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How many of you have been a victim of identity theft of some form?
Despite my best efforts with document/internet security, some fuckstick in Vietnam somehow managed to get my debit card number and order $300 worth of clothes from a chinese manufacturer.
Talk about a wake-up call to how easy it is to get away with this country's fastest growing crime. The scary part is, it wouldn't surprise me if organized crime rings were throwing their hats into the fray.
Apparently the inet is not as secure as we may have thought. Recently some assbag somehow accesed my Visa debut card number and tried to make a$1500.00 purchase. Fortunately my bank detected this as fraudulent and denied the charge. It has not cost any $ but just some hassel as I now wait for a new re-issued debit card w/ new number. Does give one pause before inet purchases. No doubt I will still buy online but will keep a sharp eye on my accounts.
My son's preschool was burglarized and only the record were taken which had our names and SS#s. So we've been screweing around with the (fucking) credit agencies to lock our accounts. I've spent a lot of time on it.
Hmmph.
Aaaacccttually...... I was at the KW general store two years ago & bought some coffee one day after skiing. Paid, left my debit card there by mistake, (yes, my fault) took the dog to the vet the next morning to get shots, took out debit card out to pay..... gone.
After some thought about where I may have left it, I called the general store.
"Oh yes sir! We have your debit card right here for you, Mr. BSS! Come on down and get it."
So I went and got it. Next day there was a charge for $1600 to Mexican airlines or something (can't remember) that showed up on my account. DEBIT card, mind you. So yeah, it came out of my personal checking account. Ouch.
Coincidence? I think not. Crooked bastards. :rolleyes:
Luckily the bank credited it back to me about 2 weeks later.
Dealing with it right now--someone keeps managing to change the billing addresses on my credit cards to Bellflower, CA and requesting new cards. I even have both addresses the person's been using as well as insurance industry data on who lives there--just don't know what to do with it. Royal PITA. Went two weeks without access to any credit or debit cards when they all got cancelled.
Oh, and "Citi Identity Theft Solutions" just offers to sell you their credit monitoring service--they don't actually help you out at all even when your Citi card is compromised.
I had a Bank America Visa card CLOSED account. Credit cards shredded, no balance closed. Two years after that account was closed, someone in Hong Kong used the numbers to buy Apple iPods and MSN music stuff. We had moved and were not aware of charges until a collection agency contacted us. It took over a year to get BOA to figure out what is wrong will allowing charges on a closed account. What bullshit!.
We shred every card statement, card offer, mortgage offer and bank statements. The pile of paper shredding for a household makes me feel like a crooked politician.
Don't get me started on BofA. :mad:Quote:
Originally Posted by Cirquerider
I have alot of experience with this subject. You would be shocked to know how little our Govt cares about any of it.
I personally reported someone who uses over 20 Social Security number to the Social Security Agengy/Identity theft hotline schmucks. Thes enumbers were confirmed by a P.I. i hired with over 30 yrs experience. The response I recieved from the S.S agency was: unless it was my number he was using they wont do anything!!!
One reason why the govt does nothing is because: They collect Social Security and medicare from these fraudsters. Currently their are over 200 million fraudulent SS numbers being used. They dont have to give it back. The SS agency and the IRS wont even share these numbers with the Dept. of Homeland Security.
We are all being sold up the fuggin river!!
end rant.
Its outrageous
Don't overlook the credit agencies who lobby against any laws that tighten access to your personal information.
If we don't bitch to your representatives about it, it's our fault.
I had $14k stolen at Home Shopping Network with one of my Visa cards. I called HSN the day after the theft and got a disinterested party at HSN that told me to call my CC issuer. It took about 3 weeks to get all the forms into the CC Issuer who then expunged the charges. Several months later I got an indignant call from HSN security about the charges trying to match me to them. I told HSN that I called their offices directly to explain the bogus charges and was blown off.. They hung up never to be heard from again.
I only use Citibank now as they have direct support and are not a third party issuer.
I met someone around here who had this happen to them. They found out someone who worked for them had stolent he personal information to run up all these bills, around 30k. The police issued a warrant for her arrest. But she lives accross the river in another county, and they will not even go get her!!!!!!!!!!
ABANDON SHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have to admit, they have some of the best commercials going right now though.Quote:
Originally Posted by bc
My only gripe with Citi is all the telemarketrs that call me to get me to sign up for their other stupid programs.
The credit agencies are definately not helping out. They make a bundle and it goes way beyond identity theft. They would like to see your credit score used more and more to determine one's ability to qualify for everything from rent, mortgage to auto insurance. They are a very strong lobby and difficult for even congress to go up against I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by Buster Highmen