Identity theft

November of last year someone took $600 out of my checking account, I reported it and bank gave me the $ back. January 1st they hit me for $1000, again, bank refunded the $, now My HR department e mailed me saying that someone has filed for un employment benefits under my name and SS#. I am and have been with the same company for 25 years and did not do this so has anyone had any experience with identity theft? LifeLock worth it or no? I see you can go to the social security web page and lock your SS#. Not sure what to do.

 

Never experienced identity theft, but received letters from government entities who lost my personal information on more than 3 occasions... but from what I've been informed you need to file a police report to get a ball rolling. Lock your ss# like you stated, and call the big 3 credit bureaus and lock your credit. Police report 1st, because credit bureaus usually charge you for this service unless you have backing like a police report and or some evidence on your info being compromised.. it will be annoying, but every time you apply for anything you will get a phone call, if you don't answer, you will be declined until you call them back.. open a new bank account and transfer your stuff over, check other social media accounts and other services like your cell phone and Amazon to ensure you're not ordering stuff..

 

Wow - the closest I have come is having someone try to open a cell phone account in my name several years ago. My personal preference is the death penalty for people caught stealing identities. There is no way to "accidentally" do this, and it can cause long term issues for the victims.

 

You have to call the credit companies and freeze everything so I have read.

Not sure how it is done but you may want to find a company that can help you with it.

Your information is being sold some place.

 

Sign up for LifeLock. I’ve had it for years mainly for peace of mind. I’ve also had no identify theft issues knock on wood.

edit...I wanted to add this article as well:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-finance/lifelock-2020-review/

 

we've got lifelock as well. only one major breach since we've been using it but i don't think it was their fault. somehow, someone called wells fargo and made a transfer via phone that emptied our account. still not sure how that was even possible to do over the phone but it happened.

prior to lifelock, we would have an incident every few months. since lifelock (almost 5 years), we've only had the one.

 

I went through it a few years ago. Someone started buying stuff at Best Buy and Staples using my information. He also bought a cell phone with my account, which he used to buy the other stuff - used the phone to get delivery information etc. I got the phone number from the Best Buy order - called it and he answered it using my name. I just about flipped. Horrible feeling. He also had all my online account information - he was able to log in and change my password faster than I could keep up doing it to try and lock him out.
Sad thing is that the Police was useless in this case. I tried to file a report, but they did not even want to do it; said that it is cyber crime and outside their jurisdiction. I ended up just working with the bank to get my accounts closed and opened new ones. I also locked my credit so I get notifications if anyone tries to pull a credit report.

 

My husband has someone steal his identity and had been collecting unemployment benefits and the extra $600 stipend from May 2020 until Nov 2020 when he actually lost his job and went to file and they were like "you already filed..". He got unemployment info in May and called the god damned unemployment office to verify he didn't file for anything and they said they would "flag his information". Well, obviously it slipped their minds.

He had to file a police report, call all of the credit bureaus, and put a freeze on everything. Almost 3 months later- still no unemployment access and nobody at the Mass Unemployment Office know what the hell is going on. He had to sell his house and move up to Maine with me. I feel terrible for the people do who don't have that option or support system.. After the tyrant he worked for the last 15 years, he's going back into self-employment. We don't know how his info was accessed but he did something where he gets notified if his credit report is accessed (I wasn't paying attention but that was the gist he gave me).

One big thing is the skimmers at the gas pumps. I have one credit card and it's specifically for use at gas pumps only then I immediately pay it off. I've had it skimmed twice now and was able to cancel both attempted transactions. Friggin thieving douchebags everywhere.

 

I only get gas at Costco. Use their CC. All credit bureaus are locked (Free). Wife and kids locked. Don't apply for squat. Funnel everything through a major cc and never use a debit. No problem in years.

 

That seems like an overreaction...

 

Until it happens to you

 

This; I've had it done to me twice (same account), and frankly it was likely my own fault, as both times it happened, I'd gone to a gas station or ATM outside the normal places I usually go.

I've been doing for a while what many recommend, and it's likely why I don't have many issues:

- pay gas with CC and immediately pay it off
- ONLY pull $ out of ATMs @ the bank if at all possible
- ONLY get gas from locations I know and trust if at all possible
- 2FA on every single online account
- immediately cancel any cards that get hacked and get new ones
- have actually gone so far as to change banks/bank accounts the one time I did get seriously hacked
- lock CC bureau

 

Death Penalty

Death Penalty

There is no possible way to accidentally steal someone's identity. The victim often has to deal with the consequences for the rest of their life, and most of the time never recovers everything that was lost. I could be persuaded to go with life in prison without any possibility of parole, but then society is paying for that criminal may times over. I also believe the penalty should be nearly immediate. Allow for one appeal, to be handled quickly. The reason the death penalty is not a good deterrent today is that it takes 20 years to finally be put to death. Obviously, the death penalty does not totally eliminate crimes like murder, etc., if administered quickly, it deters a large number. And prison? While it is not the Ritz, there are WAAAAAY too many "rights" given to the criminal, often at the emotional expense of the victim. Victim's rights are extremely minimal.

And although I see your reasoning that the ultimate punishment may be too harsh for non-murder crimes, in this case identity theft, I believe society is increasingly worse off due to punishments not fitting the crimes. In some cases the punishment is much too harsh for breaking a law that is more political than protective. But crimes that hurt others, and not just physically, should be dealt with particularly harshly. There is no deterrence to a lot of these crimes because they get plea bargained down. And even when they are reduced, they are not nearly harsh enough.

I hope I have made my point. I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

I am not a very aggressive person, but when I called the scammer and he answered the phone in my name, I wanted to reach through the phone and rip his throat out. It's the most violated feeling ever. I was willing to apply deadly force at that time; one of very few times in my life that I felt that way.

 

Not sure I'd go death penalty on the first offense, because it might be somebody pressured into it or an idiot kid not thinking. A really bad caning or lashing, that I would be fine with. Then if it happened again, capital punishment is on the table.

At the same time, if it were a case like what @Boerseun dealt with... bullet in the head and remains used as fertilizer, because that person is shit.

 

Yes, it is one thing if someone steal from me because he is going hungry or his kids need something - I will go and give him more than what he took from me. But this guy (all identity theft scammers) did not steal "from me", he stole "me". I am sure there were no hungry kids behind his actions.

 

“Identity theft is not a joke, Jim!”

But, seriously... if someone hacks your checking account close it immediately and open a new one. Same with credit cards.

Homeowners insurance often times covers identity theft. You may have protection and not know it.

 

We've never had an issue either, none.

OP, seems like LifeLoc is putting the cart before the horse, huh ? Good luck.

 

A few years ago I went to Kuwait and rented a car through Hertz using a Citibank card. A few months later I was in Monterey, CA and rented another car. Checked my Citibank account after that and had a charge for gas in Kuwait. I think the thief was just testing to see if the card number worked. I called Citibank and told them the charges were fraudulent. The lady said she saw I rented a car in CA and asked if I was sure I didn’t get the gas. I had to explain that I did not drive from CA to Kuwait to get gas. After that I asked if she was sending a new card, and she asked why I would need a new card and number. I had to write a statement and mail it to them to get the fraudulent charges removed.

 

Cutting both hands off for first offense seems reasonable enough.........

 

Sounds like a great reason to not do business with Citibank

 

Be proactive instead of reactive

 

It s happened to me, and, still have to agree with @Cpl_Punishment. The one who did it to me is kicking back in a 6x9 cell. I m good with that.

 

And everyone else in society has to pay for their keep. Who is really being punished here?



I'm exaggerating and poking the bear. Don't read too much into it.

Just some google math.






Using the above numbers that's 2.3 Million at an average of $31k per year... $71,300,000,000 to house prisoners in a year. Now, not all are identity thieves. I'd even wager that a small number are, but if you save pennies you save dollars.



33% of the population affected by it.... There needs to be a better deterrent.

 

I had something similar except the fool who was trying to be me had a bank of america debit card made with my name, and his picture on it. He had it sent to my address, and my x got mail before he could hijack it. From there it was begining of the end for him.

 

That s the thing. I don t read into the theft too much either. It s less stress.

 

Thinking of it all in the most balanced approach as I can all I can say is; the best offense is a good defense.

 

3X3 would be more of a wake up call....

 

That sounds like a reasonable compromise. I'd back off of the death penalty for that.

It has been years since I was targeted more than someone getting lucky and guessing my credit card info. This is due to playing defense. I locked my credit down at all three big reporting bureaus and got cards with companies that are proactive in defending against fraud (USAA and Capital One). I even got a little TOO defensive. I locked my kid's credit using their SS #'s before they started kindergarten. Well, when it came time for my son to apply for some credit, it was locked and I couldn't find the login info (waaaaay before LastPass!). We had to send in all kinds of proof to them before they let him set up his own account with them to monitor his own credit.