Identity and/or Credit Card Theft - IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU! (NOT SPAM!)

[cam2fst4u]

then it sounds like the police aren't doing their job

[Scott@Bjorn3D]

Once you get it all fixed check into LifeLock. We have it and can't even by a car or open any kind of charge account with all kinds of security checks and passwords to be answered.

[The Dark Knight]

That sucks bro. That's why I never leave my car unlocked! Not even for a quick run! Live and learn buddy.

Well...I got one story...but it doesn't involve me. I'm annal about where I leave my wallet/phone and for how long lol

I took my wife (fiancee at the time) to get her a brand new bike at Wal-Mart. I took my lil bro too with us. She was browsing through all the bikes and found one she liked. But since I spotted a Camaro Concept Die-Cast...I walked away. So she relied on my bro to hold her purse. And she rode off on the bike...him being like me...something caught his eye and ran off...leaving the purse behind.

As my wife came back...she asked me for the purse...I had no clue what she was talking about...and neither my bro. We searched and searched for the purse...luckily...we had gone on a Sunday...Wal-Mart's most packed day!

We asked workers...searched the entire area...I would run around peeking in other peoples baskets...looking at familiar faces...NOTHING!

We asked to see the surveillance videos...DENIED! That got us pissed off since there was a camera right above from where we were. So it would be an easy find to see who took it. Then we kept being denied by the manager. He didn't think it was important enough.

We called her mom...she came and called the cops. Cop showed up 1hr later. Then her dad starts saying it was an inside job since the manager refuses to see it. Sheriff showed up...demanded to see the video. Verdict: The camera that is above the bikes was a dummy.

So...depressed...we called it a night. I went home. Her parents took her home. 30 minutes later I got a call from my wife excited telling me that her purse was delivered by a family to her house. The husband said he found the purse on the floor and decided to return it since that is what he would want someone to do to him. She had everything back, so in appreciation, my wife gave him the $50 she had in her purse.

But she still changed her Credit Card #s and Bank Visa.

In my case...I have returned 2 iPhones to their owners

One at a ride at Six Flags...I saw it fall out of the guys pocket...ran after him...missed my ride...but I felt good in returning it. The second time...at a store...chick had way too much stuff in her hands...paid...forgot her cellphone where the credit card is...cashier wanted to keep it...took it from her...I ran after the chick and gave it back. And left my stuff I was gonna buy at the store since the cashier was not gonna be responsible and do the right thing...selfish people...

[PQ]

Originally Posted by bballr4567

You need to call each credit bureau and put them on notice. Basically it will tell EACH company that tries to run your credit to call you to confirm that its you trying to get it.

Why do you have 5 credit cards in your wallet?? Seriously? Keep one in there and the rest locked away until you need them. You dont need more than 2 anyway.

Had the same thing happen to Bonnie. She called me while I was out of town to tell me her purse was stolen. She asked if I could call the credit cards.

Needless to say, I was quite pissed. She was carrying 3 cards with the smallest being 5000.00 limit. NOT NECESSARY. We pay our cards off every month or so (rewards points ) so it would have been quite a shopping spree for someone.

Originally Posted by cam2fst4u

then it sounds like the police aren't doing their job

Maybe so but if the police investigated every stolen credit card or wallet, we would need to increase LE by 10 fold.

But it should be recorded that the police were contacted for future purposes.

[Mr_Draco]

I'm an assistant manager for a fairly large retail chain. Everyday we have atleast 2-3 costumers leave their wallets, purses, credit or debit cards laying on the counter and leave or walk away a couple steps and have the person behind them pick them up. Personally this is what I advise people to do.

- Never carry no more then ONE credit card at one time. Leave the rest locked up in a fire proof safe that is BOLTED to the floor and wall.

- Create a savings account and keep all of your money in it, NOT in your checking account. Keep no more in you checking account then what you need to pay your bills.

- Write checks. Keep the debit card at home and only use it to go to the ATM. If you must carry the debit card, visit your bank and set up a limit that can be charged in a 24 hour period.

- Become a member of a bank that has a web site and USE IT. Check your accounts at least once a week.

[speedster]

We have had corporate credit card identity theft twice since 2003. The latest was in April of this year during a business trip to California.

The bank suspects it was an employee at the rental car place or one of the restaurants we went to. [Note: the car chain is a top national one and the restaurants were of the 4 star variety, so it can and does happen anywhere]

The bank said there is a huge racket in the LA area whereby when they take your card they do a quick scan and sell it to someone for around $100. With this information a group makes a physical duplicate of your card. (There are machines everywhere that have this capability). The card is then resold and used. In our case it was used to buy lumber in South Africa. Go figure... Luckily, our banks fraud unit snagged it immediately so we did not have to pay, but this stuff is very real.

[EarliestMemory]

I am the treasurer for a professional writers' organization, and hackers drained our bank account a few years ago to the tune of over $4K. I got a panicky-sounding call from the bank one morning, asking if I was aware that my account had been overdrawn for the past three days. I knew right away it was fraud, because the biggest checks I'd written recently was only $120.

We had three debit cards - one for each signer on the account - and one of those had never been used and was still in a drawer at my house. So I suspect the breach happened on the bank's end. Each card had been charged about $1800 by some generic-sounding co. in Belgium.

The bank eventually made everything right, but it was a PITA. Since they didn't offer $0 fraud liability, they wouldn't replace the $$ in my account. Instead, they let me overdraw my account by the amount that was stolen, and open a new account with that $$ so I could pay my bills until they investigated the charges. Getting the money replaced and my accounts back to normal involved many phone calls and several trips to the bank.

Of course, I closed the debit cards, plus the one I had for my personal account. If something screwy like that happens with a credit card, they'll immediately credit the consumer for the charges - whereas a charge on a debit card immediately comes out of your bank account, so it's much more trouble.

Btw, this is a large, reputable bank (even now) so yes, it really can happen to anyone. Best thing to do is what Draco said - keep an eye on your accounts.

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Wow. Some of these stories are far worse than what happened to me. I am very fortunate that I found out about this as soon as I did. I couldn't have started calling credit card companies to cancel the cards any more than thirty minutes after my stuff was stolen. This idiot was probably expecting me to not find out until the next day.

Already got my driver license replaced - yes, the picture still looks terrible. XD!!

What's biting me is this missing SSN card. I am calling Experian now and taking everyone's advice to put a credit watch on me.

[TJTKSDMJ8]

Originally Posted by cam2fst4u

then it sounds like the police aren't doing their job

Do you have any idea what goes into one day at work when you put the badge on? I am not saying it is not important, But geeze!! Should we pool our Agents away from dope, murders, etc? There are certain things (with all due respect) that is simply personal responsibility. Get equifax or some sort of credit watchdog and keep an eye on it. LEO's will help, but I think you would want us chasing down the pervert scoping out your kids middle school or stopping the douche that is driving drunk about to take out your new Camarowith your family in it or something like that!

(by the way, LEO= Law Enforcement Officer)