ID theft-has anyone been a victim?

[nc0gnet0]

Got an interesting call the other day, it was from my employer ( I spend about half of my time out of the office on the road). The accountant wanted to know why I had filed an unemployment claim ( I was still working 40+ hours a week after all). I was dumbfounded as I did not file a claim. Several wasted attempts to talk to a real person at the Unemployment office (I have never been on unemployment in my life) on the phone were fruitless, so I dragged myself down to the unemployment office and took a number and sat. And waited. And waited.

Finally it was my turn, and I explained the situation. I had the claim form sent to my employer in hand, gave them my drivers license and SS card, and she pulled up the case file. Sure enough, who ever filed the claim not only had my SS#, but my drivers license number, DOB, and even an old address I lived at 12 years ago. Not sure how they got this information, as while I may make an occasional purchase (usually use paypal) on-line, the information they possessed I never give out online. So I have pretty much ruled out my PC getting hacked.

I went to my bank, and there had been no suspicious activity, but I canceled my card and had a new one issued just in case. Went to the secretary of State office to see if I could get a new drivers license number, but apparently they won't do that. Not sure if I can get a new SS number? Also filed a claim with the County Sheriffs office, not sure why, but at least there will be a record of it should I find anything else has occurred.

I have had my CC info compromised once, but caught that real early and no damage, but this is a first for me. Anyone else been through this? I was surprised to hear while at the UE office they have 25 of these cases of fraud a day.

 

[Omeletpants]

Sunbiz?

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

^ Best post Ommy has ever made.

 

[nc0gnet0]

?? sunbiz ? Is that a company search?

 

[Ares]

Have never had my identity stolen.

I did have my debit card number compromised.... ******* made like 8k in purchases at a site that allows you to digitally give cash for a wedding present.

I found the **** who did it and fed her to fisch.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

?? sunbiz ? Is that a company search?

A ccs poster that is accused of actually stalking other posters.

Would make sense if he's coming at you for being a Lions fan...JK

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

I've had calls from my bank 2 or 3 times over the last 10 years asking if I was making a purchase(usually high priced) with my bank card. They would just cancel and give me a new card.

 

[ijustposthere]

Could be from the Equifax breach. I haven't had my identity stolen, but I've had my credit card number stolen. Dude tried buying all kinds of dumb shit, but none of the purchases went through because they looked suspicious. I got some mail about a cancelled purchase, so I went to the site and looked up the order number. Gave me the jackasses full name and address. Passed that info on to the appropriate authority.

 

[nc0gnet0]

Could be from the Equifax breach. I haven't had my identity stolen, but I've had my credit card number stolen. Dude tried buying all kinds of dumb shit, but none of the purchases went through because they looked suspicious. I got some mail about a cancelled purchase, so I went to the site and looked up the order number. Gave me the jackasses full name and address. Passed that info on to the appropriate authority.

I have had my CC # stolen before, but this is actually a bit more scary. Normally you might think, "hey, my computer got hacked", but the information they had is not something I have ever entered anywhere while on my PC.

 

[Crystallas]

Learn to identify skimmers. Both card skimmers and NFC payment skimmers.

Never make a cashless payment without doing a quick inspection on the machine. 2-3 minutes of web searching skimmer images will save you a ton.

Here's something I grabbed off a random search. Pretty useful reading.
https://krebsonsecurity.com/all-about-skimmers/

 

[nc0gnet0]

Learn to identify skimmers. Both card skimmers and NFC payment skimmers.

Never make a cashless payment without doing a quick inspection on the machine. 2-3 minutes of web searching skimmer images will save you a ton.

Yes, but that has nothing to do with what I am going through now, CC was not compromised.

 

[Crystallas]

Yes, but that has nothing to do with what I am going through now, CC was not compromised.

I know, just adding to the topic in general.

 

[KoreanBear]

Someone made an account under my name in Verizon and Sprint. Got 4 phones out of them. I had to file a case with the local PD. The cop said that ID thefts are so common these days that a person is likely to be a victim at least once in their life time.

That was about 2-3 years ago. Haven't had one since.

I put my credit on a 10 yr lock through one of the 3 credit agencies as the cop suggested.
When I did this the agency told me that if I ever need to make a loan for a purchase it would be hard to do because the lock will disable companies trying to run my credit without my verbal consent.
Since the lock I've purchased a car and refi'd my house and both times the credit lock didn't do anything against the banks running my credit or granting me the loan.

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

My cc is compromised multiple times a year. It’s usually Russian hackers who steal your info then sell it on dark web for crypto currency

 

[Burque]

Could be from the Equifax breach. I haven't had my identity stolen, but I've had my credit card number stolen. Dude tried buying all kinds of dumb shit, but none of the purchases went through because they looked suspicious. I got some mail about a cancelled purchase, so I went to the site and looked up the order number. Gave me the jackasses full name and address. Passed that info on to the appropriate authority.

I hope the appropriate authority was something like this...


NSFW

[video=youtube;KNUW8A_FfgE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNUW8A_FfgE[/video]

 

[Burque]

I went to Vegas once for a conference and managed to get both my debit and my credit card hit inside of 24 hours.

I think it was from either the place where I got breakfast each morning, one of the bars in the hotel that I went to more than once, or the little sundries shop.


Vegas is better with cash anyway.

 

[Hawkeye OG]

My cc is compromised multiple times a year. It’s usually Russian hackers who steal your info then sell it on dark web for crypto currency

How does that happen?

I have not had my CC info stolen once in the 6 years I've had one.

 

[Ares]

How does that happen?

I have not had my CC info stolen once in the 6 years I've had one.

There's a variety of ways... but probably most common is data breaches.

You use your CC to buy something off a site.... the company who owns that site has to take in your CC info and store it to process the purchase.

Someone gets into that company's data (breach) and they grab as much customer info and CC numbers as they can.

They sell that info on the dark web and someone who bought it then tries to use your CC number.

But it could happen in many analog ways.... you take your card out in a store and someone gets a pic of it.... you hand your card to a cashier and they remember your name and the CC number.... Some ****** combs thru security cam footage and snags CC numbers when they can.... you use your CC on a site run by assholes and they just go ahead and steal/sell your info.... someone sets up an elaborate ruse that directs you to a replica site that appears to be something you normally use, but it is really their replica and they steal your info when you "make a purchase".... malware gets on your machine and snags any CC number you put in on any legit site...

There are so many ways it can happen.

 

[Burque]

There's a variety of ways... but probably most common is data breaches.

You use your CC to buy something off a site.... the company who owns that site has to take in your CC info and store it to process the purchase.

Someone gets into that company's data (breach) and they grab as much customer info and CC numbers as they can.

They sell that info on the dark web and someone who bought it then tries to use your CC number.

But it could happen in many analog ways.... you take your card out in a store and someone gets a pic of it.... you hand your card to a cashier and they remember your name and the CC number.... Some ****** combs thru security cam footage and snags CC numbers when they can.... you use your CC on a site run by assholes and they just go ahead and steal/sell your info.... someone sets up an elaborate ruse that directs you to a replica site that appears to be something you normally use, but it is really their replica and they steal your info when you "make a purchase".... malware gets on your machine and snags any CC number you put in on any legit site...

There are so many ways it can happen.

On top of all of that there are the skimmers that any person who gets your card to run, say at a restaurant, gas station, or grocery store can easily double swipe it and store your info to be used later.

 

[Hawkeye OG]

There's a variety of ways... but probably most common is data breaches.

You use your CC to buy something off a site.... the company who owns that site has to take in your CC info and store it to process the purchase.

Someone gets into that company's data (breach) and they grab as much customer info and CC numbers as they can.

They sell that info on the dark web and someone who bought it then tries to use your CC number.

But it could happen in many analog ways.... you take your card out in a store and someone gets a pic of it.... you hand your card to a cashier and they remember your name and the CC number.... Some ****** combs thru security cam footage and snags CC numbers when they can.... you use your CC on a site run by assholes and they just go ahead and steal/sell your info.... someone sets up an elaborate ruse that directs you to a replica site that appears to be something you normally use, but it is really their replica and they steal your info when you "make a purchase".... malware gets on your machine and snags any CC number you put in on any legit site...

There are so many ways it can happen.

Guess I've been pretty lucky :shrug: