Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

I'm a green card holder and with all these stupid data breaches happening constantly (looking at you Equifax thanks a lot btw), it makes me concerned that if someone steals my identity they could really complicate or f up my immigration status or naturalization process if/when I pursue it.

Has anyone here had their identity compromised while a non-citizen? What did you do?

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

I don't know of any scenarios where a non-citizen has had their identity stolen.

If if you are paranoid (and maybe it's right to be) about having your identity stolen, you can issue a "credit freeze" to all three credit reporting agencies, which will mean no further lines of credit can be opened under your name.

Note that it does come with a cost. Here's an article about the process.

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

I'm not aware that my identity's been stolen - at least, not yet. Equifax says my data was involved in their recent breach and I had a couple of pokes on one credit card during the affected time period. I'm not particularly concerned right now - especially when it comes to immigration. Crazy system that your SSN (or the last 4 digits) has become a supposedly secure way for so many companies to identify people. At least I've only had to share my A# on official government forms for DMV, employer, firearms purchase (not that the government's necessarily any better - the wife got caught up in the OPM breach a couple of years ago).

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

Don't trust their breach checking website. It has been proven to give fake results.

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

Non-citizens (and crucially, non-immigrants) can and do have SSNs, credit cards, so of course non-citizens can get caught in this.
The danger of course is if USCIS saw you were employed in multiple places (due to identity theft) and you really weren't. But of course, freezing your credit would also raise a flag should USCIS look into it.

I think the solution is just to flag your credit record and make them contact you whenever a check is done. Freezing is probably a bad thing in this case. Also order your credit reports and get them cleaned up if needed.

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

There is no evidence that freezing credit will raise a flag to USCIS. :unsure:

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

Nor indeed that USCUS will see multiple jobs under the same SSN, because they can't.

Notoriously, the IRS refuses to share data on usage of SSNs because the IRS likes to collect their taxes and and doesn't want the revenue stream compromised by CBP agents going after illegal immigrants using a stolen SSN.

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

good to know.

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

I don't - but I know they have information about me - as far as I'm concerned their breach check just confirms what I already knew: they had my data and didn't take proper care of it. What's really galling, though, is that their response has been to encourage me to sign up for their own identity theft protection service - it may be free for a year, but I'm sure they'll start trying to persuade me to fork out next year for ongoing protection. I didn't trust them before the breach - I sure as hell don't trust them now.

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

How do I put a credit freeze on my UK credit accounts? I have seen very little in the UK press on what to do.

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

I don't think you can if you are not resident in the UK. When I first moved to the US I had problems with several attempts to open UK credit accounts in my name. I never did find a way of freezing my UK credit record.

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

Blow your card limits and fail to make repayments. I can guarantee you that your credit lines will be frozen and nobody will be opening credit in your name!! :lol:

Re: Victims of identity theft while non-citizen?
 

:goodpost:

Ian