Identity Theft

[Concerned]

I had a credit card number stolen last October. The company caught it at the time it was used IN AUSTRALIA to charge $5K worth of computer equipment and software online. We don't know how the theft of the number occurred because it was a card that I had not used for about 6 months prior to the theft ... and I had not lost the card nor my wallet.

There is a site called www.anybirthday.com. Below is a note from one of my old high school classmates about that site. You might want to follow up on it. Access the site, use the search function to see if you are in the database. Then go back to the start and click on "privacy" and follow the instructions to delete your information if you are concerned about identity theft. Be sure to look up your information after a few minutes following the delete to make sure it has truly been removed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Searched anybirthday.com and found many classmates listed there. You might advise everyone that they really do need to check it. One of the classes that I teach is on ID Theft and this is one of the first sites that people visit to start a process of ID theft. There are many others but this one makes it very easy. With a name and a birthday you can get the social security number and it snow balls from there. Average time before someone realizes their ID has been stolen is one year.

[perchjerker]

THANKS!!!

thats freaking scary. I have a friend who is a private invesigator. He tells me with a birthdate, you can do a lot of damage!

[Juls_OH]

Thanks for the heads up...I was listed and removed my data.

Juls

[TJ]

Juls:

How will we ever know when to send you your birthday presents now?

:)

TJ

[Concerned]

Just one more point ... ladies, be sure to check under your maiden name too. My wife's name was in there under her maiden name as well as her married name.

[JBL]

Found my info in there too, the zip code was 6 years out of date though. Where do they get this stuff? Does the state have to release it under some sort of freedom of information act law?

[Ness]

I wasn't there... for once, I'm glad that I was left out of something...

[skipjackoh]

was there

[Don L.]

I wasn't,but I wonder if I am now.

[GrandPops]

This is something I have done with my credit cards. Send them a letter stating that NO charges are to be autherized that are to be shipped to an alternate shipping address without your prior approval, only to your billing address.
This stopped a guy trying to order something off of one of my cards.

Most credit card companies will not ship to alternate shipping addresses unless you have notified them to approve the address.

Most of you likely do this anyway but make sure to check your statement EVERY month for charges that you did not make. Ask your spouse about these to make sure that they did not make the charge and if not contact the credit card company and they can track that item down through the company that made the charge.

I do most all my ordering online for computer parts. In the last 3 years have only had 1 case where someone has tryed ( note I said TRYED) to use one of my credit cards. The company the order was placed through contacted me due to the credit card company not approving the charge. Both the credit card company and the vender co-operated with the proper athorities and the person that tryed to make the chagres got a visit from the athorities.

Keep Your Rod Bent !!
GrandPops

[Dan]

Adding to the id theft thread: The next time that you have your personal checks printed, make sure that you have only the first letter of your first name printed. In the event that your checks get into the wrong hands, only you, your spouse and your bank know how you sign your checks.

[Mike]

SubSeven Backdoor Trojan Horse programs are rampant out there and the ISP's are rarely notified of computer access violations by the average guy with internet security, let alone the average guy with NO internet security.

I picked up Norton Internet Security and stopped numerous intrusion attempts on my computer. Reported EVERY attempt as immediate as possible. Must have drove the isp nuts as there were NUMEROUS attempts. Eventually they were reduced to just a few attempts in a month. Will not go without internet security. Your numbers are stored on your computer in places you do not know, usually associated with web pages that get stored. Those need protection!

[mr ducks]

I too was there but GONE NOW!!!!

[jbuck]

Please go to www.truthorfiction.com and click on internet. Scroll to bottom of page and read the facts about this rumor. Save the url to your favorites so you can check out all the email rumors etc.

[oh?]

And the guy teaching the college level class on identity theft does not know what he is talking about????

[perchjerker]

Beleive me, a lot can be done with a birthdate if it gets into the wrong hands. If someone knows where you live along with it, all he would have to do is steal your mail or garbage a few times to start piecing things together and do real damage.

[jbuck]

to oh, evidently not. Have you read the facts on that page???

[thanks]

Yep I was on it and my bro and father
Gone now
thanks

[@Fishy4U]

The bottom line on all this credit card stuff is a holder's maximum liability is only $50 and that is in case you don't report unauthorized charges. Any motel, restraurant, bait shop, whatever can use your card numbers for unauthorized charges so I wouldn't worry about mom's maiden name, etc.

Bottom line, very little liability on the consumer end.

[perchjerker]

Theres more to it than simple credit card theft. Someone can steal your idenity, get a drivers licence, open bank accounts, get loans, etc. This isnt new news here. Identity crime is a major problem, not a $50 annoyance.

[eyewitness]

Tell that to my buddy who had almost $100,000 in bogus debt accrued in less than two weeks time, before his accounts were frozen. then he had to figure out what was up with every single account and deal with each one seperately. It took him nearly three months to straighten out. Oh yea, then he had to straighten out his credit reports. Not one but all of the major ones that can get reviewed by potential creditors. Talk about a nightmare!!!!

[Another]

A fellow worker had her identity stolen. She spent literally HUNDREDS of hours correcting the problem. Even after it was all straightened out, she told me that she was having problems getting loans that would have been a slam dunk before this happened to her.