Anybody had their identity stolen?

[SUOrangeGuy]

I noticed some suspicious charges on my credit card today and spent a couple hours hopefully getting it all sorted out. On the 15th someone purchased two subscriptions to adult websites (They were suspicious because they're not my usual sites. j/k) The credit card #, exp date, and CVN were mine but the email address and name were not. They've transferred my account to a new number and have refunded the charges but now I'm paranoid as to where the leak came from. They are going to investigate. I'm probably going to change all my account numbers over the next week just to be safe as some sites I use have more than one of my cards on file. This is the first time I've ever had something like this happen to me as I'm usually so careful. I only keep my accounts on file at reputable online stores and I use virtual cards as well.

Any advice?

[ElkTwin]

I've read that about 80% of this type of activity comes from wait staff copying your CC info and selling it to augment their income. The only times it has happened to me they traced the leak to a clerk in a large superstore who noted my info while I was distracted.

It sucks, bro, but the bottom line is that you can be pretty sure it was your credit card number and not your identity that was stolen. Real identity thieves don't just charge a couple of $10 subscriptions, they open dozens of accounts in your name and leave a trail of devastation a mile wide.

[RedSoxFan]

My sister had has had a lot of trouble with this. I am getting her a subscription to Life Lock for Xmas to try and end the troubles... You should look into it, if it truly does what it claims it does, it is well worth the money. I found a promo code (RD41) that will get you a year for $99. If all they have is a credit card number it shouldnt be too bad, but if they have your social and personal info then it could be a long, bad ride. From my sisters experience, it happened once on a credit card, then a couple months later, people were opening new cards and cell phones in her name.

[kansashat]

I take comfort in the fact that my lack of solvency has created a safety zone.

[LeafHog]

Originally Posted by kansashat

I take comfort in the fact that my lack of solvency has created a safety zone.

Funny, your sister said you say the same thing about your ED.

[bobarian]

I would recommend a complete credit check. There are several good services, maybe even one available through your bank. Get a printout of all your current accounts, someone may have opened other accounts in your name. Best to nip this in the bud before your credit rating goes in the toilet.

[MithShrike]

I didn't have my ID stolen but my cousin's husband bought a **** subscription with my CC once.

[floydpink]

My company, one of the most recognizable names in lodging, had about 1 million customers and associate identities stolen by a former employee apparantly.

They gave over a million subscriptions to identity guard for a year away, which costs a lot of money and apparantly, there was no damage done.

My youngest brother was intellegence in the Marines before getting out and working in identity protection for a large insurance company. He recently said US corporations are losing BILLIONs to identity theft.

I am ultra paranoid about this as it can take years to get back on track after having your identity stolen.

Off topic:

I recently recieved a very official looking email claiming to be ****** asking for my bank info to "unfreeze my account" It was even on a page that had the ****** logo. Somthing looked strange and my spidey senses started tingling so I called and it turned out to be a phishing scam.

Considering how many gorillas use ******, be careful.

[Papichulo]

It happened to me 15 years ago with one of those instant check loans for $800. It took me ten years to straighten it out. Go get a credit check periodically and keep a close eye on your CCs when not physically in your hand.

[SUOrangeGuy]

The bank I have the card through provides me with a credit report free whenever I want it. I check it often and it is still clean. I never thought of the fact that it could have been taken by a clerk or waitperson who had the card in their hand. I like this idea much better than the alternative where more info could have been taken. I hope all they got was the the CC# and so far I think I'm in the clear.

Thanks for the replies.

[BigDawgFan]

We actually have a separate checking account for online shopping that is not our primary checking account. We never provide our CC #'s online but instead transfer money into this "shopping" account. We've had someone gain access to this account but with a limited amount of money in it there was a limited amount of damage that could be done. Also the bank investigated it and refunded our money. Just my

[Funnymantrip]

About 10 months ago my wife and I were both gotten at the same time. I noticed that there was a 49.99 charge to a dating website and it was off my debit card. The same day there were 2 little purchases from websites that sell software, these were done on my wifes card.

When I called the dating website to inquire per my bank, they told me that the name and card matched up but my social, address, phone did not. They would not give me the information.

Bank got the funds right back in and we have since stopped shopping online from home. The bank said it sounded like a kid, if I pro got it I would have woken up to the dreaded $0.00 in the account.

[vstrommark]

Originally Posted by SUOrangeGuy

I noticed some suspicious charges on my credit card today and spent a couple hours hopefully getting it all sorted out. On the 15th someone purchased two subscriptions to adult websites (They were suspicious because they're not my usual sites. j/k) The credit card #, exp date, and CVN were mine but the email address and name were not. They've transferred my account to a new number and have refunded the charges but now I'm paranoid as to where the leak came from. They are going to investigate. I'm probably going to change all my account numbers over the next week just to be safe as some sites I use have more than one of my cards on file. This is the first time I've ever had something like this happen to me as I'm usually so careful. I only keep my accounts on file at reputable online stores and I use virtual cards as well.

Any advice?

Yes, a lot.

I recommend that you check out the FTC Identity Theft web site: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ as well as the DOJ site: http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/...s/idtheft.html You are in NY, so here are some useful sites to check:

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/consumer/...ft_victim.html
http://101-identitytheft.com/identit...t-new-york.htm
http://www.consumer.state.ny.us/security_freeze.htm

Also check with the credit card company, as they may be required to provide you with no-cost access to your credit report for a period of time. You can also access your credit report for free (just the base info) for all three major reporting companies once a year: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/...eereports.shtm

While B&M stores that run your CC are major sources of compromise, online stores are also problematic. If you have used your CC lately online, especially at a new venue, you may want to check to ensure that the transaction was secure (HTTPS in the URL line when the CC info was collected or the use of the newer securely encrypting java apps for the data collection).

Also, ask your CC company about all charge attempts - there may be some attempts where the card was denied that could give some more information as to when it was stolen.

[White97Jimmy]

Years ago, I had my card # stolen, from all places, through Nextel's main billing center. Somebody who worked there thought that I should pay for a radiator for their 80's Oldsmobile. It sucked for a month while I tried to get everything reversed, but it worked out in the end.

Now that I deal with fraud investigations all day long as part of my job, I can tell you that it can happen to anyone, and it happens all the time. Check fraud is the fastest declining fraud right now, although it still happens (not very many people write checks anymore). Credit card fraud is pretty regular. Most credit card #'s are stolen by someone on the job, then sold to people who use them for fencing type operations.

I also saw a lot of couterfeiting this holiday season. There have been many cases of counterfeit money orders and traveler's checks.

[Major Captain Silly]

I keep my identity parked on the street, unlocked, with the keys in it hoping it will be stolen but it's still there every morning when I get up.

MCS

I should get paid to be this funny!