Why is a stranger using my address for his checking account and debit cards?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I totally would NOT try to sort this out by telephone, too hard to know if one is talking to a fraudster or not.

I would take his papers in person to his bank -- and I would NOT tell them I also bank there -- and suggest their Fraud Dept look into the matter.

Thanks. I'll do this and won't mention my mortgage is there.

I read Wells had a clerical error with someone else, so I hope that's the issue here, too.

OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you take the address change notification to the post office and have it returned to sender?

This address change notification did not come from the Postal Service. It came from the bank.

you should contact your local post office to let them know what's going on. there's a known identity scam where the scammer tries to change your address with the post office (updating to their address or an empty home, etc) and then requesting/activating new credit cards.

- lock your credit ASAP and use a credit monitoring service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That doesn't make sense...why would they need your account number? What if was a bank where you didn't have an account? Are you calling a number that was on the notice? Check the bank's website and make sure you are calling the real number. I would also check your credit report and freeze it at all three bureaus....Everyone should do this anyway.

OMG!! I didn't even think that I was not really calling the bank!

OP

Well now you know what the scam was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That doesn't make sense...why would they need your account number? What if was a bank where you didn't have an account? Are you calling a number that was on the notice? Check the bank's website and make sure you are calling the real number. I would also check your credit report and freeze it at all three bureaus....Everyone should do this anyway.

OMG!! I didn't even think that I was not really calling the bank!

OP

Well now you know what the scam was.

No, that wasn't the scam. The number was real, it turns out.

OP

[Anonymous]

You should call the bank on the statements and report the incorrect address. No need to provide personal identification or account numbers.

[Anonymous]

RESOLUTION

Today, I received mail for the deceased parent of the person whose mail I received yesterday.

I googled and found the names of the parent's adult children in his obituary. One of them was the person whose mail I received yesterday.

I called the person's mobile number. That's faster than dealing with Wells. He said money was stolen from his checking account. He said he recently changed the address from my address back to his address. That explains why I am receiving these "change of address" postcards.

He asked if I was from [insert my town name]. He said they suspect the person had the debit card sent to my house and then stole the debit card when it showed up.

I've frozen my own credit at the bureaus just to be safe, and I've started changing the few paper statements we receive to "online only."

I'll assume whoever stole the debit card also stole our own mail and am checking my accounts.

OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:RESOLUTION

Today, I received mail for the deceased parent of the person whose mail I received yesterday.

I googled and found the names of the parent's adult children in his obituary. One of them was the person whose mail I received yesterday.

I called the person's mobile number. That's faster than dealing with Wells. He said money was stolen from his checking account. He said he recently changed the address from my address back to his address. That explains why I am receiving these "change of address" postcards.

He asked if I was from [insert my town name]. He said they suspect the person had the debit card sent to my house and then stole the debit card when it showed up.

I've frozen my own credit at the bureaus just to be safe, and I've started changing the few paper statements we receive to "online only."

I'll assume whoever stole the debit card also stole our own mail and am checking my accounts.

OP

Thanks.