(sarcasm) yay! i had my identity stolen! (/sarcasm)
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.
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.
Comments
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
--B
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.
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.
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).
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. \