same time. One last thing, Internet Explorer is responsible for 99% of this. Switch to Mozilla Firefox. I no longer get any spyware!

[lurch]

Sorry to hear about the news!

Who can I call to get a credit report?

[lurch]

Because I live in Mass I get a free credit report.

Here is the info on where to go...

If you live in one of the free credit report states

www.experian.com/freestate for an online report!

you can call Equifax and they will send you a report in a few days, here is the address and number you can call.

EQUIFAX INFORMATION SERVICE CENTER
PO Box 105873
Atlanta, GA 30348
ATTN.: ICSD Disclosure
(800)685-1111

I was also going to call Trans Union but they made you say all of your information on the phone and I did not like that ...I figured 2 out of three should provide me with enough information to see if someone is stealing my identity.

Hope it helps!!!

[rivsie11]

Throwingtimber,


That was a good tip about the cameraphones, never thought of that!