Help, someone stole my SS number

7/24/02

[knak]

Someone stole my social security number and is using it. What do I do. I found out by mistake. A company I had a credit card through a few years ago, mistakenly sent me something and when I gave them my SS number to look up my (closed) account they said I was someone else and have a current credit card with them. Anyway, they patched me through to the fraud division and told me to contact credit reporting agencies and put a fraud alert on my SS number so they'l call me before issuing credit to anyone with that number. Isn't there anything else I can do? I'm ticked! They gave me the name and city of the person using my number. Can't I have her prosecuted? And where the heck is Lamark, Tx? That's where she lives. Anyone ever had this problem?

[subterfuge]

Uh-oh bump.

[Glenn]

Bummer, bump.

[Junior]

...Lamark, Tx?

Lamarque, Texas, is next to Texas City and near Galveston. I have relatives there ...

[My Favorite Headache]

It could be a numerical screw up not necessarily fraud. Could be one number off on someone's side. Just be sure. But good luck otherwise.

[Uncle George]

They'll never get mine. It's been tatooed on my shoulder for 60 years.

[isthisnickcool]

That would be LaMarque Texas.

[TomGuy]

The other person may have just picked numbers at random rather than give a real SS number for some application or something.

You should contact the Social Security Administration, however. She may be one of those illegals using false ID's and SSN's.

[knak]

Thanks for the correct spelling! I tried two different spellings in yahoo maps and neither one worked.

[martin_fierro]

whack here

[DoctorMichael]

...............Lamark, Tx?

Any Freepers near Lamark?

Posse?

Send da 'boys' ova to break her tums?

[knak]

The fraud division told me that she could've come into this country and bought a social security number. I laughed (disbelieving) and said "bought one"? "Does'nt she know she "bought one". They told me it happens all the time. First they said everyday then changed it to "well, not every day".

I will contact the SS Administration though. thanks!

[aculeus]

They'll never get mine. It's been tatooed on my shoulder for 60 years.

Ya beat me to it, Uncle G!

[Slyfox]

Go to switchboard.com and put in LaMarque TX and her last name. You can then go to mapquest and get a map of her street.

[evolved_rage]

order a credit report.

[mdittmar]

Social Security Administration

When Someone Misuses Your Number

[knak]

Thanks, everybody. What really stinks is that she got a "Capitol One K-Mart Card" with my credit. She could'nt have had better taste?

[CIBvet]

Now I suppose you're gonna try to tell us you're NOT responsible for making regular contributions on your Lamark, TX credit card to Lulac, La Raza and Rep Sheila Jackson Lee.

[Tall_Texan]

Most credit reporting agencies work by SSN (I know, it's supposed to be illegal...) and I would have a credit report done on your own number ASAP. The major credit reporting groups (Equifax is one of them) would tell you what credit lines have been open under that number and any aliases (particularly useful with women who tend to change their surnames frequently) that might be connected with it.

If it indicates a name or names other than your own and accounts you are aware of, try to find out more on your own. If it appears there is some actual fraud, the next thing to do is to take it up with the authorities but only when you've got a case built.

I would not try to contact the individual as this a) might make you look like a stalker or a threat and b) gives them notice that you are onto them if this really is a fraud going on.

The sad but true story is that credit reporting agencies are littered with bad information that attaches to your own credit history like a virus and you have to really fight to get things removed that were either cleared up by you years ago but stayed on your record or has nothing to do with you at all but happened to somebody whose name or SSN was close to yours.

There's just as good a chance of a clerical error or a computer glitch, particularly if your name is rather common. But you don't want someone else's bad credit to hurt your good credit (assuming its good) because of a name/address/SSN mixup. Do some homework.

If you can afford it, consult an attorney.

[Vidalia]

If it is real identity theft, you might consider hiring someone to drown the beetch.

There shouldn't be a serious court case, since, if you "killed yourself" it will be considered a suicide.

But beware, you may have to pay a fine.

poste script: this is tongue in cheek, just in case...