identity theft

[metallicat]

Well I don't know if this goes here or gears and gadgets. Anyway got a letter that my personal information including my social security number was stolen from Citifinancial where I have an inactive account. (I got one of those 90 days same as cash deals and paid it off, but the girl convinced me not to close the account just in case.)

This really pissed me off and I think these companies should be strictly liable then maybe they won't have so many accidents. After all they have to get your permission to use your picture but can just scour the internet and sell your private information.

This is the second incident in the past year where I was concerned over identity theft. The first was a case of mistaken identity where some sleaze ball collection agency was writing me nasty letters about a credit card account I never had. My first thought was o sh-t someone's stolen my identity. The second was I never lived in that state.

Anyway I'm seriously looking into those credit monitoring services and was just wondering if you all had any recommendations. Identityguard looks good.

 

[Cougar Allen]

This sounds like you're asking a serious question and not just ranting. I guess I'll move this thread to TGB&U ... it has to do with buying something....

 

[SIFU1A]

i had a collection agency calling me about an account, name was CLOSE to mine, but not me, had a hard time convincing them it wasnt me, cursed them one PM for calling at suppertime and they threatened me with some US gov't code lol, i told them if ya dont wanna get cursed out dont call me anymore, i eventually had to have my cousin (an attorney) give them a shout, never heard from them again.

ID theft is bad though a bud got ripped off someone got his info, credit cards, checking account, he's still trying to sort it all out after almost 2 yrs.

 

[Ryan8]

This really pissed me off and I think these companies should be strictly liable then maybe they won't have so many accidents. After all they have to get your permission to use your picture but can just scour the internet and sell your private information.

Yes, the United States has no meaningful data protection laws. Thank your bought-off politicians. You can also thank the bloated federal government that likes to buy this information themselves, thus skirting the protections in the Bill of Rights.

Anyway I'm seriously looking into those credit monitoring services and was just wondering if you all had any recommendations. Identityguard looks good.

It's rather ironic that you have to end up paying companies that buy and sell your information and are partially responsible for identity theft.

Depending upon what part of the country you're in, you may be entitled to a free annual credit report. See annualcreditreport.com. Unfortunately it isn't a monitoring service but it's a start.

 

[ZENGHOST]

I just recently got my free credit report at the above link due to a problem with my CC. I tried to use it last week and was informed that my card was declined (a one dollar test charge). This freaked me out a little since I rarely use my CC and should be nowhere near my limit. After looking like a moron to the cashier, I rushed home and checked my card online. At first it looked okay, but then I noticed that the status was "lost." I immediately called the CC company to find out that my card was one of the 40 million compromised cards in that big Visa/Mastercard thing on the news. Apparently they cancelled my card upon finding out and decided that it cost too much to let me know that they cancelled it. I don't know when exactly they cancelled it, but it was at least a week before I got my new card (I just got it today). It was already an embarrassing situation, but it could have been worse and I was totally pissed that no one thought it necessary to inform me of the problem. My biggest problem is that I only have one CC so I wasn't able to charge anything for the last week. The stupidest thing was that I wanted to get the upgraded credit report but had no fricking CC to charge it to. I plan on looking into the credit monitoring services. On the bright side it forced me to finally do a credit check, which everyone should do especially now that you get one free a year (actually three--one per company per year). I am also likely going to get a backup CC for this sort of situation. What a pain in the ass.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

Credit cards are the evil of todays society. Or is that the credit card companies? Anyway, after I pay mine off, never again.

 

[ARtsig1]

You hear about identity theft but always figure your immune to it yourself, at least I always thought so until a couple weeks ago when I got wiped out by someone posing as me. It is not a good feeling to go online and open your account and see a nearly zero balance and payouts to places you've never heard of. Luckily most, if not all, of my funds will be put back in to the account. I canceled the debit/credit card associated with the account and received another one with all different info of course. NOW the second one has been compromised and I've had to get a third card. As soon as this is straightened out I'll cancel the account entirely and do something else. Just remember....it can happen to anyone!

 

[ZENGHOST]

You hear about identity theft but always figure your immune to it yourself, at least I always thought so until a couple weeks ago when I got wiped out by someone posing as me. It is not a good feeling to go online and open your account and see a nearly zero balance and payouts to places you've never heard of. Luckily most, if not all, of my funds will be put back in to the account. I canceled the debit/credit card associated with the account and received another one with all different info of course. NOW the second one has been compromised and I've had to get a third card. As soon as this is straightened out I'll cancel the account entirely and do something else. Just remember....it can happen to anyone!

That's messed up, Art--my problems are absolutely miniscule compared to yours. Two times with two different cards from the same institution? Maybe an inside job?