NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, ive joined the laundry list of those affected by Identity Theft...

Someone hacked my iTunes account and bought $150 worth of Gift Certificates...

And unfortunately I didnt figure it out until today, the bank neglecting to alert me, or at least deny my card after it went into the red, feeling it was more prudent to allow me to shovel debt on top of myself in Courtesy Pay fees...

All in all I now owe them a little under Three Hundred dollars for the whole affair...

Im in the process of trying to get the $150 and the Courtesy Pay fees removed...although Im not hopeful...

Needless to say, I intend to Pirate from now on, piracy gets you a trojan at worse, but Buying legally gets you $300 in debt to your bank...and Im probably just going to start keeping my money in jars..

And to avoid this being an entirely blog post, Im going to ask...


Have any of you encountered Identity Theft? What did you do? Did it get fixed?

Someone filed a tax return with my SS# last year, also opened a bank account, and also got a mortgage and also got arrested for aggravated rape.

I had to deal with the local police, the state police, the FBI, the FTC, the IRS and the SSA.

I got most of it fixed, some of the things are still hanging around (bill collectors for cell phones I didn't have, medical bills I didn't rack up) but for the most part things are finally about normal a year later.....and yes it took a full year to get to this point, it will probably take a few more years to get back to where I was. (bill collectors are idiots and won't listen....not even to my scary lawyer)

Your bank should be able to dispute the charges with the itunes people and you should only be out $50 or so, it's much less hassle than what most people go through.

Someone filed a tax return with my SS# last year, also opened a bank account, and also got a mortgage and also got arrested for aggravated rape.

That wasn't you that raped me? It... it hurts so much more now...:(

That wasn't you that raped me? It... it hurts so much more now...:(

Not unless I've suddenly become a 6'5" black man. ;) Also, my former employer just threw away all the W-4's we filled out when we got fired, which someone stole from the trash and sold the numbers to many different people.

*snip*

DAMN! :eek:

that definitely puts some perspective on it...I was pretty pissed...

I was afraid that my SS# was on the iTunes account, but I cant find it after logging in, so Im hoping that doesnt become a problem...

Not unless I've suddenly become a 6'5" black man. ;) Also, my former employer just threw away all the W-4's we filled out when we got fired, which someone stole from the trash and sold the numbers to many different people.

Shredders are absolutely required in any company.

DAMN! :eek:

that definitely puts some perspective on it...I was pretty pissed...

I was afraid that my SS# was on the iTunes account, but I cant find it after logging in, so Im hoping that doesnt become a problem...

You shouldn't ever give your SS# to anyone, except an employer.

Not unless I've suddenly become a 6'5" black man. ;) Also, my former employer just threw away all the W-4's we filled out when we got fired, which someone stole from the trash and sold the numbers to many different people.
Holy crap. That's, like, damn. I've been thinking of pressuring my new bosses into buying a shredder. I think I'm going to have to if there are people out there who are that careless and stupid.

You shouldn't ever give your SS# to anyone, except an employer.

True, but I couldnt remember whether I had done so or not...The damned bank has it definitely though...

But, Im fairly certain all he got into was the iTunes account or it just wouldnt make sense to buy Gift Certificates in the first place, lol...

Holy crap. That's, like, damn. I've been thinking of pressuring my new bosses into buying a shredder. I think I'm going to have to if there are people out there who are that careless and stupid.

I went through it with the credit bureaus...no, I didn't give my credit card numbers out, I don't have credit cards, no I didn't throw away statements, I don't have credit cards, no I didn't buy a house in Maine, I've never been there.

I couldn't figure out how someone got my stuff, I wasn't "in the system" except for my tax returns and my jobs.....and I hadn't even had a job where I wasn't self employed except for one in the last 8 years, how would they get it suddenly?!

So I called my old boss......and yeah she's like "oh, I was cleaning up a few months ago and I threw them out, I totally put trash on top to hide them though"

Bitch.

someone got into my gmail, amazon, and ebay accounts a year or two ago...didn't do anything with them so far as I could tell, but prompted me to first hyperreact by doing a different random password for every site, then calmed back down and went back to my old 3 password system, but now use random passwords for all 3 instead of just my most secure

I had someone ring up $3,000 in pornography, dating web sites, sex toys, and fast food in my with my debit/credit numbers one week. Like the OP, bank never said a damn thing until I learned I was in debt to them. I got all the charges revoked (and even got money BACK from the bank) and never had to pay a cent. My card was changed to debit only and reissued a new number. Since then I changed banks though; I like the one I have now even more.

I don't have a credit card, debit card, online financial account, or other obvious ID theft risk. Doesn't mean that someone isn't building a credit history in my name right now for future mischief, though, despite my caution. It annoys me how often my SSN is requested. Every job application seems to want it. I usually write "Will provide if required upon being hired" in the SSN space on job apps.

Also, my former employer just threw away all the W-4's we filled out when we got fired, which someone stole from the trash and sold the numbers to many different people.

Sue your former employer!

Sue your former employer!

Well you would have to prove there was wrongdoing. Probably more of a hassle than anything.

I used to live in a house divided into flats. We didn't have separate mailboxes - so I assume someone stole some of my mail. The took out some loans in my name - in total they got about £4000. Took years to sort out. First time I thought it was all sorted turned out it wasn't - I only found out when I was turned down for a mortgage a few years later. Some dodgy firm they had got a loan from had sold the debt on and it had screwed up my credit reference. Luckily my bank covered it all and did most of the work in sorting it out.

I don't have a credit card, debit card, online financial account, or other obvious ID theft risk. Doesn't mean that someone isn't building a credit history in my name right now for future mischief, though, despite my caution. It annoys me how often my SSN is requested. Every job application seems to want it. I usually write "Will provide if required upon being hired" in the SSN space on job apps.

Yeah, I thought I was safe too. Gotta keep an eye on it anyway, as long as their are idiots in H.R. departments.

I had someone ring up $3,000 in pornography, dating web sites, sex toys....

I notice you didn't say "someone else" I think someone (you) is trying to cover your e-porn addiciton! :tongue:

"oh, I was cleaning up a few months ago and I threw them out, I totally put trash on top to hide them though"

That sounds like a comprehensive protection plan.

I've had someone break into my (...unlocked...) car and steal a box of checks, and my cell-phone... they downloaded a few sexy strip poker games... but I called T-mobile as soon as I got home, and went to my bank as soon as they opened in the morning, cancelled the checks... never saw much about it after that.

More recently someone charged money from my paypal account... and has accessed my e-mail as well. The problems have stopped... as I changed passwords, but it was a bit of a problem with paypal... as they suspended my account due to my report, and had to 'investigate' the money transferral (I know, all of $40... but still).

Other than that, I like to think of myself as farely careful... and 'lucky' for me, due to fiscal irresponsibility, I'm not sure I have good enough credit to want to steal... though I'm trying to get it back up there.

I notice you didn't say "someone else" I think someone (you) is trying to cover your e-porn addiciton! :tongue:

Fuck now, I hate porn. I would have spent the money on something constructive like video games.