g1ant

Identify theft? Is it that easy?

I don't know, but some people are so stupid they help the bad guys along the way.

This morning I got an email from the web store of one of the major department stores. "Thanks for signing up to our web store"
Not me. I didn't sign up, but just to be nosey I clicked the link.
Log in with email address and password. well I know the email address - it's mine! One of my unidentifiable throway email addresses.

Password? Well let's see. Why not click the "Forgot your password " link and see what happens. It emails me the password - now I can log in. And it's a live account with a store charge card already linked to it. $786 balance- well she has been a busy girl. There is no address filled in though, so I could put mine in there or any other PO Box number that I want to choose.

Wait - it gets better. You can order gift cards online that get emailed to the recipient. Quickly open [email protected] and send myself a $1000 gift card. Then down to the store in the mall and pick myself out a nice iPod and a new set of threads. Just need to make sure that the closed circuit cameras don't see enough to identify me and I'm free and clear.

Or I can take the better approach of calling their 1-800 customer service line and getting my email address removed from the daft lady's account.

Aw, well... we can all dream of iPods. :scared:

It just goes to show how easy it is.

Chorlton

Yeah, its too easy.
Half of the stores dont even check your id when you use a credit card these days
Also, with the mailboxes a olt of us still have, all it takes is for someone to clean it out after the postman has been by, and before you get home...

Bob

good one is gambling online and then claiming yoru card stolen if it goes tits up...people don't realise how easy it can be to get caught while others can get away with it.

Yorkieabroad

[QUOTE=Chorlton]Yeah, its too easy.
Half of the stores dont even check your id when you use a credit card these days
QUOTE]

I actually had my signature checked in Walmart last week - first time in 4 years!!

angelman

the one that gets me is the unsolicited credit card applications that get mailed to you. Worse than that are the credit card cheques that get mailed 'for your convenience'. As far as I understand it anyone can spend those, make up some sort of signature for you.
Someone actually did a test and tore up a credit card application and then filled it in bogusly and got it accepted. Apparently the credit card company was duty bound to accept an application even if it was torn up and taped together (becuase that doesnt look suspcious!)
I can's decide if identiy theft is easier here than in the Uk or not. I had 3000 pounds stolen from my barclays account whilst I was here. What was worse someone had taken the money from the bank teller. That means that the bank tellers must have not checked his signature at all or any id.

[QUOTE=Yorkieabroad]

paddingtongreen

My credit cards all say, "Ask for photo ID", instead of a signature. It doesn't do much good in the supermarket or the drugstore because I swipe (as in running it through the machine, not alf-inching it) it myself.

Thydney

My wife found an unsigned credit card in Wallyworld last week She handed it in needless to say.

Jerseygirl

I write that on my cards...like you said...makes no difference.

Yorkieabroad

[QUOTE=angelman]the one that gets me is the unsolicited credit card applications that get mailed to you.


We used that 1800 optout number (or whatever it is) a couple of months ago, and it does seem to have slowed the rate at which we received the unsolcited offers. The only problem is, it doesn't apply to people you already have accounts with, so we still get a bunch of stuff from Citibank - different types of card, different cashback offers etc, along with all those ripoff checks....

ladyofthelake

We had some unexpected videos arrive at our house last year. Sadly they weren't very interesting, just some geeky scifi type stuff. The worrying thing was the company who sent the order somehow managed to charge it to our credit card, even though we'd never even heard of them before, never mind used them. How the **** did someone get hold of our cc number, and why did they get the order sent to our house anyway?
(No, it wasn't the oh pulling a fast one either)

GaryK

The "See ID" seems to be a uniquely American phenomenon, although I've bumped into it a couple of times in Europe. Basically the credit card issuers say it's not okay to do it. Visa has issued these instructions for merchants in case they run into cards that have "see id" on their back:

1. Request a signature. Ask the cardholder to sign the card and provide current government identification, such as a driver's license or passport (if local law permits).
2. Check the signature. Be sure that the signature on the card matches the one on the transaction receipt and the additional identification.

The thing is that if you don't sign the card properly, you are not accepting the card issuer's terms and conditions. What this might mean for you is that technically if someone steals the card and uses it, you might not be awarded the protections the card usually comes with. If it goes to court, this can actually be an issue.

Angry White Pyjamas

The reason the CC co and banks tell you to sign the card immediately upon receipt is because until you do you arent liable for it. As the previous poster says signing the card is showing your acceptance of the T+C's until that point you have no liability to look after the card correctly.

ID fraud is very easy and very common. How many people give their card to the server in a resturant who then wanders off with it for a few minutes? What did they do with your card during that time? Copy the Number, signature, Expiry date and the 3 digit security number on the back? All they need to make a telephone or online purchase with your card now is your address. Not got it you say? Well lets watch you walk out the place and get in your car. Now they have your license number too...a quick phone call and hey presto! One address coming up.

Dan725

Had something similar, although didn't receive anything, except for a monthly charge of $10 on the statement. It appears that what sometimes happens is that third party companies leech off sometimes respectable bigger companies websites to obtain your info.

So say you order off an online company you've done business with before, a pop up offer appears, try to sell you some other shite. Of course, you will click no - however, sometimes you might click on "Tell me more" or something, and it seems that the less reputable leech companies were taking that as a yes, and then discreetly billing people.

It took us a few months to notice this recurring charge, did some googling and found out what they were all about - this is them.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff119840.htm

The second you phone them, after a bit of minor bleating, they credit everything back to you and it appears within a day or two - but what a scam, basically, they are hoping that people will not notice, and secondly, they are no doubt earning interest on that money before crediting it back to you.

Reported numerous times to the Better Business Bureau, it seems they get away with it because once people twig to it and angrily phone them, they resolve it straight away. Very clever.

Dan725

Had another shitty one which I suspect happened like this, or more likely through a bigger compromise of records Due to the time frame, made it seem very organised crime-esque.

My UK Amex card, after not being used for about 18 months, suddenly threw up a charge of about a grand showing some 5 star hotel in Marbella.

Where did they get the info from? I don't have statements, and am very careful. I suspect either they way you say, or through a disgruntled employee selling credit records, or otherwise computer hack of a companies records - I should say the info was passed onto big crime folks in amongst thousands of other details, and it took them a year and a half to get round to using it, and I guess they (the criminals) were most likely selling people, probably Chav's (First thing I thought, you get the run of a fake credit card, and all you can come up with is Beer and England top Marbella?! Come on!) falsified cards for "One shot" uses such as this.

Just goes to show that no matter how careful you are, you can be caught, so the best advice is to carry on being careful, and also check your statements like a hawk.

paddingtongreen

My card says "see photo ID"'

Another scam; you get a call from someone who says they forgot to note the number on your copier, when they repaired it. If you help them out, a truck load of high priced copy paper will arrive for copier #xxx. Your receiving clerk will show them where to put it and sign for it, he doesn't know the diff. then you get the bill for paper, ordered by your name, they got your name when you answered your phone, on phone number xxx xxx xxxx. Payment required within ten days. Have a nice day.