Good grief, I thought I missed the first day for this discussion when I saw it was May 15!! Thank goodness I can wait another day for beginning as I am having a really busy day clear into the night. Tonight I will be attending a Rwandan troupe performance concerning the Rwandan genocide. The women from the two tribes involved Tutsi and Hutu will tell their story with words, music and dancing. See you all tomorrow!

While starting a new topic, I am always hopeful to find new news on the subject that will either be uplifting or useful info on a timely topic.

Today, we can read some of the links above and see what we perhaps didn't know about the crime of Identity Theft. For instance, imagine what a nightmare it would be not to be able to prove your own identity and therefore have your bank accounts frozen and probably your credit cards. How devastating to have to beg for a loan from a relative just to get along until you have proved your innocence in this kind of theft. The average time it takes to retake your identity is two years and that still doesn't mean you are out of the woods as Social Security offices can drag this out much longer. In one of these articles, #2, one young mother has still not found the perpetrator, cannot apply for a job and her SS# is still being used by several different illegal aliens. After reading this, I took myself to the Federal Trade Commission to see what their advice would be in this seemingly hopeless situation. Back later!

ANN: I have my fingers and toes crossed that I never have to reestablish my identity. I am probably not perfect but I do shred documents that have my bank or credit card number; avoid giving personal information over the phone unless I made the phone call; get a copy of my credit report almost every year; and check each bank statement and credit card bill in detail, etc. I still cross my fingers and toes anyway.

Knock on wood, I have been lucky so far. I am not laboring under any illusion that "it can't happen to me" but I am careful about using my computer: where I go on the Net, never opening attachments in e-mails, learning what is/is not a scam and how to tell the difference. You know, stuff like that. One thing I do is when I pay bills online (which is now almost everything) I do it in clusters, just before I'm going to shut down my computer. That way I can clear the browser cashe of activity (for off line too) and history of where I've been for the session. After I shut down, all evidence of any activity is cleared--like going back to zero on your calculator. Also, when I'm on a site to pay or buy, I make sure I see the little lock showing that the site page is secure (lower right just above the sys tray). I have a cross cut shredder here at my house, and I use it. No whole piece of paper leaves my house that has my name, address or other personal information on it.

I will be lurking, Ann. Hope to see lots of folks show up to share their experiences.

Once your house has been broken into in broad daylight you realize "anything can happen".

We had a discussion at my house just the other day on this subject, and specifically on what howzat was saying. I indicated that I was shredding anything with my name and address on it (like fliers, sales catalogues, junk mail). Everybody was pooh-pooing that. They seemed to think that as long as my birthdate or Social Security number wasn't attached, I was OK. Thoughts? That is, am I just being paranoid?

This frightening issue of identity theft can work "both" ways.

I had planned to put a family tree on the site called "MyFamily."
This was especially useful as my adult children across the U.S. could all access the site during the building stage.
After I put up as much as I could remember, I contacted some relatives to ask for their input. Thus the connection to identity theft.

One elderly cousin, on my late mother's side of the family, asked me to take off the entire family (he asked in a typed letter, he's apparently afraid of e-mail, also). He said their identity could be stolen if a family tree were put up on line.

Oh, dear. That presented a problem for me.
What would all of you have done in this case ...

Songbird, I shred anything that has my name on it. That means I have to tear off catalog fronts, then go inside to look at the order form too. I didn't realize that my name would be there too, until a few weeks ago.

I'm not sure about why I do that. I know that anyone can get my name, and my address from other sources. I guess it justs gives me a sense of having some control.

If you're paranoid, I guess I am too. I didn't realize how much junk mail I get until I started shredding everything.

My sis lives with me and she also shreds everything. Identity theft has surely helped the sales of shredders. It's becoming a daily chore to process the pile of junk mail.

I guess I'm at the other end of the spectrum. For years and years my name and social security number were used at many, many institutions and both are in a lot of databases...from my schooling years to all the places I've worked, to pension plans, etc. It's on all my medical records, etc. I have no doubt that anybody can find out just about anything they want to know about me, if they're good enough.

So, yes, I shred bills/bank stuff that has name/account number but I don't bother with catalogs. I'm already in all those databases and I think THOSE are the places where the problems arise.

My tactic is to check my bank balance and credit card statement carefully each time it comes and frequently online and to ask for a credit report ...and I stagger the 3 I can get yearly so I'm getting them some 4 months apart. I just got Experian for this year so I'll wait 4 months and request a free one from one of the other two...and then 4 months after that from the 3rd one.

With all the city directories available and phone books, etc. anybody can find out where you live, etc., it seems.

jane

I, too, shred anything with my SS# or credit card # or bank information on it. I don't do catalogs or general junk mail. Like jane said - "they" already have your name and address.

One thing that does distress me is that when I do a bank transaction in person, the receipt that I'm given has the name of the bank and the account number printed on it. So I have to really careful about getting that home and into the shredder.

Interesting topic for a discussion.

This is a good topic, Ann. I'm glad you brought it up. I try to be careful, but not paranoid. I don't write many checks anymore, just about everything is taken out of the checking account automatically, so I don't even pay bills on line. One credit card is used strictly for online payments. If I check my bank account or brokerage account online I make sure it's the last thing I do, logout, and then close down the browser (I have dialup) and disconnect. As others have said, the databases have our names and addresses.
I thought it interesting about the folks who didn't want to be included in the family tree -- I think credit card companies, etc are getting away from it now, but it used to be that mother's maiden name was a way to positively identify someone.

Mary Z..that bank reciept is your proof that you made the deposit, or withdrawal. Might want to consider holding onto them in a safe place, until your statement comes from the banking instituion you use.

Have heard that if you use dial-up, for your computer browser, your chances of being "hacked", are just about zero. Dial-up is sooo slow, the hackers need to get in, and out quickly. What is rather mind boggling, is the fact that hackers can be traced, right back to the origin of the attack. If that is so, then why do these young men ruin their lives? They need to go bungee jumping, or sky-diving for a thrill.

We all know that dial-up, is akin to a Model A ford. And like that old car, much safer.

A year or so back a local TV production company went to a car park by a shopping centre, selected a fairly nice car, phoned the registration number through to the Motor Registration Dept., who obligingly gave them the owner's name and address, then a member of the TV company went and changed the ownership into his own name and they waited for the real owner to turn up. You should have seen the look on the real owner's face when they presented her with the paperwork that 'proved' that she no longer owned her car! Of course they changed it back into her name as they were just making a point, but it was amazing how easily they were able to change the ownership. And if they could do it so could anyone else. Scarey.

I don't think hackers are interested in getting into my computer. Why would the hackers bother when they have the Citibank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase, and all the other national banks computers to aim for, when they have all the large business computers to aim for, when they have the government's computers to aim for? They're not interested in a retired person's computer unless they're pathetically inept. [An article I read some time ago explained that a lot of individual ID theft [ i.e, not that from having hacked into these companies] is by other family members! A granddaughter stole from her grandmother and charged items on her credit card and a son was stealing from his mother, etc. ]

The fourth link above says that it is successful retailers who are the prime target. They can get a lot of credit card info once they've either hacked in to those computers, sell what they have access to if they work there, or even "dumpster dive."

Rather any anyone trying to hack into my computer, I'm far more concerned about people at restaurants or anyplace you hand them your credit card. They disappear with it to get the numbers from the front and back and how my name is printed on it. It's easy for any of them to make copies or swipe it with those machines apparently some of the crooks have for that purpose.

jane

While in Az. I closed a chase bank account as I was sick and thought to come home well I got better so put two hundred dollars back in and was told it would reopen my checking, well a check I wrote bounced so gave the persons whose check that bounced cash. When I did get home went to a chase in my area showed them my despoit slip and heard the conversation on the phone that the teller had not recorded my money but having the despoit slip they had to give me my two hundred dollars back. I don't know if the clerk got fired or what.

I had no idea about turning off my browser and computer when I am done for the day. I leave both of them running most of the time. How does that work against IT again?

From one of the links above, here are some of the things that can happen if someone steals and uses your identity:"When a thief assumes your identity he or she can then:

1. Get a job in your name. Any claims that you make for unemployment will be denied since records show that you are working.

2. Enable their employer to report income to the IRS under your name, making it appear that you have under-reported your income and owe more taxes. Probably plus interest and penalties.

3. File fraudulent tax returns in your name and get a refund. Your tax return, when it's received by the IRS, is considered a duplicate and disallowed.

4. Get a driver's license with their picture and your name. Fraudulent birth certificates used for this purpose are almost impossible to check since there are 22,000 types of birth certificates issued by 7,000 government agencies.

5. Instruct your credit card company to change your billing address. You don't know about the fraudulent charges since the bills are going to some other address.

6. Max out your cash advance and available credit on your credit cards.

7. Open new credit card accounts in your name. The unpaid bills will show up on your credit report and ruin your credit.

8. Drain your bank and securities accounts by forging your signature, counterfeiting checks or authorizing electronic transfers.

9. Open a new bank account in your name and write bad checks on it.

10. Write bad checks in your name with nothing more than your name, address and telephone number.

11. Rent an apartment in your name.

12. Open accounts with creditors and charge anything they choose in your name.

13. Open phone, wireless and utility accounts in your name.

14. Buy or lease a car by taking out a loan in your name.

15. Buy a house by taking out a mortgage in your name.

16. Transfer your real estate to themselves, mortgage it, take all the cash out and disappear. Or maybe they'll just sell your house right out from under you.

17. Take out a student loan, bank loan or equity loan in your name.

18. File for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts or being evicted.

19. Max out your welfare benefits, hospitalization, insurance, pension, Social Security and Medicare benefits.

20. Give your name during arrest giving you an arrest record. When the perpetrator doesn't show up for court, a warrant for arrest is issued in your name.

21. Go to jail in your name giving you a prison record.

In short, anything you can do with your identification, your good name and good credit, identity thieves can do it also."

After reading this long list, I am wondering why these people don't get some of these things done in their own name. Why or how do people do these outrageous crimes? Why don't they get and live a real life? Is there a thrill involved using someone else's ID? Plus ruining another person's life.

I,too, have a shredder where I shred all pertinent records but not junk mail. But my son who is one of the computer system managers at a university, says anyone can find out just about anything they want to know about you, using a computer. And having said that, he also says that he pays bills online as most of us do, does all of his banking and of course, his taxes, including submitting them online to the IRS and STATE offices involved.

Due to one identity theft here in my 91 unit condo complex, we were forced to build an enclosed area in a central location where all the boxes are numbered and locked. $20,0000 later, some of us still wonder why.

I received a letter from my credit card company advising me that they had sent me my new card and to let them know if it didn't arrive. Well, it didn't, and when I called them, the customer service person began asking me about the charges on the card. She listed almost $30,000 in building supplies. I kept asking her how that was accomplished since I didn't receive the card and had never called in to activate it. After a week or so of conversations with the credit card company, they told me that I didn't owe the money and they would be trying to find out who had stolen it. I asked for a letter of confirmation on this and then I asked for the 40th time, how did this person know my password question answer??? No one could answer me. I felt then and still do, that someone in the company had put that card in their pocket and looked up the info and then used the card. I hope they have enjoyed the new addition to their home as that what the supplies seemed to have been needed for.

I am too smart to fall for the email scams. I can't believe people fall for that stuff! I don't even bank on line but in person at my bank. A couple months ago I went to the bank and transferred money from savings to checking to pay for a new furnace. When I got home and turned on my computer there was an email from my bank verifying my recent transaction and they wanted my pin number and password. I gave it knowing that for sure it was my bank. Then I clicked on the link provided and it went someplace else. I immediately called the bank and they closed all my accounts! I am so stupid, I fell for the phishing scam!! They send these emails out enmasse and it caught this sucker. My accounts were closed before any damage was done but it was a lot of work and time to start up new accounts. I still can't believe I fell for it, it seemed so genuine.

Annie3 - your bank or credit card will never ask you for that information in an e-mail - after all, they already have it.

Ann Alden, my sister-in-law and her husband had their credit card stolen a number of years ago. They had it replaced, and the first time they tried to use it, it was already maxed out. The company sent them another new numbered card, with new security questions, and, guess what - the first time they tried to use it, it was maxed out. Of course, it was an employee of the credit card company who had stolen the information. It took months before it was all straightened out.

Like jane, I bank on line, and buy things on line. I feel I'm more likely to have my credit card information stolen by someone in a restaurant when the card is out of my sight.

I feel the same way about my credit card when I use it in a restaurant but still do use it. One thing, they no longer include your complete card number on your or their receipt but that doesn't prevent someone quickly writing it down and trying to use it online. Paranoia could set in!!

that some banks/credit cards offer what they call "Virtual Account Numbers". When you want to use your CC to make a purchase you go to the CCs web site and get a "Virtual Number" With it you can set the amount and expiration date and a unique CC number is issued. The limit and date cannot be exceeded.

I have discovered that while the credit card receipt I receive from a physical therapist or store or restaurant only has 4 digits of my credit card number, some places have the entire number on their copy of the receipt. I know for sure that is the case at the physical therapy office because I saw it in my file one day.

Rammel,

Its true for only PC users and I have a MAC and when I called or wrote to them about this neglect of us MAC users, they said they had no plans to ever write a program for the MAC. So sad!

Yes, Marjorie

You are absolutely right about that as a friend and I discovered at our favorite Chinese restaurant last year. So, we now pay cash there. Seems like one cannot win this battle!

Re:"Its true for only PC users and I have a MAC"

Maybe that's because no one ever tries to hack a Mac

I hope that's true! According to my son, that's the way the ball bounces, when one has a MAC!

RAMMEL, LOL.

I had my credit card number changed as soon as I came home from AZ. As I used it in the wrong place and knew it.

I am going out of town for a few days to celebrate my oldest brother's 70th birthday so won't be here until Tuesday. Hope you will all read some of the above links and try playing the game "Identity Theft Face-Off" to see what you do or don't know about identity theft.

I want to comment also on the Family Tree genealogy chart. I see no harm in putting it up there. I have never heard of anyone getting scammed after doing so and its so darn interesting to be able to read about one's own family and put all of the faces and names together. Finding that your family is related to someone else that you know is such a delight. If you were in "The Island at the Center of the Earth" discussion, you know about the four posters who found that they all came from the same family. We are hoping they will come to NYC in 2008 when we meet there so they can visit with each other. And I have found a friend here in my little burg who is related to them also. 'Tis great fun!

Ginger - What does a bank clerk making an error on your deposit have to do with identity theft? You obviously did not check your deposit receipt to make sure the account number was correct, so the clerk was not entirely to blame for the error. People do make mistakes, and I doubt that the clerk was fired for it.

Why is this Identity Theft discussion in the Books & Literature group? I found it accidently - I certainly would never look for it under Books & Literature. It seems to me that it should be a separate topic in the Financial Topics & Legal Issues group, even though it is already included in "Scams, Hoaxes, and Identity Theft" there.

Anex: Identity Theft is a separate, ongoing discussion in the Scams, Hoaxes, Identity Theft discussion in the Financial folder.

Curious Minds is a separate, two week discussion that often highlights a topic in the news that people want to emphasize for this short time frame.

This particular two-week segment is devoted to Identity Theft. You'll note that there are links in the header here to the two permanent discussions here at SN which include ID Theft.

Various medical topics have also been highlighted in past Curious Minds discussion, even though there are also permanent discussions in the Health Matters folder. Occasionally a political topic might be the topic here.

Curious Minds archives go back to 2001, and you'll find a wide range of topics have been discussed over the years:

Click here for "Curious Minds ~ 2001 November" archives

jane

What do you all think of Search Engines to find out about a person? I looked for every one of my 6 children, because they all use the Internet and found out something about them, it showed in what field they were involved in and I guess if I dug a little deeper I could even know what their email address is. Apparently unless the telephone number is unlisted, you can find that too.

I heard that when we use the computer, nothing is secret any more. We all know that our credit rating is not a secret, then is there anything that is kept secret about our identity?

Perhaps if I had been robbed or something similar, I would be more careful but I don't have a shredder and I don't think anyone in my family has either.

Are we ever safe anywhere I wonder.

Eloise - People's names show up on search engines mainly because they use them on websites, like you did here. That's why I use an alias (like "anexwaterburian") on public discussion group sites like this. Your name will also show up on seach engines because it appears on the website of a group you are associated with, like your employer or an association.

E-mail addresses are harder to find unless the person puts it on a website (again like you did here). You are right about the telephone numbers - U.S. telephone numbers that are not unlisted can be easily found on Switchboard at http://www.switchboard.com, and Canadian numbers can be found on Canada411 at http://www.canada411.ca/. The process is especially simple with uncommon last names like yours.

There are counties, too, who make names available as well as property owned, taxes on it, etc. Others just list the address and haven't included the names. As Anex said, there are all sorts of public documents that were previously viewable only at a court house that are now online. Information was always public; it's just easier to find now that it's online.

You can do a search for sex offenders in your area and find out if any registered ones are near you, etc. I suspect more and more things will becoming available online, rather than less and less.

jane

I don't know if anyone would want to steal someone's identity after they died, but their Social Security numbers are readily available online .

I'm sure some try. I know some have taken the identity of a dead child and used that to get SS # and driver's license. With babies now having to have SS numbers, I guess that just eliminates that step. You'd think, though, that when they used it that a check with whatever database a bank or employer uses would show that number had already been issued to a person now deceased.

If crooks put all their "cunning" to legitimate uses, think of things that could be done, but I guess that's too much "work."

I just tried that search, putting in my mother (who died in 1983) and John's father (1997), and neither one showed up in that database.

Mary - They don't have everyone's SSN, but they do have over 77 million of them, including celebrities like the late comedian Richard Pryor who died 10 Dec 2005 in Encino CA and SSN is 330-32-4831. (He's about half way down on the page at http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi?lastname=pryor&firstname=richard&start=21).

Try this one. I have found that this a site that I have always found whoever I was looking for. Search for the lastname only and the state.

http://stevemorse.org/ssdi/ssdi.html

JTM - The link I gave and your stevemorse.org link and the links on it all will provide the same results since they all access the Federal Social Security Death Index database (SSDI).

Thanks folks - I really didn't want to look for anything - just testing to see what information it came up with on the two that I knew something about. Nothing except what I put in came up on the stevemorse thing, either.

On the Steve Morris site you can narrow down the search. I did a search from both sites and each said there were 115 results. Roots Web displayed all of them but Steve Morris only displayed 17 and told me there were 115 total. I limited the search by state.

Read about these thieves HERE

Thanks, Ray. That was a great link.

Sorry not to be here as you all have added such interesting and challenging posts in the past few days. Now that I have returned, I notice a new link to an article concerning bilking the elderly which PatW kindly added to our list of links. Has anyone here read it? What a shame that these predators search out the elderly, who are sometimes lonely and depressed, to cheat them of their savings. One poor soul lost all of his money because he entered a sweepstakes through a company call USAInfo. Here is part of his story:

"InfoUSA advertised lists of “Elderly Opportunity Seekers,” 3.3 million older people “looking for ways to make money,” and “Suffering Seniors,” 4.7 million people with cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. “Oldies but Goodies” contained 500,000 gamblers over 55 years old, for 8.5 cents apiece. One list said: “These people are gullible. They want to believe that their luck can change.”

Why haven't these companies been put out of business?? What is our government doing to get rid of such disgusting scams?

anexwatburian?>

Do you have an answer to this question? You seem very up to date on our topic.

Here's another quote from the same article:

“I loved getting those calls,” Mr. Guthrie said in an interview. “Since my wife passed away, I don’t have many people to talk with. I didn’t even know they were stealing from me until everything was gone.”

Telemarketing fraud, once limited to small-time thieves, has become a global criminal enterprise preying upon millions of elderly and other Americans every year, authorities say. Vast databases of names and personal information, sold to thieves by large publicly traded companies, have put almost anyone within reach of fraudulent telemarketers. And major banks have made it possible for criminals to dip into victims’ accounts without their authorization, according to court records.

The banks and companies that sell such services often confront evidence that they are used for fraud, according to thousands of banking documents, court filings and e-mail messages reviewed by The New York Times.

Although some companies, including Wachovia, have made refunds to victims who have complained, neither that bank nor infoUSA stopped working with criminals even after executives were warned that they were aiding continuing crimes, according to government investigators. Instead, those companies collected millions of dollars in fees from scam artists. (Neither company has been formally accused of wrongdoing by the authorities.)"

Is there no end to the dishonesty of even big businesses like well known banks who don't seem to care about what they are doing unless someone actually points it out to them?

Someone recently stole my credit card due to utter stupity on my part...I found an EMail with my credit card's company and their logo sent to me and giving me the usual cock and bull story about making sure that they had the correct history of mine in their data....Did I run away? Of course not...as long as I recognized the logo, I did not small a rat....By the time I got through,the numbers of fillings in my teeth were known...To make a long story, longer, I went through many miserable sessions with my bank to right the wrong of someone being able to charge stuff amounting to almost a $1,000..and to this very day, must check my account to make sure that my new card number has not been usurped by an internet savvy crook.

It is most dangerous to have the attitude I had... that it could never happen to me....complacency, is really a bad word and not to be used by anyone or practiced which is worse...

A word to the wise.....certainly not me....but others who hopefully are warier than I was...be very careful....

Dvera, Reliable Credit card companies will send you a written request of any information they need by postal delivery and usually follow up with a phone call. Never, never respond in any way to email. I am sure you reported your credit card being stolen immediately . Bascially , you are responsible for only the first $50.00 of the fraud charges.

Whenever I receive something like those mentioned by you three, I call my credit card company's 800# and ask if they sent it. Its a good idea to do so.

I delete it. If they want me they can call me and I won't give them any critical information.

Perhaps we are contributing to fraud among the elderly as this is a Senior Site and the criminals are out to get us. They can find our email addresses here, if nothing else.

I never click on any email - EVER!!

I hang up immediately if I suspect a telemarketer. They usually call around 2 or 3 pm - have you noticed? If we answer they know we are seniors at home in the afternoons. I fail to understand why anyone would talk to a telemarketer, however lonely they may be. Talk to your TV, your radio, your cat, but never to a stranger on the phone.

I even hesitate to say that I bank online even though I am assured by my bank that it is perfectly safe - they do all their banking online also which means my account is online for the hackers if they are that brilliant.

It must be just terrible to have your identity stolen, just awful. Yes, I know it could happen to me and it is frightening. Knowledge of ways to prevent it is so important.

ANN, perhaps you can list ways of prevention in the heading? I know you have loads of clickables there but some people (such as myself) do not read them.

But, my thought here is that if you contact the bank or credit company on your own phone, you can be relatively sure of getting an honest answer.

Glad to see you out and about again.

What do you think that link to the FTC is for up there? All kinds of suggestions are in there. Should I be doing all the work here? Should I go read it again myself? All right, since I am not doing much 'cept watching the baseball game (Braves vs Mets), I can do that. Back in a mo!

Try this test: What do you know about identity theft?

Here are many tips, pay particular attention to the suggestions on protecting your identity by using the mail services offered. Add these tips to your "must do" list for protecting against IT

If I receive anything that I think possibly has some merit (Email, snail mail, phone call) and is from someone I deal with, I get out their card and call the phone number on the back, or dig out a recent statement from them - which has their phone number on it.

Other than that, ---- out it goes.

Ann Alden where were you when I needed you?? When I reported this awful thing to my bank, they too told me exactly what you have stated...but the damage was done...Incidentally,a new credit card issued to me by my bank, was also used by an internet purchase by someone else. I was lucky though, because I check my credit card bank account every day and was able to nip in the bud any future damage...and of course I was not charged for the bogus purchases not made by me. Woe be it to the people who just check their credit accounts now and then..Lots of bad stuff can and do happen.

I believe that maybe the best way to thwart ID thieves, is to put a "Fraud Alert" in your credit reporting agency's files! If a new credit card is applied for, they HAVE to call you personally to OK the process. I find it VERY comforting to get that call when I apply. Then I know it's working. Supposedly, you are allowed to do this if you have been a victim of fraud. However, I wasn't a victim & now have "Fraud Alert!" If you have success with this, you can contact the agency & request that this "Alert" remain active for 7 years. If you do this with one agency, they are supposed to notify the others. My credit reports verify this.

fphinney, Welcome to seniornet.

to catch a thief

all about identity theft andhow it is a global busines now often eminating from Africa especially Nigeria and more lately its small neighbor eilin. something like that. they have us citiziens probied a drop for merchandise that they buy on a stolen credit card becuase they can't buy it here in the united states. Te drop partners readdress it and send it off to africa or switzerland or where ever. Sometimes this is set up as an on line romance and the activity of the drop is a favor. It can be very costly.

Claire

What kind of world have we become? That Nigerian scam must be the scam of the year. I do know that they like to contact you about getting money out of the country for them by having you put it in your bank account. Well, we all know where that leads!

And, Pfinney,

although I am registered with a credit reporting agency, I have never heard of putting a 'fraud alert' on my account. I must see if my company offers it.

Traude

You are probably smart to do your banking in person but I also have a personal banker(one that I chose to have some extra account stuff handled) and I can call him about anything to do with my account. And, credit cards are okay, since the owner is protected against fraudulent use by a penalty of only $50. I find mine handy and it earns frequent flyer mileage for us which I many times have used to have some of the family come see us. I made good use of it out in California when our family was back here in Ohio and New York. We flew my daughter's family out for Christmas and our son,too. Along with the free tickets came a car rental for 4 days and a hotel rooms for four days. My brother and our son used the car and the hotel as we lived in a tiny house and could barely accomodate my daughter, her husband, and their two children. It was a very nice Christmas that would have been lonely otherwise.

The Nigerian scam has been going on for years and years. They've just gotten "modern" and on the computer, which means they can contact so many millions more at little cost compared to regular mailings and those costs.

Ann: What do you mean by "registered with a credit reporting agency"? What sort of credit reporting agency and how did you register?

I request one of the free credit reports we're all entitled to yearly from one of the three big ones and then 4 months later request my free report from one of the two remaining and then four months later request the third free one from the third agency.

Be sure to get the right website. There's one that says it's "free credit reports" and all of that, but it's not when you read the fine print.

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

I just bookmarked that link so hope it was the GOOD one and not the one to avoid? Would you believe I've never checked in MY name, my husband has in his/ours... I don't use a credit card except the one I have with my bank & it's separated from my regular account so anyone that gets it can't go beyond what I put in. It's not really a debit, but works like it.

We have a number of accounts with different banks but my husband's name is listed first on those... I've had this other account since '67 when we were building a house & both wrote big checks as the work progressed so it made sense to have different accounts to know exactly what went in for each step. We are both on all accounts & I do carry a card for the one he uses all the time, he insists... but I use cash, just go to the bank & buy my money.

Anyway, I've never done a check in my name only, guess I should see which ones he's run so not to use it again? Both SS numbers would be on them.

I too have a personal banker. Because I assisted my son some 10 years ago in the establishment of his now large business they give me a business banker. Its a bit of a courtesy I think. If I have any problems I can call them and immediate action is taken. I would like to have a personal banker at my nearest branch as the Business centre is in the city but I can get anything done via my telephone. When my sons credit card number was stolen by an employee of a local gas station the bank alerted us immediately because there were a large number of transactions taking place over a short period of time. Now all credit card transactions are done via the machines and a pin number. You have to lose your card now and the thief has to know the pin number before you can be the victim of theft. The bank will reimburse the credit card for any fraudulent transactions. Every time I open my wallet I check all my cards are present and I check when I leave each store that I have all cards in my wallet.

Carolyn

1click here.

2click here.

3click here.

Ebay gets so many of these that they have a tutorial to show people how to recognize that it's not legitimate email from eBay.

http://pages.ebay.com/education/spooftutorial/

and they give this email address, if you want to forward it on to them.

Report Spoof Email by Forwarding It to spoof@ebay.com

They must get thousands of emails a day about these fraudulent emails.

jane

That's what I figured, Jane... and why I just normally click the Spam button and never pay attention to them. This one opened as a fluke & it just irritates me that the idiots get away with using any company's ID to run a scam.

You asked about being registered with a credit reporting company. That happened this year when my husband's old company lost a computer which had all the retirees names and info on it. So, the company paid Experion to keep track of all of us for three years. I like your idea about getting a free report every four months by using different company each time. I also bookmarked that link that you gave left here. Thanks a bunch!

Ah...that's the kind of theft that concerns me most...when a huge database is compromised by the theft of a computer or the hacking into a giant server of a company. I think that's the target of most thieves, not our individual, piddling computers. Think of what they have to gain by a massive database they can get to or by hacking into a large financial institution, etc. FAR more rewarding than one individual's machine.

jane

I have hacker watch Traude on my security program and there has been 1656 hits in 30 days.

carolyn

Your discussion finally prompted me to do something I have thought about for some time. I use Windows XP and I just established a new user without administrative power and I am using it for all of my online activity. With this I can not even run disk check or defrag, so if some one gets into that they should not be able to have much effect on my system. Cheers. Ray

What a great idea! I think that I can even do that with my MAC. Nice protection!

Has our discussion died or should I have been more available the past few days. We have had company for seeing Cirque Du Soleil and then, of course, a Indy 500 race watch which took all day as it was stopped after the first half for a huge downpour. And, a little grandaughter was here helping me plant annuals. Hope you all have had a nice Memorial Day and will rejoin us for the final days of this discussion which ends after the 31st.

What a great discussion, and I sure hope it hasn't died. I'm finally catching up on a lot of things after my NewYork trip -- I took the IT FaceUP test and did okay, but one thing this discussion is showing is that it doesn't pay to be smug -- I'm too smart, it will never happen to me, etc. So far it hasn't, but it doesn't mean I'm not paranoid.

I have one credit card that is used solely for online or phone purchases. I don't even carry it with me, except when I travel. I pretty much use one other card for everything else, and have another when someplaces won't accept the first one. When I travel I find a lot of places don't accept Dis/Novus.

A couple of questions. Upon the rare occasions when I call a financial institution, I'm asked to key in my SS#. Scares me to death. What do you do when that happens? Hang up?

I don't pay bills online, but do access my bank accounts online. However, I do have just about everything possible automatically taken out of my checking account each month. (Can never change banks, haha ) Does that make me more or less vulnerable? Do those types of payments use the "unsigned checks" that were discussed in the NY Times article about Bilking the Elderly?

When I joined the Fitness Center a few years ago it really annoyed me that they either billed my credit card monthly or I would have to submit my monthly check 10 days early. Now it doesn't bother me, and I pay Netflix that way, as well as our local newspaper, which charges less if they can bill your credit card.

Thank goodness for Quicken to help keep on top of things. But wait until you hear my Quicken story. Later.

The companies that i do business with, over the phone, usually ask for the last four digits of my Social Security number (when they are verifying that I am me.) I don't know of any companies of my acquaintance that ask for the whole number, except when I first sign up with them.

Generally, when I call a company I do business with about some matter or another they verify by asking my name, address, zip code, and the last four digits of my Social Security number. They know all this, of course, and are looking at the information as I speak. It's just a verification process, for their protection, and mine. This is when I'm talking to a live person.

When accessing the auto information options, I'm asked (by a recrding) for my account number and sometimes my phone number, and sometimes the last four digits, etc,.

Almost all large companies have phone number ID and know the account holder from the moment the connection is made, either auto info or live person.

And, of course, NEVER respond by clicking anything on an e-mail. If you get a legitimate e-mail from a company you do business with, it will address you by your full name, and never ask for private information. When I get one of these, I go to the business web site from my Favorites list (yours may be called Bookmark) NOT from the clickable in the e-mail--just on the off chance that some scammers have finally gotten hold of the name (mine) that goes with my e-mail address.

Sophisticated scammers work day and night enhancing and perfecting their e-mails to look authentic. These days, it's best not to trust any e-mail.

What is your famous Quicken story? We would love to hear it.

As to our being more vulnerable using your bank for paying bills, I have never had any trouble with my bank but I think all of us know that we are all vulnerable no matter how we deal with bills and such on the internet, in our own home, just about anywhere.

I missed the unsigned check aspect of "Bilking Seniors" so will reread it and let you know what I think.

Howzat

Do you mean that you can put an alert on your credit card account without a legal reason? I think that I am misunderstanding you.

I did reread that article and I saw the part about the unsigned checks but I think that the man, Richard Guthrie, gave out too much info to telemarketers and caused this mess with his account. As have many other elderly according to the article. Maybe his family should have been more watchful of what he was doing. Sounds like they weren't paying much attention to him.

I have a friend whose brilliant father almost gave away everything in the much the same way and just due to be bored after he became old and ill. They went to visit one year and luckily bacame aware of what he was doing, like sending in info about himself to enter contests. They were able to get control of his accounts and then could take better care of him. They just didn't realize how lonely one becomes when one can't even leave his premises due to ill health.

I've used Quicken since 1992 -- my financial life haha , and am currently using Quicken Premium 2005 and will use it as long as they support it, and let me download stock quotes. Mainly I use it to keep track of checking and credit card accounts -- to know what's been spent, what's due. The only time I'm connected to Quicken online is for downloading the stock quotes, though they would love for everyone to put ALL their financial info online with them.

What shook me up litte -- I have three credit cards, pay them off each month, and don't pay much attention to the limits because I never even come close. So it was a bit of a shock to glance at my Quicken Home page and see that one of the cards showed a credit limit of $19,000. Whoa. I don't think so. So I looked at the most recent statements, and sure enough. The credit card company liked me so much they were going to let me charge four times as much as they had previously. Now how the bloomin' devil did Quicken know that?

PEDLN: I am not going to even try to answer your question about Quicken knowing more about you than you thought. Just thought I would mention that when my credit card company decides I am such a wonderful customer that they are going to raise my credit limit, I just call them and tell them NO. They have lowered it to what I want it to be. I have also asked that the bills I receive in the mail do not have the blank checks at the top of the statement. I didn't think that would work but it does.

I didn't know one could have those blank checks removed from the credit card bills. I hate to think what someone could do if they stole our mail. We have had trouble here in our little village(our condo complex) with the robbing of mail boxes so had to build a gazebo which holds all of our locked boxes now. We feel safer but you know the mailman sometimes gets the mail mixed up and it makes one wonder.

Pedl'n

I have no idea how Quicken got your credit card info but have you called to lower your limit as Marjorie suggests? Might be good idea.

We have been doing some removal of old computer stuff and after seeing what can happen to folks who just throw away their computers, I 'googled' MAC Hard Drive Erasures and came up with many suggestions including removing the hard drive and using a claw hammer to destroy it. Hahahaha!

Since I had done our banking on that HD plus much personal stuff like genealogy, we are going to destroy the HD before putting it out for recycling or for the trash. I called our trash company and they assure me that it won't be able to injure the water table or earth because of the liners that are now used and that they are very closely watched by EPA. There are laws about getting rid of computers due to the many things used in building them that can do harm to our bodies and our earth. I also called a company here in Columbus that recycles computers for the poor and they would have taken all of this stuff but I had to lug it down there and its in a bad neighborhood. Since I am not a strong person, I would have had to find an "airport gorilla" to accompany me to that neighborhood. This company is purely doing all this work of repairing these computers and loading a user friendly system on them, UBANTU, which is based on a Linux system. Then they hope to teach new owners how to use the computers. Its all free to the public. They are called "freegeek.com" and have based the company on the first FreeGeek Co. which is in Portland, OR. They assure the public that they will not use the HD in donated computers and also have a downloadable eraser program for PC's.

So, life goes on here in downtown Gahanna and I learn something new every day.

We will be closing down this discussion tonight at midnight so if you have any comments, please post today. Its been interesting to find out what others have done to protect themselves and also to here about the how IT works. Thanks to all who have posted. We will have a new CM up next month (June 15) so do look in to see what its about. Hope to see you then.

I called the Customer Service for my credit cards and asked them to stop sending the blank checks.

They have cooperated fully. Before that, I always shredded them quickly.

Marilyn J.

(Hope this doesnt post twice, I accidentally hit the wrong key!)

When I lived in a nearby city, our mail boxes were out at the curb. When I read about a woman who was caught stealing mail from this type of box, I started putting all payments in a regular drop box or took them to the P.O.

NOw I try to have almost all paid by EFT.

Marilyn J.

I wasn't the one the one that talked about having a fraud alert put on their accounts with credit reporting agencies. I have not heard of putting one on there without there having been some sort of identity theft problem. I personally would not do this.

Thanks for the discussion idea. The feedback has been helpful to us all, don't you think?

Thanks for starting this discussion. I'm sorry that it is ending since there was always something new being brought up to think about. It would have been interesting to read from someone who actually had gone through it and how they straightened it out. Thanks again!

Hi.. There is a permanent and ongoing discussion about Scams, Hoaxes and Identity Theft in the Consumer Topics folder at SeniorNet. Since these three items are often tied together, I hope you'll come join us and keep up with this topic: Scams, Hoaxes, and Identity Theft on-going discussion click here

Thanks, Jane, for putting the link to the ongoing discussion. So, all of us can now go there if we need advice concerning the problems of scams, identity theft and other hoaxes.

One other thing that I didn't mention is that there is a pesky letter going around about not buying gas from Exon or Mobil and they will lower their prices. 'Tisn't true my friends. It just won't happen. So please, if you you get one, don't send it on. Just trash it! or even better, return it to the sender only and asked to be taken off her list. Tee hee! Night all!

I have heard on the news it is a crime for a gas station to lower there prices, don't know if it federal or state.

The news guy said that in that one town, where the prices were lowered at one station for a certain set of people, actually have a law against showing favoritism to any groups. My husband saw what you did,too.

I just posted this message in the Spams, hoaxes, etc. discussion.

Ann, re your advice...
What can be done with the "Don't buy from Exxon or Mobil and the gas prices will come down" emails? Return them to the sender and asked to be taken from their list.

I would just delete this, or mark it as spam. By returning it to the sender, you acknowledge that they have reached a valid e-mail address, and it might just attract more spam.

Oh! Thanks Ann,Guess I didn't catch the whole report.

This discussion is now Read Only.

Watch for the June Curious Minds on June 16. The topic will be PAIN. Join us then.

The June Curious Minds on PAIN is now open.