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What to do in case of identity theft? (Vanity)
1/11/13 | Self

Posted on 01/11/2013 10:15:07 AM PST by CowboyJay

Over the past month or so, a couple strange things have happened.

First, somebody attempted to hack into my facebook account from somewhere in Arizona.

Then a couple weeks later, I got a call from an Arizona number, but when I attempted to call it back 15 seconds later I got a disconnect message. I then attempted to call my voicemail, but get this, the pin on my voicemail had been changed.

It appears somebody may be trying to steal my identity. Why, I'm not sure, as I don't even want to be me half the time. But I'm still concerned. They're sophisticated enough to hack my FB account and my Verizon account.

Any FReepers out there who've gone through similar issues care to share what I can/should do to protect myself? Is there a law enforcement agency I should contact that deals specifically with this kind of thing?


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: fraud; identitytheft
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Any help is appreciated.

FReegards!

CowboyJay

1 posted on 01/11/2013 10:15:18 AM PST by CowboyJay
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To: CowboyJay

“Try” is not yet “Done”! You’re lucky thus far. ASAP change all your passwords to strong ones (there is plenty of info out there about what constitutes a strong password.) Check the status of your credit card accounts.


2 posted on 01/11/2013 10:23:08 AM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: CowboyJay

Lifelock.......................


3 posted on 01/11/2013 10:24:25 AM PST by Red Badger (Lincoln freed the slaves. Obama just got them ALL back......................)
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To: CowboyJay
First, make sure you don't have any viruses on your computer.

Second, change all of the passwords.

Third call the three credit bureaus, tell them you are a fraud target and ask for free copies of your credit report and a fraud watch. They may require a police report. If they do it might be easier to do LifeLock or some other fraud protection service.

Call your banking institutions on the phone and tell them you are a fraud target. They often have special password procedures or policies to protect you and them. If this person gets access to your banking info the only thing you are liable for is usually your debit card and pin. Stolen credit card info, withdrawls through third parties like Well's Fargo, etc. are the bank's problem.

4 posted on 01/11/2013 10:26:49 AM PST by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: CowboyJay

Funny you should mention this. Several days ago both my wife and I received letters allegedly from Experian on official-looking stationary regarding our credit scores. The letters asked us to supply to a certain address our social security numbers, two credit card numbers, dates of birth, and several other things. Why would Experian want this if they already have my credit record? I smelled a rat and tossed them.


5 posted on 01/11/2013 10:28:02 AM PST by pabianice (washington, dc ..)
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To: Red Badger; CowboyJay

I agree with Red Badger — just give a call to your identity theft protection agency. If you don’t have one, get one now. I use both LifeLock and Discover, since I’m on the internet so much.


6 posted on 01/11/2013 10:30:08 AM PST by Theo (May Christ be exalted above all.)
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To: Theo

Kaspersky Internet Security helps too.


7 posted on 01/11/2013 10:31:39 AM PST by jsanders2001
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To: CowboyJay

More. I had my identity stolen twice via malware. Didn’t cost me anything (the credit card covered the loss), but it got my e-mail address on the mailing list of the computer company from which the thief bought $200 worth of equipment. Nowadays I use Avast and Chrome, which protect me pretty well live, and frequently run Malware Fighter, Malwarebytes and Spybot on demand (all of the above free.)


8 posted on 01/11/2013 10:31:40 AM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: CowboyJay

Any stalking victim will tell you that the first and best thing to do is go to the police as soon as you can and develop a timeline. That “someone” may be someone who has it in for you, and this may be only the beginning. If problems escalate along the lines of stalking, Freepmail me.


9 posted on 01/11/2013 10:39:26 AM PST by golux (man)
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To: jsanders2001
Kaspersky Internet Security helps too.

Thanks. Malware was the first thing I suspected. I'm running Kaspersky though, and it didn't find anything. I immediately changed my passwords after the hack attempt.


10 posted on 01/11/2013 10:39:48 AM PST by CowboyJay (Lowest Common Denominator 2012 - because liberty and prosperity were overrated)
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To: CowboyJay

1. Set a fraud alert with the major credit bureaus. This is free to do. All you have to do is call one of the bureaus or visit their website and answer the questions. You don’t even have to speak to a person. The alert is then passed from the bureau you contacted to the other two — you don’t even have to contact the other two, it’s done for you. The alert is good for 90 days and lets credit issuers know that you may have been the victim of fraud and that they should request additional information or documentation before issuing credit. It doesn’t stop the issuance of credit but it does, if followed correctly by the issuer, cut down on incidents of identity theft. You can renew the alert every 90 days.

2. Remove your name from pre-approved credit card offers and other junk mailings. Contact Opt-Out PrescreenDirect Marketer’s Association to be removed from many junk mailing lists. The DMA is the largest database used by solicitors, so opting out with the DMA greatly reduces junk mail. Read the privacy policies of companies you do business with and find out how to let them know that you don’t want your information shared. If you get junk mail with a prepaid mailer, you can stuff their materials into the envelope and write, “Remove me from your list” on the material. This usually works, although it may take awhile. Make certain when doing business online that you uncheck any boxes that say, “Contact me with future offers,” or similar. Many websites pre-check these for you in the hopes you won’t notice, leaving it to you to opt out of their crap.

3. Order your free credit reports and set up a monitoring cycle. You are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. You get these reports through AnnualCreditReport.com. Only use this site. Others that sound similar require you to pay. But don’t request them all at once. Since you can get one per year from each service, you can request one every four months to keep a constant eye on your credit. So, for example, if you request from Equifax in January, wait until May to request one from TransUnion. Then request one from Experian in September. Then, when January rolls around, you request from Equifax again and keep the cycle going. This means you’re seeing your credit report once every four months which lets you catch potential problems quicker than if you look at it only once a year or less often.

4. Keep records of your credit card numbers, bank accounts, insurance cards, and driver’s license information (and contact information for each agency) separate from your wallet or purse. Make photocopies of sensitive items that you carry and keep them in a secure location separate from your wallet. If your wallet or purse is stolen, you can quickly contact each bank and card issuer and notify them of the theft so they can shut down your accounts and open new ones.


11 posted on 01/11/2013 10:46:15 AM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: CowboyJay

Another option.

Freeze your credit. This isn’t free, but the peace of mind is worth it. It is similar to a fraud alert except that it cannot be ignored by a lender. A fraud alert merely tells a lender that you may have been a victim of fraud and that they should request proper identification and verification before issuing credit. However, a freeze locks your credit file so that it cannot be viewed at all unless you “unfreeze” it. There is a fee to freeze your credit and another fee when you want to unfreeze it, so if you’re actively pursuing loans this option isn’t for you. Freezing your credit also means that you can’t be spontaneous about getting credit. If you’re shopping and see a great same as cash deal or want a store credit card, you’ll have to wait because you’ll have to unfreeze your credit before you can apply. Freezing and unfreezing aren’t instant — there are a few days of processing time — so be prepared to wait if you need credit in a hurry.


12 posted on 01/11/2013 10:47:53 AM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: Revolting cat!; Theo; pabianice; USNBandit; Red Badger

Thanks for the replies and advice. I’ll call my banks and the credit bureaus.

Any specific law enforcement agency I should contact beyond the local police?


13 posted on 01/11/2013 10:48:38 AM PST by CowboyJay (Lowest Common Denominator 2012 - because liberty and prosperity were overrated)
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To: golux

“Any stalking victim will tell you that the first and best thing to do is go to the police as soon as you can and develop a timeline. “

Agreed. And whether stalking or just old-fashioned identity theft or other mischievous behavior, create a record. Report the hacking attempt to Facebook, your voicemail account, and other service provider where you had an account that was effected, and be as detailed as possible.

Also, you can make a complaint online with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (federal agency) known as IC3 which will provide you with a reference number, and forward your complaint to the appropriate authorities if warranted.


14 posted on 01/11/2013 10:49:07 AM PST by AtlasStalled
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To: CowboyJay; USNBandit
Third call the three credit bureaus, tell them you are a fraud target and ask for free copies of your credit report and a fraud watch.

I would go a step further and have the credit bureaus freeze your credit file. See the Clark Howard page on credit freezes. You have to unfreeze the credit file to get any credit, but it keeps anyone from borrowing from a bank which checks the credit reports. A fraud watch does just about nothing unless the bank is really paying attention, and so many transactions are automated that a person might not even give an application a cursory glance.

15 posted on 01/11/2013 10:50:17 AM PST by KarlInOhio (Choose one: the yellow and black flag of the Tea Party or the white flag of the Republican Party.)
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To: CowboyJay

Any specific law enforcement agency I should contact beyond the local police?

Yes, Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)


16 posted on 01/11/2013 10:50:19 AM PST by AtlasStalled
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To: CowboyJay

My credit card company required a police report which I obtained by calling the local cops, who readily admitted that they get a couple of hundred such calls a month and don’t follow up on any of them.


17 posted on 01/11/2013 10:54:59 AM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: Revolting cat!

“by calling the local cops, who readily admitted that they get a couple of hundred such calls a month and don’t follow up on any of them”

Unfortunately, these cases rarely become high priority — or even any priority at all — as a general rule among law enforcement; however, it’s still important to make the record. For example, some credit cards or insurance companies may not provide reimbursement without a police complaint. Moreover, the federal agencies like IC3 or FTC use reports made in their online databases in order to determine which complaints to investigate. For example, if some telemarketer number or spammer IP or email address is reported in large numbers and is associated with egregious complaints, then it will likely become an eventual enforcement target. So it’s still important to report the matter.


18 posted on 01/11/2013 11:02:23 AM PST by AtlasStalled
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To: Revolting cat!; CowboyJay

My credit card company had me do the same.
Poor cop tried to hand write all of the fraudulent charges. There were 5 or 6 pages worth of transactions. I gave him the bank statement :)
Keep a very close watch on all charges to the card no matter how small.


19 posted on 01/11/2013 11:04:02 AM PST by RedMDer (Those that believe in gun free zones should wear GUN FREE ZONE T-SHIRTS.)
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To: CowboyJay

btt


20 posted on 01/11/2013 11:04:16 AM PST by rightwingextremist1776
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