identity theft.

[volshooter]

Someone got to mine. Thankfully we have a credit monitoring service that notified me of an Capitial One, account opened in my name yesterday, hard inquiry. Had the account closed and put a fraud alert on my credit.
Cain't figure out how but someone actually got into my PayPal account and changed my password and private information including mother's maiden name. I don't even have access to that account password, just the wife. No, she didn't do it .
Some sneaky folks out there.
Only card I even use is the paypal, and only at midwayusa and sportsman choice. I never use it anywhere else.
Good thing is was caught and no new charges were added.
Kinda taking it personal. Sure glad we had credit monitoring service!

 

[Don Lovel]

I put the words "Check ID" on the signature line of my credit cards, tip clerks that ask for it

 

[mohavesam]

That used to work, nowadays its all electronic, some arab sitting in a kabul with a laptop. The least you can do is notify in writing, your credit card companies, that any purchase over $40-50 (or about the price of a fill-up - and I don't want to know how many tanks you have) requires a verbal confirmation and code word. PITA but it is a positive control.

I got hit for a $45K second mortgage that came from a computer within the county clerk's building, during a property sale. Thieves are everywhere.

 

[bogus bill]

Have ANY of you ever really ultimately lost money due to identity theft? It has been tried on me three times but besides the worry and temper flareup I didn't lose. I never was told the details of the outcome`s either. I know there are places that sell fraud protection etc, but really, isn't it the credit card company's and banks that handle your checking accounts the one that ultimately take the hit? I have NEVER actually met or heard of a person that personally lost in the end. Now, I do believe that we all pay together for what the CC`s and banks lose in other ways.

 

[bogus bill]

I am not tech minded and don't understand computers etc. It seemed that all three attempts on me were in the $4,000 to $5,000 area. The first time some woman I never heard of used my checking number on the opposite coast. Never heard of the outcome. On another deal that my ex wife was behind or handled, some prisoner got hold of some type phone charge number she had and we got a bill that was a huge pony of charges from prisons all over the world!! Over $4,000 monthly bill! Didn't have to pay it.
All these computer virus`s I hear about, are they all purposely human caused? Or are some just kid hacks having fun disrupting everyone. My wife handles the computer protection stuff, but is it a sure thing that you get virus`s if you don't buy a security program?
On the third deal, I had a truck stolen and in the truck was a unopened letter with a credit card J. C. Penny had sent me. I remembered the card had been in the truck and went to Penny`s a day later and the card was already hit for over $4,000`s between two stores! I solved that one myself and gave what I had to the detectives. A female named Kiane Niemuth had stolen my card, forged my name on a huge shopping spree but in her excitement had signed her own name twice and it still went through. It`s a long story but basically she got next to no real time and the Judge gave me the bums rush when I stood to protest that the theft also caused me to have my house burglarized. Next case! It was California and there all that mattered was cleaning up their court docket paperwork. I had a customized revolver hid in the truck and that tipped them off I owned guns and I got hit big time later. They had to have waited and watch me leave the house.

 

[Kevin]

In the past couple years we have had our credit card number stolen a number of times, four times actually. And yes it is a pain in the arse to get it straightened up. We didn't lose money, but as we had paid for a few of the charges on our credit card before noticing, it took several billing cycles for us to get our money credited back to the account. So yeah, we did lose time value of money.

Mohavesam: how did identity thieves get a second mortgage in your name? That seems like it would take more work than just a quick credit card theft. Don't they have to get approved by the bank's mortgage loan officer?

 

[SAJohn]

As I understand it, we have less protection from fraud when using debit cards. I mostly use cash. I have but one credit card and monitor the charges frequently. Also, my Credit Union is good about e-mailing me when a charge looks odd.

When my credit card gets switched to the new type, I will stop carrying it with me as I have read that the security system is not as good as that used in Europe.

 

[Jeepnik]

I put the words "Check ID" on the signature line of my credit cards, tip clerks that ask for it

They're supposed to, but don't.

I think folks are over thinking the ID theft thing. I had one attempt to do it. I simply informed the credit card issuer that they hadn't done their job in making sure who they were issuing the card to and that was their tough luck. I also informed them that if any adverse credit reports were found relating to this that I would simply sue them. Apparently they figured out that if I was going to play hardball it wasn't worth their time and trouble. Never heard from them again, and nothing untoward showed up on my credit report.

Oh, one other thing I ask them during our one and only conversation was what they were going to do to find and prosecute the person who committed the crime. Answer, nothing. And folks wonder why things are as they are. There is no downside to committing crimes like this. The criminals aren't arrested (heck they don't even look for them) much less tried and forced to pay restitution.

 

[bogus bill]

Yeah, which time? Ex GF`s too. Women are the root of all evil. At least they were in my life. I do have a good one now though.
I am a old man and was single most of my life. Never got married until I was forty the first time. I had jobs all over the country until I settled down, tamed down or whatever. I think I hold some kind of record for women dying on me.
I was raised by Ozzie and Harriet but turned bad anyway.

 

[Colonialgirl]

The only time I got hacked, someone tried using my Debit card to buy Airline tickets in Lebanon ($1400); I DO check my bank accounts almost daily ( Something you do when you are SHORT on cash), Spotted the charge and immediately sent a confidential message to the bank. The money was credited back in LESS than a week and in the meantime the bank made me an interest free loan to cover any bills I may have had. My understanding is that they DENIED the charge from the airlines. Now we have TWO checking accounts, one used for bill paying and grocery shopping and the only thing in that account is what's needed to cover those expenses. The main account gets all the SS and retirement deposits, but its debit card is NEVER used.
Re: name on Charge/Credit cards; Heard a story one time about a guy whose wife for business reasons never changed the name on her business credit cards; Whenever they would go out to dinner and SHE would give the waiter on of HER cards to pay, the waiter would invariably bring HIM the receipt to sign; He got tired of having to hand it over to his wife, SO; He started signing it with names like "I. P. Freely", "Loud out Gassing", " Fart Freely" and anything else that popped into mind. He said he wife almost killed him when she found out, BUT he was never questioned nor was the name ever checked in the Restaurant.

 

[Kevin]

SAjohn, I have heard also there is less protection when using debit cards vs credit cards. I never he my debit card online. In fact I really never use it at all.

But what "new type" of card are you talking about? You said it isn't as secure as the cards in Europe. Are you talking about the chip some cards have where you insert it into the machine instead of swiping it? My card has that and it's a lot slower. I don't like it at all, not sure how it's safer either.

 

[bogus bill]

Okay, so the end result here is no one has really lost money. The banks eat it but we reimburse the banks and credit card company's with usury interest and other charges. The banks and credit card company's let it slide as police wherever, here and other country's wont use, cant, don't care, to use the manpower hours to track someone down in Uganda. Whata deal!

 

[mohavesam]

Lost $8000+ to my lawyer recovering my money from the county, as they had to protect the county employee first.
Yes, lost money, and dozens if not hundreds of hours lost. If one doesn't consider your time and tax impacts as having a dollar value, one must be considering fraud reconciliation as having fun ?

 

[volshooter]

Talked to Transunion and had a 90 day fraud alert put on my credit unless verified by the creditor calling my personal cell phone at the time of transaction, with me providing a code. Credit reporting companies as well as PayPay all provided me with an address that had been added to my history, in Texas.
PayPal, after a very hard verify of I am who I claim to be, actually told me when my account had been changed. The hacker actually got enough access to change my security question (mother's maiden name).
My wife is in HR and pulled up the E-verify on homeland security site. None of the security questions had any correct answers for me, but did for the address in Tx. Social security office was called and alerted.
I believe we have nipped this in the bud. The first credit monitoring service to notify me.....CreditKarma. Free service for hard inquiries on your credit. The application and account granted on my credit was instantly sent.
Got the same service when looking to refinance my house. Got an alert that credit had been hard verified before leaving the bank! Sometimes free stuff works.
Just hope it was not some damn terrorist towel head. I will have to wait 24 hours before I can try the homeland security site again.

 

[Xsales]

We have had 3 issues with fraud in the past

Each time Bank of America had the funds back in our account next day until they investigate - 3 weeks or so they closed it stating it was not us that made the fraudulant purchases

1) In most all cases the banks lose NOTHING - ZERO
They have a right and WILL charge back the store, airline, etc.. those places lose out - they gave the product or airline ticket etc.. WITHOUT a signature and as such THEY EAT THE LOSE

2) Debit cards rarely, if ever, carry protection from fraud from the issuing company
Most ALL Credit Cards DO - if they don't - cancel and get one that DOES

 

[hittman]

I can't think of a time it's ever safe, or a good idea, to use a debit card. Credit cards do the same thing and may not be any more secure but do offer more protection; especially if you don't bank locally.

 

[SAJohn]

Kevin, re your question about the new cards. They are chip rather than magnetic based. Europe uses the chip plus you have to enter your PIN. Most of our new cards are chip plus signature. Almost never do clerks request picture ID to verify a signature. The rare few times they have asked me, I have thanked them.

Also, it has been shown that bad guys can use electronic devices to read your chip card while it is still in your back pocket.

Apple Pay technology with fingerprint recognition may be the near unbeatable system.

Cash works really well.

Cash also has the advantage of upsetting our big brother government.

 

[gramps]

The new chip is different than the RFID(radio frequency identity) chip. The RFID If not in a protective wallet can be read at a distance. The new chip requires the card to stay in the reader till the transaction is complete. The chip generates a random number associated with the transaction, so that the person or place billing you never knows the card number.
gramps

 

[mohavesam]

All one really has to do to protect a credit/debit card is to de-magnetize the strip; to fry the RF chip. Then each transaction simply must be keyed in to a terminal by the merchant. NO skimming or passing of a reader can result. Hey, if you don't have the extra 20 seconds to key in your CC/DC info, you must not have control of your life anyway!

And a debit card? Simply separate your accounts, and have the DC-linked card to a limited account. Who has only one account since the 20th century anyway? Think we have about six/seven these days.

BTW, ApplePay fingerprint technology was hacked years ago, and getting your fingerprint is as easy as a glass left behind, or worse, even a hi-def photo of your finger... instructions are on the web.

I vote to carry cash (and a gun). Take control and take responsibility.

 

[powder smoke]

A few years ago I order stuff from LLBean two days later I get a call from them
and they tell me a large order was placed with a shipping address o Virgina. They
ask if that was me, no way I replied, come to find out it was the employee who took
my order. Low life are abundant I'm nervous and rarely do any more phone orders. ps

 

[Rancher Will]

A few yeas ago when "identity theft" came on the scene one of my employees "pulled my chain a little" with a big smile.

We were working in the shop when he said, "This is a great day for me". "Someone stole my identity so now my credit rating has gone up".

 

[vito]

A suggestion which certainly will reduce the likelihood that someone opens a credit account in your name: initiate a "security freeze" with all three of the national credit agencies (Trans Union, Equifax and I can't think of the other one at this moment). I did this many years ago for both my wife and myself. It cost me a total of $60 ($10 for each of the three agencies for each of us). You send them a letter with certain identifying information and a check for $10. If anyone applies for a credit card the issueing bank checks with one or more of the three agencies, and with a "security freeze" in effect, no credit account will be started. The same holds for a thief trying to open a utility company account or something similar where the utility company does a credit check and encounters the freeze, and stops the process. The downside is that if you apply for a credit card, or some other loan or credit, you would first have to go through a temporary lifting of the freeze so that the company could successfully run a credit check on you. A bit of a pain, but not a major hassle (although one of the credit agencies, again I can't recall which one, charges $10 for the temporary lifting). Having these "security freeze" actions has been enough, so far, to keep me from having my identity stolen.

Another recommendation for those of you with only one credit card account. If both you and your spouse have the same number on the credit card, if the number gets compromised and the bank cancels the account, you will be without any credit for a number of days while waiting for the new cards to arrive. This can take up to 10 business days and if this happens while you are away from home on vacation it could cause you a major hassle. If the cards have different numbers (although they go back to a single account) like my Capital One credit account has, even if one card is canceled the other card will still function. Twice in recent years I have been called by Capital One and asked about a suspicious transaction in a location other than where I am, and both times Capital One took care of the issue without it costing me a cent. But the first occasion it left my wife and I without any credit card for about a week. Now that our Capital One cards have separate numbers, this problem would be avoided.

If you want more info about how to initiate the "securty freeze", drop me a personal message and I will get back to you.

 

[ChiefMuzz]

I put the words "Check ID" on the signature line of my credit cards, tip clerks that ask for it

I used tondo that as well until places started to refuse to accept my credit card without a proper signature. It wasn't just be or two, but almost all, that informed me they have been told to no longer accept any credit card without a proper signature. Now mine have the chips in them anyway.

 

[Rancher Will]

I don't know the policies of other Credit Card issuers but I can relate my one experience with American Express.

About a year ago, while my wife and I wee on a business trip to and from the Midwest, I stopped at a Truck Stop in Nebraska to refuel. Within a minute as I entered my AMEX Business Card into the diesel fuel pump my cell phone rang. It was my personal AMEX Representative in New York asking me if I had used my card a couple hours ago in California. I of course stated that I had not even been in California.

I explained where I was going, and where I might use my card again before we got home. I was instructed to go ahead and use my card at the diesel pump where we were then, use it as needed on our way home, and I was told that AMEX would guard the card usage for two days to give me time to get home.

I was told that a new card would be waiting for me in the mail within two days and the new card would replace the card I was using, with the old card cancelled in two days.

Two days later the new AMEX card was in our mailbox ready for me to phone and confirm it. The California charge never appeared on my monthly statement.

 

[Mobuck]

I had CC info stolen and used a year ago. It was a card I only use for business so I knew exactly where and when it had been used last(hotel where we had a training meeting wanted CC for "incidentals"). CC company called me immediately, stopped the transaction, and prosecuted the individual who tried to use the card. I went to my agency with the story and they switched hotel chains. Cost the hotel lots of $$ to lose the perennial business meetings simply because one of their desk employees was a thief.

 

[Jeepnik]

A few years ago I order stuff from LLBean two days later I get a call from them
and they tell me a large order was placed with a shipping address o Virgina. They
ask if that was me, no way I replied, come to find out it was the employee who took
my order. Low life are abundant I'm nervous and rarely do any more phone orders. ps

Had something similar happen with a store employee. She was a bright one. Used the card to send Western Union money transfer to her brother. On the third try Western Union called me and we shut the last two down.

When the idiot brother came to get the money, the Western Union folks called the police. He was arrested, and rolled over on the sister. They got probation, I'm sure that will deter them from their criminal ways. :evil:

 

[Jeepnik]

A suggestion which certainly will reduce the likelihood that someone opens a credit account in your name: initiate a "security freeze" with all three of the national credit agencies (Trans Union, Equifax and I can't think of the other one at this moment). I did this many years ago for both my wife and myself. It cost me a total of $60 ($10 for each of the three agencies for each of us). You send them a letter with certain identifying information and a check for $10. If anyone applies for a credit card the issueing bank checks with one or more of the three agencies, and with a "security freeze" in effect, no credit account will be started. The same holds for a thief trying to open a utility company account or something similar where the utility company does a credit check and encounters the freeze, and stops the process. The downside is that if you apply for a credit card, or some other loan or credit, you would first have to go through a temporary lifting of the freeze so that the company could successfully run a credit check on you. A bit of a pain, but not a major hassle (although one of the credit agencies, again I can't recall which one, charges $10 for the temporary lifting). Having these "security freeze" actions has been enough, so far, to keep me from having my identity stolen.

Another recommendation for those of you with only one credit card account. If both you and your spouse have the same number on the credit card, if the number gets compromised and the bank cancels the account, you will be without any credit for a number of days while waiting for the new cards to arrive. This can take up to 10 business days and if this happens while you are away from home on vacation it could cause you a major hassle. If the cards have different numbers (although they go back to a single account) like my Capital One credit account has, even if one card is canceled the other card will still function. Twice in recent years I have been called by Capital One and asked about a suspicious transaction in a location other than where I am, and both times Capital One took care of the issue without it costing me a cent. But the first occasion it left my wife and I without any credit card for about a week. Now that our Capital One cards have separate numbers, this problem would be avoided.

If you want more info about how to initiate the "securty freeze", drop me a personal message and I will get back to you.

I'm sorry, but "pay" them to secure your credit info? Sounds like a good old protection racket.

 

[volshooter]

Spot on Jeepnik! Talked to a very close friend in the banking business today. She said don't pay, the fraud alert was enough. She said the person who partially got into my data was definitely a pro. Commended me on my actions, that made my no tech savvy butt feel good. She also highly recommended CreditKarma.
We revisited the E-verify site today. Enough has been done by us that the sight would not even generate security questions for me. Site gave possible reasons for it and #2 on the list was dead on.
I am so thankful for my wife and especially CreditKarma for the speed the fraud was alerted.
It happened to nobody me, it can happen to you. Please, at least, look at CreditKarma. It's free and works.

 

[NixieTube]

One thing you might consider is purchasing a "reloadable" debit/credit card that you can put money into when you're shopping - say, around the Holiday season. It will cost a little more to put money into it, but you're completely insulated from having any of your bank accounts or other credit/debit card accounts exposed. If the information doesn't exist, it can't be stolen. A lot of the time you can load these cards at a convenience store with cash and the fee is relatively small.

I know. You shouldn't have to pay the fee. Banks should offer these free of charge to people with good accounts:

"Put $1000 on your Holiday Debit Card for $2.50 and don't worry."

It doesn't completely solve the problem but at the very least your losses would be limited to what's on the card, in the worst-case scenario - and you would know that the important stuff hadn't been compromised.

 

[vito]

The cost of a "security freeze" is well worth the almost totAl protection it gives and is a one time setup cost. I did this about 10 years ago and it was cheap for the peace of mind it gives me.