I'm a victim of identity theft.......

[Polly]

Yep, it's true. That's why I haven't been around much recently.

Was routinely checking my bank balances and found that 2/3rds of my money market fund had been electronically tranferred to 3 new accounts - 2 at Ally Bank and one at Scottrade. I have never opened any such accounts. However, they had been opened in my name, using my SSN and apparently a copy of my driver's license. And they knew the actual acct number, as well as the answers to my security questions. That really upset me, since I have always been so careful to shred or burn old statements, keep things hidden, never leave anything in the mailbox, etc.

Anyway, I have spent much of my time since, filing a police report, checking all of my credit, setting up a fraud alert, speaking with the fraud investigators at the institutions, changing all of my account numbers, PINs, passwords, etc. And yes, I was doing online banking. My bank insists that their firewalls are non-hackable and that someone close to me must have gotten my personal info. I don't believe that for a second. I countered that it could have been an inside job!

Anyway, just wanted you to know what a stressful week I'm having. Such is life. Sigh. The good news is that all of the $$$ has been recovered and is now back in my acct.

Love,

Polly

[Rosie]

Geez, that's scary. I love the convenience of electronic bill-paying and banking, but it sure does come with a cost...... I have a friend who was applying for a volunteer position a few months ago that required a background check. Imagine her surprise when she found out that someone else had been using her Social Security number for the past 30 years!! And it was even a guy!! He had quite a police record, and was evidently was trying to keep one step ahead of the law. Fortunately he never tried to access her bank accounts! But it took a lot of time and effort to get it straightened out..... It sounds like your problems ended up OK, but not without a lot of panic and worry!

Rosie

[starfire]

Oh my Gosh, Polly!!

How awful. I can just imagine how you felt....... and feel. Can't imagine what you must have been through to get it straightened out.

It's bad enough when someone gets your credit card number...... Your experience is much worse.
I don't think anything electronic is "safe" anymore.

Your experience has just reconfirmed my resistance to online banking. However, I'm not at all sure that our accounts are safe even then.



Love, Shirley

[tex]

Polly,

Wow! I'll bet you have been busy getting that all straightened out. It's kind of surprising, (and probably very fortunate), that you were able to discover the problem before any of the money had been withdrawn.

When someone tells you that their firewall is "unhackable", you immediately know one of two things:

1. You're talking with a liar.

or

2. You're talking with a fool.

No firewall is "unhackable", and no one who knows very much about computers, and security systems, would make such a brash claim.

Having said that, be aware that your personal information may have been stolen straight off your computer, by way of the internet. Be sure to set your browser to clear your personal information, (including form history, cookies, etc.), at the end of every session, and it's probably a good idea to set it so that it will not accept third party cookies, also. Remember that whoever is was, still has your SSN, and your DL#. Hopefully, though, they will be afraid to try to use that information in the future.

Run a good "malware" detection program, to make sure that someone hasn't installed a key-logging program on your computer, to collect information. They can be installed, remotely, and the data collected will be automatically sent back, without your knowledge.

Love,
Tex

[Gabes-Apg]

polly
that is a huge thing to deal with - but fanastic you got your moula back so quickly.

i am very very particular about identity fraud. When registering on websites i use a slightly different birthdate (day and year is changed slightly) i have been doing this for 10 years.
(so my birthdate for this site is not correct)

there is only my main bank account and drivers licence that has the correct birthdate.
since doing all my family history stuff (and that people can see on a website what the maiden name of my mother is etc)
I now use a name that is 'somewhere' in the family tree so again no one can know what i am using

i have a system for work passwords and a system for personal passwords. (and they are different)
and i change work ones monthly and I change personal ones every quarter, i use words that are not in the dictionary

i have a 'gabes specially coded data base that keeps track of this info. i first did all this when i left an abusive marriage, i set up additional passwords on all my accounts etc
as incidences of identity fraud and internet hacking has heightened i have upgraded my tactics.
no-one, not even a sibling or close friend could figure out my coding, birthdates and other key passwords.

this is going to make me sound like a real recluse conspriratist.....
- I burn/shred any statement or letter that has my full name
- when i cut up old credit cards into 15 or more pieces, i put the bits of plastics in different bins while out and about (i piece at work, i piece at the shopping centre, i piece at home) takes me about 2 weeks to dispose of that
- i have a post office box for my mail
-I have a small limit credit card not connected to my main account that i use for internet purchases and travelling.

touch wood - to date i have not have any issues....

[Polly]

Morning!

Thanks for your concern! It helps. And thanks for the good tips too. Tex, several folks I talked to also suggested we have the computer "scrubbed" before using it again. We may just get a new one, since this one is so old and there are some good prices on new ones. You confirmed what I suspected about "unhackable". Also, apparently we are more at risk using a wireless setup to do secure business. (I didn't).

Rosie, I love the convenience of online baking too. I will do it again eventually, once I better learn how to protect myself. Shirley, I waited forever to do online banking because of the same doubts you have. Gabes, wow! You've given me some great advice. One thing I have never done is change user names/passwords on a regular basis. In fact, I was priding myself on the fact that I was able to use the same password for everything. Wrong! And I thought I was so smart using my mom's maiden name for a security question - it is French, unusual, and even my hubby/friends wouldn't know it. Wrong again - I guess it's on legal documents as well as genealogy websites. I now know that it would be better to use the name of my first pet, for example.

At least I have learned a lot from this experience that hopefully will help me in the future.
Also, it was reassuring to learn that there are checks/balances in the electronic banking system. Scottrade had already frozen the acct because the crooks had tried too quickly to electronically transfer the $$$ to a BB&T acct in someone else's name.....apparently this violated existing regulations to prevent money laundering.

You know, it seems that all of our personal info is readily available if anyone really wants it. At the doctor's office, they now routinely make a copy of your driver's license (to prevent someone else from using your health insurance), and of course, anyone over 65 has a Medicare card (probably in their wallet) with the SSN in large print on the front.

Love,

Polly

[MaggieRedwings]

HI Polly,

Well I sure sympathize with what you have been through. My boss was a victim of identity theft a couple of years ago and it took forever to straighten things out.

Thanks to Gabe and Tex for the great information they gave. I will put it to good use.

Also, I will not online bank until they make me do it. Just not my thing.

Love, Maggie

[barbaranoela]

POLLY---awful thing to go thru but fortunately U got every thing settled *PRONTO*-----that was a true miracle~~~~

To think they even got all your passwords and the security names that I hear U have to use---

Even going to DR.s---U have to give megga info and when U pop into a hospital----think of all the many noses that go thru peoples files---awful to say but yet it does happen--

Happy to hear all is corrected--
luve Barbara

[annie oakley]

Polly, I am so sorry this has happened to you. I must get 5 or 6 calls a day from customers that have had this happpen and only found out when they got an alert from a credit reporting agency. It;s scarey.
Love Oma