My boyfriends step mother ordered a whole bunch of things in his name. Magazines, collectables, and things online. We aren’t in contact with her and we live 3 states away from her. She opened a whole bunch of diffecet acconts in his name and I just called all of the places she ordered from to cancel them. Now I am wondering how to go about filing for fraud or identity theft. If someone has been through this before and knows the person who is doing it or you know how to go about filing for it. Please!!
Has anybody realized that even though identity theft is a huge cause for concern, some places are making it easy to do? For instance, my debit/credit cards state on the back “See ID” and NOBODY ever asks.. In some drive thru restaurants, you don’t need an ID or pin # for your debit card, not even a signature! Does anyone think this is bullsh*t? Also, some places are changing their policy on checks, where they just debit the account and void the check, but they never ask for ID or anything.. and the check doesn’t need to be signed.. Scary huh?
I am 18 years old and have had a perfectly clean criminal record up to date. I was recently arrested for making charges on a credit card that was stolen. I did not know it was stolen at the time of use. My friend gave it to me, telling me it was his mom’s, and I went to pick up some things for him with it. As of now I am being charged with Identity Theft (Felony Class 4) and Unauthorized Use of a Financial Transaction Device. With a good defense attorney, would it be at all possible to get my charges reduced or perhaps even dropped? I just really don’t want to do jail or prison time for a naive mistake.
Well, at the time he told me he got graduation money and his mom was letting him use her card. Thinking I had nothing to worry about I believed him. On a different subject, I didn’t exactly steal the person’s identity. They did not ask me for identification in the store I went to, and I told them it was not my card.
Hello,
I would like to make a brief introduction about myself. I am the lead singer/vocalist in a rock/pop band, The Embezzles, (name have been changed quite a few times within the past few months)and we’re very similar to Paramore and Linkin Park. We’re sort of a big deal in East Texas with an increasing fan base which continues to grow expendably great but we have a big problem communicating and contacting fans. We’ve tried everything from Post Office boxes, Private Mailboxes and social networking sties. Unfortunately, the Postal Services are on shaky ground. Postal Services have rules and regulations to combat mail fraud and other crimes committed using postal and private mailboxes which sounds convincing but the postal services are on the wrong side here.
Rather than protecting privacy they are seeking to invade it and rather than allowing some consumer choice they are looking to stifle what little competition exists. Unfortunately, scam artists also utilize the convenience of private mailboxes to hide illegal activities, such as credit card fraud, identity theft and schemes to swindle the elderly. In other words or simple terms, P.O. boxes and Private Mailboxes are growing concerns of the postal services used in order to single out P.O. boxes and PMB(private mailboxes) who have personal accounts instead of business accounts.
We would like to have an address rather than using one of our own physical home address because you guys are aware of fans(groupies) can be a bit psychotic at times when bands are in the limelight destined for stardom. Instead of selling merchandise, passing out flyers, etc. from our tour van/hotel (lol) J, we decided that we want to be able to reach fans outside of our 100 mile radius giving fans the opportunity to write personal letters to one our band members, pics or whatever the fans want to give their favorite band (The Embezzles ) <<<<
We were recommended on some international mail forwarding service sites but getting an international P.O. or Private box seems a little suspect, wouldn’t you agree? Although they offer great services they only require your personal information….sometimes to much information. I have scavenged many postal services sites and some websites seem a bit puzzling. Even though they have U.S. Postal Forms and identification requirements they false advertise and some sites even have numerous complaints from previous customers. If I were to come across one of these misleading websites how would I be able to recognize a true and faithful postal or forwarding service from any other website posing as a legit mail forwarding service? Are there any services that allows you to apply online if so this would be my first option to cut out the hassle and run around the postal services have been giving us.
Thanks for your all your time and help.
Identity theft is the most rapidly growing crime in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that around nine million Americans will have their identity stolen per year. Identity theft is severe and scary, and when this issue is knocking on your door, it can become overwhelming. Will your bank, lenders, and insurance company help protect you?
Many lenders, creditors, and insurance corporations do offer some variety identity theft protection for purchase. But, the trouble with ID theft insurance is that you may not get enough bang for your buck. Purchasing the insurance is relatively inexpensive, typically twenty to one hundred dollars per year, but if your policy is no good, the low price is meaningless.
Check your policy very carefully and examine what you will receive for your efforts. Some identity theft policies won’t cover legal costs or lost wages that may be incurred while dealing with your identity theft issues. Some companies only cover the cost of ID theft expenses like making telephone calls, making copies, and mailing documents.
The deductible lying on your policy should also factor into your decision as to whether or not ID theft insurance is right for you and your family. Some deductibles are as high as 1000 dollars, and because the average identity theft victim only pays around 1500 bucks to recover, a 1000-dollar deductible doesn’t serve much purpose.
Even if you’re lucky enough to get great coverage, you may want to consider the fact that you might be able to acquire identity theft protection free of charge. Some card businesses and banks provide identity theft support to customers at no cost. American Express is one such card. They offer 24-hour services for determining the severity of your case and what steps you should be taking to correct the problem.
ID theft insurance sounds like a good idea, but the benefits thereof are usually lacking. The editing staff of a foremost consumer publication reported that identification theft policies are characteristically not worth the cost. Why spend hard earned money for something that’s not going to provide you with the help you need or the coverage you require should the worse happen?
The good news is that you don’t have to wait until it happens to you to take steps to deal with identity theft There are lots of measures you can use to defend yourself. Keep your personal information under lock and key and pay close attention to your bills and watch for fraudulent charges. Shred documents that contain personal information. Request copies of each of your 3 credit reports in order to check them for illegal accounts.
Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. A little proactivity on your part now can prevent a lot of heartache later.
By: Caden Flynn
About the Author:
Identity thieves take advantage of everyday opportunities to discover your personal information and use it to commit fraud or other crimes. The good news is a victim of identity theft has more options today than ever before. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there are four important actions you can take to minimize the credit damage caused by circumstances beyond your control.
1. Contact any of the three major credit bureaus. Speak to someone in the fraud department and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two will automatically place one on your report as well. With a fraud alert in place, creditors must contact you before opening any new accounts in your name or changing any details of your existing accounts.
Then request a free copy of your credit report from each one. Review all of your credit information looking for unauthorized accounts, charges, or changes. Check the accuracy of your name, address, phone number, Social Security number (SSN), past employers, and any other personal information. Request any inaccuracies be corrected by notifying the bureaus by phone and follow up in writing by using certified mail, return receipt requested, so you will have documentation of all requests and responses by the bureaus. The addresses for each bureau are listed at the end of this article.
Continue to check your reports every few months, especially in the first year after you have lost your personal information.
2. Contact the creditors for the accounts that have been altered or opened without your permission. This includes bank accounts, credit card companies, lenders, utilities, phone companies, Internet service providers, and any other services that may be opened fraudulently. Contact the company’s fraud department b phone and follow up with a letter.
The FTC offers the “ID Theft Affidavit” to dispute new accounts, available at ftc.gov. To dispute charges on existing accounts, request the company’s fraud dispute forms.
If you suspect that a thief has been passing bad checks in your name, close the account immediately and notify your bank. Contact the major check verification services and ask that the retailers who use their databases stop accepting your checks for purchases. To find out if an identity thief has been writing checks in your name, call SCAN at 1-800-262-7771. The three major check verification services are:
• TeleCheck – Call 1-800-710-9898 or 927-0188.
• Certegy, Inc. – Call 1-800-437-5120.
• International Check Services – Call 1-800-631-9656.
3. The third step to take if you believe you are a victim of identity theft is to file a police report. Request a copy of the report for your records and to send to creditors for verification of the crime. Unfortunately, 61% of victims in 2004 did not notify the police of identity theft crimes.
4. Finally, file a complaint with the FTC to help law enforcement across the country track identity thieves and catch them. You will also be referred to other useful government agencies and consumer organizations to help you recover from identity theft. Contact the FTC in any of the following ways:
• Call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338);
• Write Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580;
• Or visit the ftc dot gov websites and surf idtheft
5. If you have a substantial credit damage claim, call CM Financial at 714 441-0900. If you have been turned down for a loan, lost a job, or possibly had to pay significantly more interest fees because damage to your credit score due to circumstances beyond your control, you may have a credit damage claim. Now with a newly developed process called Credit Damage Measurement, you can measure the financial loss you have sustained and as a result, receive fair compensation.
These five steps should resolve most of your credit problems after becoming a victim of identity theft. However, stay alert for new occurrences. Review your credit report every year and report any problems to creditors immediately both by phone and in writing. With diligence and a little patience, you can recover your good name.
As promised, here is the location and contact information for he three credit bureaus to report fraud:
• Equifax – Call 1-800-525-6285; write P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241; or visit equifax dot comfor more information.
• Experian – Call 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); write P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013; or visit experian dot com for more information.
• TransUnion – Call 1-800-680-7289; write Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790; or visit tuc dot com for more information.
By: Cathy Taylor
About the Author:
Teen’s Credit Ruined By Identity Theft
Thieves can steal credit card information in several different ways.
i ordered something off of amazon and after that i ran a scan using malware bites and something hijacker.display properties came up..shoud i be worried about someone taking my credit card number?
Im 19 yrs old and have never had a credit card before. My mother disappeared when I was about 5 years old and I wanted to find her, so I went on the Intelius people search website and asked my boyfriend’s dad to use his credit card to charge 1.95 to see the results of my mother’s adresses. Next thing you know I go back on the website and find that I have been automatically subscribed to a monthly service of 19.95 for an “identity theft protection” service that was NOWHERE in the fine print, which I actually did read. So I called the Intelius customer service number on the site, and told them I never applied for this and I wanted it removed immediately, as well as the account. Well they refunded the 19.95 (it says it on the site) but the account is still there.
I did my research (which I know, I know I should have done beforehand) and found out that Intelius is a huge worldwide scammer. I have heard horror stories of Intelius handing out credit card information to unrelated websites and people being randomly charged for things such as internet that they had no idea about. I have heard of people charging .95 for a reverse phone number look up and next thing they know they have been charged $200 in the next few days for various things.
I need this stopped now, this is not my credit card and I can not have them charging up someone else’s card. What steps do I take to prevent Intelius from charging his card any more than they already have?
BTW they do have “security certificates” on their webpage, but I just recently found out that they stole them and none of these security companies know anything about Intelius.
