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IDENTITY THEFT ISSUES

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Jan ~ Apr 2009: IDENTITY THEFT ISSUES users admin

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Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Friday, December 12, 2008 - 6:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
It's becoming all too frequent! I thought we could have a thread where folks could share stories and also ways to protect yourself!

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Friday, December 12, 2008 - 6:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
I"m starting with a scam that's going around our neighborhood:

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm


THE VERDICT: HANG UP
Don't Fall for Jury Duty Scam

06/02/06
Jury Duty Graphic

The phone rings, you pick it up, and the caller identifies himself as an officer of the court. He says you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant is out for your arrest. You say you never received a notice. To clear it up, the caller says he'll need some information for "verification purposes"-your birth date, social security number, maybe even a credit card number.

This is when you should hang up the phone. It's a scam.

Jury scams have been around for years, but have seen a resurgence in recent months. Communities in more than a dozen states have issued public warnings about cold calls from people claiming to be court officials seeking personal information. As a rule, court officers never ask for confidential information over the phone; they generally correspond with prospective jurors via mail.

The scam's bold simplicity may be what makes it so effective. Facing the unexpected threat of arrest, victims are caught off guard and may be quick to part with some information to defuse the situation.


Jhonise
Member

07-10-2003

Monday, December 15, 2008 - 12:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jhonise a private message Print Post    
Last week my bank called me to tell me that my debit card had been skimmed. I had to go into a local branch to get a new card and change my PIN. Fortunately, no new charges were made with my card, because the bank caught it in time.

In the past week, I only used my debit card at the department store, the grocery store and at a bank, so I have no idea where my card info was stolen and the bank won't tell me.

Protecting your debit and credit cards from skimming


What is skimming?

Skimming is an illegal act that helps criminals obtain credit card or debit card information to produce counterfeit cards.

How does credit card skimming work?

Skimming can be done by a dishonest employee of a legitimate merchant, manually copying down numbers or using a magnetic card-stripe reader with a pocket-sized electronic device. The stolen information is put onto a counterfeit card and used to make fraudulent purchases.

The stolen details can also be used for identity theft.

Common scenarios for skimming are restaurants or bars where the skimmer has possession of the victim's credit card out of their immediate view.

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Monday, December 15, 2008 - 12:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
I just wanted to mention I have Farmer's homeowners insurance and we recently added identity theft insurance to for a little more. I have $100,000 coverage, but you can add more or a less. I think there was an option for $30,000.

Csnog
Member

07-18-2002

Monday, December 15, 2008 - 2:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Csnog a private message Print Post    
Text message saying your bank account has been compromised and to call them immediately. DON'T.

Check your bank's phone number then report this scam to them.

Put a freeze on your credit report within 90 days if you have ID theft or they may not help you.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Monday, December 15, 2008 - 7:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Same thing if you get email or a phone call saying there is a problem..

Discover will call, but then tell you to call them on the number on your card.. they are legit but don't want their customers to take that for granted.

Discover has caught a couple of times in the past when there were charges on my card that were not mine and they call and back them out. They have also noticed "unusual" activity and called and I've been able to tell them it was ok.. like I was on a trip.

I did read that if you plan a big trip it isn't a bad ideal to call your credit card co and let them know you'll be charging more or out of area.

Christy358
Member

07-10-2007

Monday, December 15, 2008 - 10:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Christy358 a private message Print Post    
I had a transfer check stolen and used. Had to have been tossed by accident in my apt trash can near mail room. Discover caught it right away.....so I was not charged. whew

I did let apt complex know of problem. They put a notice in the monthly newsletter and a note on trash can.

Sia
Member

03-11-2002

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 12:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sia a private message Print Post    
My Visa account had a charge on it this summer that I hadn't made--and about three days later the charge was reversed--all without my knowledge or consent. When I noticed this strange activity on the statement, I called the company, who transferred me to their Fraud Division. I was told that sometimes crooks will generate random acct numbers with various expiration dates until they get a "hit" and try a small purchase to see if it gets noticed. If they go undetected, the crooks will then sell the account information to a buyer, who will then run your account up to its limit.

I had a happy ending: Visa closed my old acct, issued me a new card with a new number, and is pursuing the security issue from their end. All I was told was that the purchase was for "computer goods or services." Oh, and the charge appeared on my bill as an item charged to my Pay-Pal account, but I don't even have a Pay-Pal account. Has anyone heard of any schemes involving PayPal? Thanks for any info.

Way2prissy
Member

07-21-2002

Sunday, February 22, 2009 - 10:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Way2prissy a private message Print Post    
Define irony: I am a Fraud/Risk Manager for Visa/MC and my PayPal account was hacked into...my entire checking account CLEANED OUT! Fortunately, I noticed the PaylPal activity within 24 hours and knew it was coming but there was no way to stop it. Still under investigation...looks like it was the computer repair place in town that was coincidentally (or not)repairing my laptop. Still cannot believe this happened to ME!!!!

Jeep
Member

10-17-2001

Monday, February 23, 2009 - 6:14 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jeep a private message Print Post    
Make sure you know what you're buying if you add Identity Theft to your homeowners policy. This option does not always cover the amount of money you lost....such as an unauthorized withdraw from your checking acct. It's geared to cover only the expenses you incur while trying to restore your correct identity, such as time off work, notary fees, reasonable attorney fees or cost of obtaining/recreating documents to help your case. As with all your insurance papers........read them completely before you need them to avoid any misunderstandings.

Sugar
Member

08-15-2000

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 4:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sugar a private message Print Post    
Way2prissy I used to be in Fraud/Risk Management at PayPal.

Grooch
Member

06-16-2006

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 10:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Grooch a private message Print Post    
Here's a link to a new way they can get your personal information from your computer from downloading music.

link

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 10:49 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
Can someone summarize what they said in Grooch's video? I'm very curious!

Bonzacat
Member

07-08-2003

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 11:05 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Bonzacat a private message Print Post    
File sharing software, like Limewire = bad.
iTunes Music Store = fine.

Things like tax returns and credit reports were downloaded directly from personal computers, with the aid of file sharing software. That computer-to-computer file sharing fun opens computers to that kind of possible invasion of privacy and identity theft.

Grooch
Member

06-16-2006

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 11:23 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Grooch a private message Print Post    
Thanks, Bonzacat. :-)

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 1:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
what if my son has used limewire on his puter, which is on same network as Bill and my puters, can they go thru Dylan's puter and get into the files on my puter?

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 1:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
I think the best way to protect yourself is to freeze your credit. Clarkhoward.com has some good info about freezing your credit so that your identity cannot be stolen that way.

Credit freezes are one of the most effective tools against economic ID theft available to consumers. They allow you to lock up your records and select a secret code that only you know and can use to temporarily "thaw" your credit. That added layer of security means that thieves can't do anything with your information even if they are able to obtain it.

Freezes have always been available for free to victims of ID theft. But recently all three of the major credit bureaus adopted new rules allowing more non-victims to have access to them than ever.
It costs $10 per bureau, so, $30 total for a lot of protection. http://clarkhoward.com/topics/credit_freeze_states.html

It sounds like a really good idea. You can still use your credit cards, I believe, but you can't get a loan or new credit until you unfreeze it. Clark Howard is very wise about all sorts of financial matters.

He probably has other things on his website about protecting yourself from identity theft and scam information.

Sign checks with a gel pen not a ballpoint pen. It makes it harder to wash the check to get your signature.

The less you have re: credit and banking info in your mailbox the better. (I put outgoing mail in my box only close to the time my mailman. I don't put anything out there may cause identity theft such a credit card payments, but I don't want to tempt a thief with anything.) Banking online is safer. Probably all credit cards have e-options too. Don't have your bank or credit cards mail statements to you, get them online.

Use a non cordless phone if you have to give out certain info over the phone, or use a cordless that has scrambled signal for security.

I recently was applying for new life insurance. I was uncomfortable giving the ssn over the phone, so they left it blank and mailed the application to me.

Don't use a debit card at places where they walk away with your card to run it, such as at a restaurant. You have a lot more protection with a credit card if the number gets stolen than you do with a debit card.

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 3:57 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
Thanks, Bonza. We stopped using Limewire just because of all the viruses and crap we got with it. My DS is not too happy, but then again, he wasn't the one that had to resurrect the computers once they were infected!