Forums > Social Discussion > Identity theft, does it worry you?

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SkulduggeryGOLD Member
Pirate Pixie Crew Captain
8,428 posts
Location: Wales


Posted:
I ask the question in the title because today I got a bit annoyed and a tad worried about Id theft.

I received a delivery of the tape that I make the hoops with and on the outside of the box was all the usual postage lables etc, but on the back (which I didn't notice until the curior had left) was a "Documents enclosed" plastic wallet. The wallet had been carefully sliced open with a knife and my delevery note had been removed. I immediatly phoned the company I got the tape from to ask them what was on the documents to be sure it had none of my payment details on it. Thankfully it only had my name and address and the contents of the box listed, but even so... is that enough info for someone to start cloning me and using my id? I don't know. They seem to do it so easily and get away with it. Hmmmm...

Feed me Chocolate!!! Feed me NOW!


ben-ja-menGOLD Member
just lost .... evil init
2,474 posts
Location: Adelaide, Australia


Posted:
companys on the whole are generally really good with not giving out your details. Identify fraud generally only happens if someone tricks you into telling them the details they need, theres one going round oz at the moment where ppl call you up pretending to be the credit card fraud department from your bank (most likely get your details from someone that works in a store somewhere) they talk to you a bit and explain how they noticed the unusal changes and make you all relieved and then say can you read them the 3 digit validation code off the back of your card so they can verify that you are still in possetion of your card, then if you have any questions dont hesitate to ask.



short of being really unlucky and having your details hacked from a unsecure site that you have brought something from, just dont give your details to anyone and youll be right smile



i simple solution if you are unsure and someone calls you is to ask for their name and telephone number to verify their identity then call the institution they represent and ask to speak to them.
EDITED_BY: ben-ja-men (1162212248)

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourself, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous and talented? Who are you NOT to be?


MynciBRONZE Member
Macaque of all trades
8,738 posts
Location: wombling free..., United Kingdom


Posted:
Also shred / tear up all documents bills etc before you throw them away, some places only require a photo ID (even a student card) and a recent bill to open an accoount even just a video store.

When I moved out of my old student house I must have missed changing address with someone or done it too slowly as someone tried to take oout a loan in my name (I found out when I got an Experian credit report when I was applying for my post graduate loan).
Luckily My credit score when I finished Uni was so bad they had been unable to get it.

Vigilance is always the key and as Ben-ja-men says about Phone fraud always ask for proof before giving your details over the phone, better yet ask for a name and call them back via your banks switchboard so you know they are genuine.

A couple of balls short of a full cascade... or maybe a few cards short of a deck... we'll see how this all fans out.


YakumoSILVER Member
veteran
1,237 posts
Location: Oxfordshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
Doesn't sound like an ID theft issue in this case, just some sod hoping to score something cool to steal in the post frown

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colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
 Written by: Yakumo


Doesn't sound like an ID theft issue in this case, just some sod hoping to score something cool to steal in the post frown



yep, i'd agree with that.

i'd complain to the carrier (parcel force/dhl/whoever it was) that your documents were removed in transit and demand an explanation from them.

and does this mean you have new white tape cos i still have a hoop that needs a little bit more... ubbangel


cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


SkulduggeryGOLD Member
Pirate Pixie Crew Captain
8,428 posts
Location: Wales


Posted:
Yes Cole. I have white tape in stock. Want me to post you some?

I realised after speaking with the tape suppliers that all the person had was my name and address. They could try and pass it off a part of some kind of proof of who they were, but most places that give credit run DOB checks and need 2 forms of ID not just one. It just freaked me out a bit that they has so carefully cut along the edge of the plastic and slipped the documents out so you couldn't see that the plastic had been cut. They obviously hoped that someone wouldn't notice it had been cut.... but why?


I never put anything in my bin that got names, addresses etc on. I use them as kindling for the fire.

Feed me Chocolate!!! Feed me NOW!


poigmarmite and nutella sandwich
1,590 posts
Location: Farnborough, Hampshire


Posted:
I keep on getting emails from what they call themselves 'egg' and 'halifax' and 'hsbc' saying i need to give them my credit card number and pin to secure my account. I am pretty sure they aren't those companies as they all have weird email adresses, like egg have a 1 before egg@. It's also made obvious that they're not the companies they say they are as i don't have a credit card.

THE hop Pyro.
(with parents)
Unowned


mr squirrelmember
37 posts

Posted:
 Written by: ben-ja-men


Identify fraud generally only happens if someone tricks you into telling them the details they need, short of being really unlucky and having your details hacked from a unsecure site that you have brought something from, just dont give your details to anyone and youll be right smile




erm, not quite

MasterCard International reported yesterday that more than 40 million credit card accounts of all brands might have been exposed to fraud through a computer security breach at a payment processing company, perhaps the largest case of stolen consumer data to date. MasterCard said its analysts and law enforcement officials ...

did i leave the iron on?


colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
 Written by: Skulduggery


Yes Cole. I have white tape in stock. Want me to post you some?



yes please! biggrin hug

pm on the way...


cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


faith enfireBRONZE Member
wandering thru the woods of WI
3,556 posts
Location: Wisconsin, USA


Posted:
had people trying to steal my id, but they were black and i am very white, so that didn't work out to well for them
and then there was the guy who stole my checkbook
he told them some story about how he was my rep and he actually got them to cash the check

Faith
Nay, whatever comes one hour was sunlit and the most high gods may not make boast of any better thing than to have watched that hour as it passed


Firetrampold hand
898 posts
Location: Binstead, Isle of Wight


Posted:
I had a phonecall a couple of weeks ago from a company who wanted to send me a free video phone. They wanted my address and my bankcard number. Yeah right!

Ask a question and be a fool for a minute...don't ask and be a fool your whole life.


BirdGOLD Member
now available in "advanced"
6,086 posts
Location: Cornwall, United Kingdom


Posted:
I think the closest I ever came was having my bank card cloned at a petrol station, luckily, I spotted it and was able to cancel the card before any real harm was done.

It was still a pain, having to go through the procedure though!

Now, I shred everything, watch like a hawk when my card is out of my hands ( chip & pin has helped with this, though I still don't trust the PIN number security as much as a signature) and, most importantly, NEVER give out my bank details over the phone/internet etc.

If ever you're unsure that it is actually someone genuinely calling you from the bank, you can always hang up and ring the customer services number and deal with it that way.

If they're genuine, it won't be a problem and you can be put back through, otherwise, they'll not know what you're on about, and you'll know it was a scam!

My state of mind is not yours to define!

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."


poigmarmite and nutella sandwich
1,590 posts
Location: Farnborough, Hampshire


Posted:
another example, taken from my msn e-mail inbox:

Mr.BUHARI TIJANI
The Manager of Audit & Accountancy Dept.
BANK OF AFRICA BOA
Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso.
( READ CAREFULLY AND KEEP SECRET)
Greeting, and how are you doing?I hope fine.Please let this my message do not be a surprise to you because i got your information and lay trust in you before i contacted you.I am the MANAGER OF AUDIT & ACCOUNTANCY DEPARTMENT of our bank and i decided to contact you over this financial transaction worth the sum of TWENTY TWO MILLION,THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ($22,300,000.00).This is an abandoned fund that belongs to the one of our bank foreign customers who died along with his completely family on 25th oct,2002 in a plane crash disaster.
I was very fortune to came acroos the deceased file when i was arranging the old and abandoned customers files of 2003-2004 in other to submit to the bank managements accordingly for documentation purposes.It is clearly stated in our BANKING FOREIGN POLICY and signed lawfully that if such fund remains unclaimed by the NEXT OF KIN till the period of SIX(6) years starting from the date when the beneficiary died, the money will be transferred into the BANK TREASURY as an unclaimed fund.Besides,it is not authorized by the law guiding our bank for a citizen of BURKINA FASO to make the claim of the fund.
So the request of you as a foreigner is necessary to apply for the claim and transfer of the fund smoothly into your reliable bank account as the NEXT OF KIN to the deceased.When the fund is transferred into your account,FOURTY PERCENT(40%) will be for you in an assistance and in provision of the bank account,while SIXTY PERCENT (60%) will be for me. If you are really sure of your integerity, trustworthy and confidentiality,reply with your contact necessary for the transfer and call me as you so that i will let you know the steps to follow in order to finalize this transaction immediately.I will be waiting for your urgent reply.
My. regards to you and your family,

MR BUHARI TIJANI








nana NO, DUFUS

THE hop Pyro.
(with parents)
Unowned


Tao StarPooh-Bah
1,662 posts
Location: Bristol


Posted:
omg, i used to get those emails all the time, and ones from the bank asking fo my pin number!!! just don't be a dumbass, make sure it was always you who dialled the number and don't chuck out your bank details & stuff whole.

I had a dream that my friend had a
strong-bad pop up book,
it was the book of my dreams.


newgabeSILVER Member
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia


Posted:
Omigod another classic Letter from the Abandoned Fund House!! Ouagadougou indeed ubbtickled

Meanwhile, back on topic..
Yes, I do worry about indentity fraud. It would be the most appalling thing to have to prove you weren't yourself....

.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....


DeepSoulSheepGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland


Posted:
My name is Gabe smile

I live in a world of infinite possibilities.


becciPancake Maker
151 posts
Location: south wales


Posted:
Last year I suddenly developed quite a serious 300 pound a day online gambling habit. My bank called me after 3 days to question me about it and to point out that I was now 700 over my overdraft limit, and that there was another 300 waiting to go out.

Fortunately they believed me that it wasn't me who had been gambling and eventually refunded the money.

Haven't got a clue how they got the details but the bank think it was most probably a scanner at a cash machine.

Thing that annoys me most is that the person who did it seems to have gotten away with it. There didn't seem to be any police involvement or criminal follow up.

DeepSoulSheepGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland


Posted:
I had a few hundred stolen on a credit card similarly before. The consumer caries the cost of these crimes.

Credit card companies and the likes don't ask question, they just want you to be happy and feel secure etc smile

I live in a world of infinite possibilities.


UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
I got a fraudulent email the other day.



I replied back to them saying that,my email account was being activly monitored by the FBI after the user disappeared with $30million of US governmental money.

I also then forward the email and headers onto the abuse department of the email account I recieved the email from for them to deal with.



I still wonder where they get my email address from, if people really are that stupid to keep falling for these emails and why random people from random countries think its ok to add you to their msn messenger contacts list confused
EDITED_BY: UmbiliciformCraterOnFace (1162555520)

mcpPLATINUM Member
Flying Water Muppet
5,276 posts
Location: Edin-borrow., United Kingdom


Posted:
stupid story:

Our broadband went down, and while I had no money on my phone, my flatmate, dave decided to phone up and try and get it fixed. Now I'm the account holder, but dave knows the answers to the various questions they ask, (where I live, my mobile number, my birthday etc.) He said he had a bad cold. But after figiting about for a while they didn't believe him. And their entire reason was the sound of his voice. His girlfriend phoned up and pretended to be me also, but she's non-techy so didn't know enough to help...

They asked me the same questions when I called up, and believed me, cos of my voice I assume. And I didn't even know my post code.

It was pretty funny. Dave wanted me to be really pissed off that they hadn't belived me when I had a 'cold'....

"the now legendary" - Kaskade
"the still legendary" - Kaskade

I spunked in my friend's aquarium and the fish ate it. I love all fish. Especially the pink ones. They are my bitches. - Anon.


SkulduggeryGOLD Member
Pirate Pixie Crew Captain
8,428 posts
Location: Wales


Posted:
Credit card theft is one thing, very annoying and time consuming to sort out, but when they steal your id and use it to get passports and such, then it gets really scary.

A woman in Neath has a nigerian woman using her maiden name id and there is very little she can do about it. The Nigerian got charged and convicted of obtaining a Birth certificate fraudulently, but apparently they can do nothing to stop her using the name in her everyday life.

Feed me Chocolate!!! Feed me NOW!


becciPancake Maker
151 posts
Location: south wales


Posted:
It was actually my bank account not credit card which was a bit more worrying.

I also have an interesting case when i called inland revenue-when I had told them my national insurance number, for security purposes they asked me for my previous address, when i tell them all my addresses they say ummmmm....we have an address for you in london!!!! I've never lived anywhere near london only been there about 3 times in my life.

They then go on to say that they can't tell me the address for security reasons as I may not be me and they can't change the details as I can't tell them the address that they have for me. If big organisations can hold completely wrong info about people then its not surprising that fraud happens.

DrudwynForget puppy power, Scrappy's just gay
632 posts
Location: Southampton Uni


Posted:
*bump*



I've been writing an essay on multi factor authentication, and have been reading technical reports on security holes in systems. Particularly the technical flaws in biometric authentication and the level of trust that biometric systems have gained. I know the government is pushing for greater "national security" (read: control) but surely using systems that are trusted to such a level but have gaping security holes will lead to a decrease in security?



This essay's making me paranoid...



oh, and slightly off topic : Scary scary scary stuff.

Spin, bounce, be one with the world, because it is yours to enjoy...


The Tea FairySILVER Member
old hand
853 posts
Location: Behind you...


Posted:
Oh great, so now if a psycho ex-partner or paedophile gets hold of their victim's mobile number they can track where they are! This is scary stuff... I wonder what their 55,000+ members are using the service for?

Idolized by Aurinoko

Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind....

Bob Dylan


StoutBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada


Posted:
According to thier FAQ page, you can refuse to be tracked if you don't want to.

alien_oddityCarpal \'Tunnel
7,193 posts
Location: in the trees


Posted:
i fear I.D. theft.......thats why on pparper i HAVE no identity. my paper trail is minute, i dont have store cards, i dont have credit/debit cards and i ONLY pay in cash!!!!

i like to remain in the shaddows, be the grey man so to speak wink

animatEdBRONZE Member
1 + 1 = 3
3,540 posts
Location: Bristol UK


Posted:
Always be careful when you have your card Double swiped in any store.

My brother's mother in law hardly ever uses her card, but one day before christmas made a purchase in Curry's. The assistant double swiped her card, which was enough for it to be cloned. She then tried to use her card the following day in a different Shop, only for it to have been cancelled.

A letter was received a few days later from her bank saying that her card had been cancelled, because it had been used in thailand, between the curry's purchase, and the use in thailand. luckily, it was only used to the sum of 24 pounds and the bank picked up that it was quite an anomaly and immediately cancelled her card and refunded the money.

Empty your mind. Be formless, Shapeless, like Water.
Put Water into a cup, it becomes the cup, put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Water can flow, or it can Crash.
Be Water My Friend.



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