Author |
Message |
Weinermr
Member
08-18-2001
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 12:04 pm
I received a letter in the mail yesterday from a large health organization through which I've donated blood in past years: "I'm writing to inform you of the theft of a laptop computer belonging to the --- . This computer contained confidential information that included your name, date of birth and your Social Security Number. Please know, however, that the records on the computer were password-protected and not readily accessible. It was the immediate impression of the --- police department that the thief was after the hardware and not the information located on the computer. We have no indication that any information contained on the stolen computer has been accessed or misused. Nevertheless, as a precaution, we have enclosed a list of frequently asked questions and answers (FAQs) and provided information regarding how you may protect yourself from identity theft. Additionally, we have established a website that includes this same information, along with electronic links to State and Federal resources. The website information is available at --- . All of the information available in the website is included in this mailing. We appreciate that you have chosen --- as your blood center and want to continue making your donation experience a positive one. We understand that as a blood donor, your trust and confidence in us is critically important. The --- takes donor confidentiality very seriously. In order to prevent any unauthorized access to your personal information in the future, the --- is modifying its systems and practices to enhance the security of its computer systems. We deeply regret any inconvenience this incident may cause you. The selfless and generous blood donations made by people like you are vital to literally thousands of patients at --- every year. We hope and trust that this event will not discourage you from making these lifesaving donations..." Evidently, the names, dates of birth, and SSNs of approximately 145,000 individuals were stored on this laptop computer that was stolen, including mine. One of the suggestions is that I contact the three credit agencies and put a Fraud Alert on my credit report with each one. I'm a little hesitant to do that. I recognize the benefit, in that it may prevent adverse consequences to my credit, but I'm also considering the additional difficulties I'll have in the future by doing so. I frequently make online and other purchases using either a debit card or a credit card, and that process may be impeded by initiating the Fraud Alert. Also, I may have other difficulties or inconveniences in applying for credit or in other financial transactions at a later date. Am I being penny wise and pound foolish? It doesn't seem likely that my personal information has a great chance of being stolen, but who knows. I'd appreciate hearing everyone's thoughts and experiences in this regard.
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 12:06 pm
sounds kind of fishy to me. I cant imagine how a blood center wouldnt keep those records on a server. I would call them up first and and make sure this isnt a scam.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 12:07 pm
You really should call and talk to someone personally. I don't trust anything I get in the mail anymore.
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Bob2112
Member
06-12-2002
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 12:09 pm
<...wonders if that was really posted by Weinermr...> 
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 12:20 pm
I would call the blood center personally and ask if it's legit. Why not call your credit card companies and ask their advice?
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 12:20 pm
btw..great job for being a blood donor!
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Pcakes2
Member
08-29-2001
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 12:21 pm
They did exactly what they are required to do by law. This is part of the HIPPAA act. It is not a scam. I am in Computer Security Sales, and we use this type of scenario as a selling point.
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Kaili
Member
08-31-2000
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 12:31 pm
Tim got a similar letter last year from Wells Fargo- something about some outside contracted cleaning people or something stealing computers. He did run a credit check and contacted his bank to ask more about it. As of yet, nothing has happened.
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Mygetaway
Member
08-23-2000
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 1:06 pm
I'd say call the Credit Bureaus and get a credit check just to make sure.. I think it cost's about $8 each. Then do that every six months for the next year. Can't you also set up your cards to only be accepted if you do "verified" by Visa or something? That is a separate password that only you would have to use those cards. I don't think you're being foolish at all. Identity theft is one of the "growing industires" out there and very serious these days. Good luck Weinermr.. I'm sure you're ok. ETA: Sometimes they are a month or so behind, so if you ordered one now and it was clean, the next one you might want to order in 3 months instead of 6. There is also some "credit watch" programs you can get that send you a report every quarter. I'm sure someone here could find a link.
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Weinermr
Member
08-18-2001
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 1:11 pm
Thanks everyone. First thing I'm going to do is call the medical facility and verify the authenticity of their correspondence. If this theft really happened, then I'm still going to have to consider whether or not to take any precautions at the credit agencies. ETA: Thanks Mygetaway. I was provided with both website and telephone contact information for the three major credit agencies in the correspondence I received. I've ordered my credit report online in the past from Equifax, and will probably be able to do so at no cost now given the occurence of this event.
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Pcakes2
Member
08-29-2001
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 1:14 pm
Also, in Calfornia, we passed AB 1386. In a nutshell, AB 1386 protects personal information by requiring business or state agency to promptly notify consumers about information breaches.
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Lostintheglades
Member
07-10-2000
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 1:56 pm
I'd call and check it out also. Several years ago my credit reports were so messed up that when we went to purchase our present home we couldn't get financed because I supposedly already owned a house. As it turned out I had 2 socials being reported, several different names, etc. It wasn't fraud but rather typos by the data entry person. What should be an 8 becomes a 3 or vise versa, that's all it takes. It took a year, with legal help, to get my reports fixed but I now check my reports yearly and have fraud alerts on all of them. I found it's easier to prevent than it is to fix.
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Beachcomber
Member
08-26-2003
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 3:08 pm
This happened to my husband last year with a computer at his bank's insurance company. We received a letter almost identical to the one you received. We alerted the 3 agencies for he and myself, very simple to do since it was an automated system. Any time you place a fraud alert each credit bureau will send you your credit report free. I have used my credit/debit cards since then with no problem whatsoever. We refinanced our mortgage and all we had to do was sign a statement that we were who we are and they checked our driver's license (which is now required regardless). I would highly recommend that you place the fraud alert immediately, it will not cause you any headaches.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 5:51 pm
You bet your bippy this old ex-fed dawg would put the fraud alert on ASAP. In fact, we put one on in February when we found a bunch of our neighbors' mail had been stolen. Since our mailbox is in a line with the neighbors, it stood to reason our mail had been stolen too. The main reason for mail theft nowadays is to commit identity theft. Listen to Beachcomber. The fraud alert did not cause us any difficulties. I think the main thing it does is cause you to be notified if anybody makes inquiries for the purpose of opening new credit in your name. I don't even recall now if I did it by phone or online. I think I did it by phone, and once you notify one of the bureaus, it goes to the other two. Each of the bureaus then sends you a free copy of your credit report. Of course, if you have done any checking further today since you first posted, you already know all this. Put that fraud alert on, Weinermr. Identity theft is a nightmare you do NOT want to experience.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 7:21 pm
and the dawg has spoken... i haven't even gotten a letter, and i'm gonna do it.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 8:32 pm
Landi, I can't articulate exactly why at the moment, but for some reason I think you don't want to do it unless there is a specific risk. That just sticks in my mind.
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Tabbyking
Member
03-11-2002
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 8:39 pm
you know what? i heard this exact same thing, involving a blood donor center, etc.--and don't know whether it was truth or fallacy back then-- a couple of years ago. so do check it out and do whatever you have to after that. i'm not saying it's definitely not true, but i'd prefer that to knowing it's happening all over again. sheesh! why can't everyone be decent and honest... it really pisses me off because life is hard enough--just taking care of everyday expenses and our families and trying to live decent and productive lives...and then there are scum who go after our identities, for crap's sake.
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Tabbyking
Member
03-11-2002
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 8:45 pm
hey, lost...the same thing happened to us when we went to buy our first home together. it said we owned a home. and son-of-a-biscuit if we didn't really own another gd home...husband had forgotten he co-signed for his brother years before and it affected our credit rating, although we never had to make a payment or anything on the home. here we are, 18 years later, and we finally got the house out of dh's name--at a cost of about 2,500 bucks over the years. important advice: don't ever co-sign for someone who is going to dump their wife p.s. don't forget to tell your wife if you already are listed as a homeowner, either! i completed all the forms as 'first time home-buyers' and only one of us was! LOL
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 8:56 pm
jujudarlin, noooooooooooooooooo NOT AT ALL! i meant that you know the truth about this messy stuff. i TRULY meant that even though i did not receive a letter i was getting a hold of the credit bureaus and signing up!! as a matter of fact i found experian and equifax, but i didn't know the third one to register with.
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Weinermr
Member
08-18-2001
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 9:03 pm
Landi, the 3rd agency is www.transunion.com Juju, thanks for the advice. I was leaning in the other direction, but you've convinced me to add the Fraud Alert. Thank you everyone for your input, advice, and experiences. Bob, this might not really be me. "" ""
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 9:11 pm
Landi, I think JuJu was telling you not to put an alert on your account unless you have received a warning notice...at least that's how it sounded to me.
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Urgrace
Member
08-19-2000
| Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 10:42 pm
There is also identity theft insurance sold through decades old companies with proven reputations.
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Lostintheglades
Member
07-10-2000
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 3:53 am
Darn Tabby...now that would stink. Fortunately it didn't cost me quite that much and the person was making their payments but it made be look way deeper in debt than I was with cars, credit cards that weren't mine. There was a new employer listed on there in November that I never worked for. It's amazing how easy it is for someone to add wrong information and how hard it is to remove it. I feel safer with the fraud alert on there.
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Djgirl
Member
07-17-2002
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 5:44 am
You don't actually have to pay for your credit report at any time. You can contact Equifax or Transunion by mail and they'll mail it out to you free of charge. It's only if you request it online or by phone that you have to pay for it.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 8:49 am
Weinermr, I think the fraud alert only stays on for about 90 days. I am pretty sure you will not suffer any adverse consequences from doing it, and you might save yourself a lot of heartache. And on the other hand, the thief probably just stole the laptop for some quick cash for drugs and won't try to crack the customer codes.
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Beachcomber
Member
08-26-2003
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 2:18 pm
I wouldn't recommend buying identity theft insurance. I work in the banking industry and customers are not liable for any charges that are fraudulent (ie, identity theft). The banks and merchants end up eating those fraudulent charges. If your identity was stolen, you would be responsible for proving you did not make the charges and signing up for the credit cards/loans. Why buy insurance when you will incur $0 loss? Juju, correct me if I am wrong on this. I would definitely put the fraud warning on ASAP! It is fast becoming a big time fraud loss to banks and department stores and a huge headache to clear up your credit report and ratings if it happens to you.
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Beachcomber
Member
08-26-2003
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 2:24 pm
I just found my letter I received from Equifax after we reported the fraud alert. They say they will remove our names from lists Equifax uses for pre-approved credit offers and add a 6 month fraud alert to your Equifax credit file. The other two credit bureaus also do the same.
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Beachcomber
Member
08-26-2003
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 3:09 pm
I noticed someone mentioned mail theft, I attended a seminar recently where the speaker, an FBI agent, stated that he has a lock on his mailbox. He recommended that if you cannot lock your mailbox (and check with the Post Office before you do this!) then you should get a PO box because mail theft is so rampant nowadays. Scary!
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Sanfranjoshfan
Member
09-17-2000
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 5:01 pm
Somebody stole my identity in Dec of 2002. I kept getting offers for a credit card with a really low interest rate, so I finally filled out the form and applied. They turned me down, citing a bad debt on my credit report. I came to find out there was a charge of $636 that had been there on my credit report for about 6 months! I had to get copies of the report and I called the company that reported the bad debt and it turns out that they had my full name, my date of birth, and my social security number! The charge was incurred by someone that showed up at an alcoholic detox center of some kind in San Diego! I called them and explained that I had not even been in San Diego for almost 20 years and after some talking and sending them copies of my fraud alert and stuff from the credit bureau, they removed the charge. I expected it to be a much worse ordeal that it actually turned out to be. The charge was removed from my credit report at the three credit agencies. I never got the low rate credit card that had brought this whole thing up, but I didn't really need it anyhow. I have a credit card that already has a high limit and I've been able to keep it paid off for the last few years. (I mainly applied for it to just stop the free offers I kept receiving in the mail!) I'm just glad I found out about it after only 6 months of having that on my report. I think it could have been a lot worse had that charge been on my credit report for years and years. I had an alcoholic roommate in San Diego in the mid to late 70's and I think that may be who used my personal info. The scenario fits, considering that whoever stole my info was using it at an alcoholic detox place! In any case, I had the 6 month fraud alert put on and it never caused me any problems.
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Abby7
Member
07-17-2002
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 5:26 pm
I just heard a "teaser" for the 6pm news here in Los Angeles (NBC, Channel 4). It was regarding identity theft that could affect thousands. Then it quickly showed an office. I only caught a quick glimpse. I saw the word "blood" missed the rest. I think this might have something to do with you, Weiner. ETA: just heard another teaser for the same report. it said thousands of blood donors in los angeles could be at risk for identity theft. "more at 6"
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Wendo
Member
08-07-2000
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 5:59 pm
Weinermr, I had my bag stolen in Boston last month and inside was my wallet with all my credit cards, drivers license, social security #, etc. Obviously I cancelled all my credit cards, etc. I also put a fraud alert on my social security number too. The fraud alert last no more than 90 days. But, you can put another fraud alert after one expires. Primarily, a fraud alert accomplishes two things. One, it removes your name from unsolicited credit card offers. And, two, if a credit card is applied for under your social security number, it must be verified by calling your home phone before approval. Basically, if someone other than you applies for a credit card, you'll know it because there is a note on you credit history requiring verification by you at your home phone number. As far as buying things online and the like, I haven't encountered any problems. Good luck.
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Abby7
Member
07-17-2002
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 6:24 pm
Weiner, the report verified pretty much what you said. At the end of the broadcast the reporter said: "Experts say contact the three credit bureaus, contact the Federal Trade Commission; and the city where you live in, make a police report for identity theft". Per my e-mail to you, I recorded this for you, but I'm sure it is the same information as reported in the paper. Also, it will probably be repeated on tonight's 11pm news.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 7:17 pm
Weiner, they had an article on this in the Riverside paper today.....also said another puter was stolen last week and 50,000 - 100,000 MORE people could be at risk for identiy theft! Police stated they think puters were not stolen for the data..which is a good thing.
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