(sarcasm) yay! i had my identity stolen! (/sarcasm)

rok · February 1, 2005 2:25PM

friggin' punk stole my check card info (must have been online, since he had the security code and all address info correct) and signed up for several porn sites. luckily, i have gotten in the habit of checking my account several times a day, and once i confirmed what they were for (they were being handled through a third-party processing company), i blocked the card and started the process to stop the bleeding.

luckily, i only got stuck with a bill of about $90, all things added together, but someone out there has all of my address info, which is creepy. tough to tell if he nabbed the info off my wireless connection, as part of a larger database or what.

i just post this so others can know, it CAN happen to you.

e1618978 · February 1, 2005 2:46PM

I had this happen three time so far

- Sombody had my blockbuster card, and was using it for years, I only found out when they returned a DVD case empty.

- Somebody got a phone in my wife's name (inc social security number) and racked up a $300 bill, but I didn't have to pay it and I got it taken off the credit report.

- I got a Sprint calling card, and before I had even used it, somebody (must have been a Sprint employee) used it to make $200 worth of calls to Honduras.

Luckily nothing big, but it is scary, I know.

anders · February 1, 2005 4:47PM

Isn´t it those accepting the payment from credit cards that has to ensure its the owner that makes the purchase and have to credit whatever was bought by someone else?

e1618978 · February 1, 2005 4:50PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Anders

Isn´t it those accepting the payment from credit cards that has to ensure its the owner that makes the purchase and have to credit whatever was bought by someone else?

This was a debit card - no protection at all. One of my friends lost $6000, and after that I canceled my debit card and got a normal instant teller card (that did not allow purchases). You are safe with a credit card, not with a debit card.

anders · February 1, 2005 5:03PM

Excuse my ignorance. I´m only a sociologist. What exactly is the difference between a debit and a credit card?

rok · February 1, 2005 5:12PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Anders

Excuse my ignorance. I´m only a sociologist. What exactly is the difference between a debit and a credit card?

well, for one thing, the debit card gets taken straight out of your checking account. i WAS using it because i didn't like things piling up over a month's span and then getting "sticker shock" when my credit card arrived. problem is, if someone does buy something for $6000, it's gone from your pocket. you can dispute it, and if it's a visa check/debit card, it's covered under their insurance, but you're still out of six grand until they can get it straightened out...

at least with a credit card, it's not exactly "money" until the approval gets straightened out.

i will be switching back to a credit card -- a secure one -- very soon.

ra · February 1, 2005 5:16PM

A credit card is probably just what you think it is. A debit card can be used at an ATM to withdraw money from your account, and when used for payment the money is withdrawn from your account immediately.

splinemodel · February 1, 2005 10:22PM

If you use a large bank, chances are the "check card" they offer is protected. It's worth checking. I know that they usually give you a call if a large purcahse has been made. I guess that's why small purchases are the way to go when you're a thief.

colanderofdeath · February 1, 2005 11:13PM

When my wallet was stolen Wells Fargo covered both the credit cards as well as the Checking/Visa card. They have to go through a formal process to return the money, basically a merchant has 30-90 days to prove the charge was valid but before then based on the circumstances I was given the money back provisionally within like two days or something. Regardless you should get it back eventually as you didn't sign for it [or click to sign in the case of online purchases] and so even if it is a debit card it should still be an invalid charge. Basically the burden of proof is on the merchant to prove to the bank that you were the one making the charge.

The most disappointing thing for me was the apathy of the authorities. The person who took my wallet actually got fake checks made up on my employers bank account as I had a paycheck in my wallet unfortunately. He was caught at a bank trying to cash them and arrested which my employer found out and told me. I was furious at the bastard of course and relayed this to the credit card company and the merchants where he used the card and the police etc trying to get anyone who could to at least try to hold him responible for the other stuff as well but no one gave a shit.

asaph · February 2, 2005 12:18AM

I got you all beat! When I was 19, I had a home mortgage in Salt Lake City! I think she had a credit check going out about a car as well when we caught her. hooray!

rogue master · February 2, 2005 7:57AM

While on a trip to NJ last summer, someone copied my credit card info and starting subscribing to porn sites. The bad thing about it was that the charge on my credit statement was from a third party in small innocuous amounts that I didn't notice. I was called by CitiBank, who questioned the charges (but only after I purchased a new grill). Fortunately there was an 800 number that I could call to find out who was billing my credit card. I got my new card with 16 hours.

BTW, you can have a temporary fraud alert put on your name through the credit companies (EquiFax, TransUnion, or Experion) for 90 days. If you can prove that you are the victim of fraud, then you can have it extended to 180 days. What I don't understand is why a fraud alert isn't there by default. In other words, ALWAYS CALL ME FIRST if anyone tries to get my credit report or tries to open an account in my name.

rok · February 2, 2005 8:18AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rogue master

BTW, you can have a temporary fraud alert put on your name through the credit companies (EquiFax, TransUnion, or Experion) for 90 days. If you can prove that you are the victim of fraud, then you can have it extended to 180 days. What I don't understand is why a fraud alert isn't there by default. In other words, ALWAYS CALL ME FIRST if anyone tries to get my credit report or tries to open an account in my name.

thanks for that info! i found the toll-free number on transunion's web site, and they'll alert the other two for you on your behalf. i didn't even think about it, but this guy could open new credit cards in my name and have the bills sent to me...

bergz · February 2, 2005 11:04AM

Anyone else receive notice of traffic citations from your home state while you were living abroad? With no thumbprint on the citation to prove it wasn't me.

--B

mimac · February 2, 2005 11:39AM

Been there too rok ... credit card fraud

Thankfully I nipped it in the bud quickly and got a refund from the bank.

You really can't be certain where your CC details are gonna end up when buying on-line but it does pay to check your account frequently.

carson o'genic · February 5, 2005 12:19AM

Problem also is the jurisdiction. Someone at work, here in Kahlifornia, had their ID stolen by someone in Florida. We knew her phone number and where she lived, but couldn't get authorities involved. Partly because of my co-worker wasn't in Florida, partly because the woman was only caught applying for credit cards-she never got one approved. However, the intent was clearly there and documented. The real problem is that it is so easy to get away with this crime.

gastropod · February 22, 2005 9:27PM

A friend of mine was drunk in a bar and "misplaced" his id/bank card.

The next day a guy went to the bank and pretended to be him and tried to get the PIN number changed. The bank teller figured out what was going on and the police nabbed him.

Later on, I drove my friend to the courthouse to testify on the incident. This is how it proceeded:

- the defendant didn't show up.

- the defendant's lawyer didn't show up.

- the prosecutor didn't show up.

- the case was thrown out.

It was great to see the justice system in action.

rok · February 23, 2005 9:07AM

well, as a brief follow-up, i gathered as much information as i could get, and gave it to the police. luckily, one place actually, unexpectedly refunded my money, and i got the rest back from the bank. also, when talking to one of the vendors, he said he could tell me the IP address and exact date/time of registration (since, you know, technically this person posed as me, i had every right to this information... ah, the irony). anyway, so i gave all of that info to the police who sent it to the investigaotrs. i did a traceroute on the ip address (he was on dial-up when he did this), and found out his isp. now the investigators just have to all up the isp, and ask who logged in at this address at this exact tim eon your network, and he's as good as caught.

meanwhile, i am moving all of my banking to another bank that can actually STOP withdrawals from my account as soon as i ask them to, as opposed to my credit union, and i have all the stolen money back. as far as i.d. theft goes, this could have been much worse. i'm also going about changing my isp (i had been wanting to anyway) and therefore my email address, and all of my passwords/logins (which i, too, had been meaning to do for a while).

tigerwoods99 · February 24, 2005 1:34AM

I always get paranoid about that kinda stuff. Hate giving any personal info out like SSN unless I absolutely have to.

I have a debit/check card and with my bank it says that you're not responsible for the charges as long as you notify them swiftly. Speaking of which.....maybe I should check my account now just to make sure.

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(sarcasm) yay! i had my identity stolen! (/sarcasm)

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