Identity theft

[Anonymous]

I have had 2 instances this month that really makes me worry. The first was a bill that came in the mail from a cell phone company that stated that someone had tried to open an account in my name and then was cancelled due to potential fraud. The second happened today where someone tried to open a credit card in my name. It was stopped because between the first and second incident we put a fraud alert on my credit. I plan to check my credit again tonight. Should I do anything else?

[Anonymous]

id theft goes further than just your credit. might want to look into a company that protects you from all forms ID theft.

[Anonymous]

I heard those companies don't really protect you. I heard it is better to check your credit report and bank accounts. What other things should I be checking?

[Anonymous]

Criminal records as some people use others identity when they get caught committing a crime.

ID thieves also use false IDs when trying to get jobs.

[Anonymous]

Great. I feel so violated.

[Anonymous]

What do thieves do with a stolen identity?

Once they have your personal information, it is used in a variety of ways.
New Account Fraud – new accounts, loans and other credit related accounts are opened in your name
Phone or Utilities Fraud - your name could be used for someone to get electricity, gas or cable TV.
Bank Fraud – counterfeit checks, bank accounts or loans can be created in your name
Employment Fraud – your identity and good credentials could be used for someone else to get a job
Government Documents – Someone can get a driver’s license or official ID card, obtain government benefits or file a tax return using your name
Medical ID Fraud –fraudulent changes that can occur on your medical record can pose as a health risk to you at a later time.
Criminal Records – someone could give out your name and social security number when getting arrested

[Anonymous]

So what do I do now? Should I purchase life lock? I am going to file a police report.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure if they will assist you with your current ID breach. Meaning, they probably won't help you clean up whatever happens because of your current breach.


I don't know about that company. You might want to research the company and check sites like ripoffreport.com

[Anonymous]

Life lock sucks. Don't get that. I opened up a credit card with my name in a new state clear across the country with a new address and it never told me anything. Thankfully it was me who opened it and not a criminal I would have had no clue

[Anonymous]

Op how do you check your credit ? I should probably check mine and am not sure how I should do that ?

[Anonymous]

I have been monitoring my credit report closely after the first breech and luckily both time the thieves were caught before they did ant damage. It is free to check the big 3 once a year. My husband did it online. It was fast. We had all the answers in 5 minutes. It is free to put a fraud alert on your account which I think saved me the second time. It is hard for me to figure out what to do next. I am in the military and I remember getting a letter that stated my personal information was breeched because someone had the computer stolen and I wondering if that was the leak. I really have no way of knowing.

[Anonymous]

You get three free credit checks per year (one from each of the big three agencies) but you can stagger them through the year for a more-frequent check of your credit. Also, I would recommend credit karma. It's free and is very useful and accurate. Google it.

[Anonymous]

^And it will tell you if any new accounts have been opened or not.

[Anonymous]

If you don't need to open any new accounts now and aren't applying for any loans soon, then freeze your credit. You can always remove the credit freeze later on if you need to.

[Anonymous]

I agree about freezing the credit. I just put a freeze on both DH and my account. Hopefully that will stop people from opening accounts in our names.