9 Things To Do When Your Identity Stolen

I would say do not do lifelock or the like.  It's a scam.  The only way to keep people from committing identity theft is to request a security freeze from all 3 credit bureaus (then you get a pin number that has to be given anytime someone wants to check credit).  The cost varies from state to state; where I am it's a $10 one time free at each company ($30 total) and it's free to do a temporary lift (when you want to apply for something).  Basically, this means that no one will be able to do a hard credit pull on you without your approval.

This won't stop everything (there's a website some where that will help to stop the credit card mail offers), but it's probably the single best thing you can do to prevent identity theft.

Now, does anyone have any idea what the best way is to make sure closed cards are never reopened?

I need to find out who is the person the try call me but I can not herd on the phone how can I herd t phone so I try too find out who hill then? And I like to know what is going on im deaf. Pls will you let know what is going on? And thank you for help

I have a scam for you, like a dummy i fell for phony check scam it stated that this was my first installment of a 15,000 prize that i had won based on the giveback promotion from the local chain stores and my receipt was one of the one's picked from the point of sale purchase that i had made. Scary thing was it was actually the numbers from the bestbuy receipt purchase that i had made just recently. This is what got me "hooked". These people have a good game going on because i have reported this scam to any and everyone i could think of to no avail.
To me everyone is on these scams from moneygram to the banks and the people who come up with them in the first place. The bank clears the check, moneygram gives out money without proper id, the criminals collect on the other end,then the bank turns around and charges you double the amount of the check "which they cleared now" plus their fees. Then when the scam is discovered everyone holds you responsible as if it were your idea in the first place.I haven't met anyone so far who would scam their ownself out of their own money. i feel like asmodeus right now i wish i could go and find this guy and get my revenge. Because i am out of money that i did't have inthe first place. People please rip up those f ing papers and checks as fast as you can. Because trust me i will never let this kind of crap happen again this is a lesson well learned for me.

WOW!  I just found out I am a victim of ID theft...someone paying for items with electronic funds from my checking account.  I closed it...but opened a new one with the same credit union.  Even tho it is not Bank of America....I think I will heed your advice and move what small bit of money I have to a new bank.

THANKS!!!!!!

I hope things clear up for you.

can you help me? I went with all kinds of proof and ssn WOULD NOT issue new number.

i think everything is bulshit!!!!!!!!!!! the ones who are telling us what to do on this site are probably the people who fraud other ones and tell u what to do to get even more in trouble.

I am now seeing this message.  I just received this same letter with a check.  Unfortunately, I investigated after I deposited this check into my account. I haven't spent anything yet.  I don't understand how are these people making money if they are giving the money to you and money clears.  Did you have to give these people any of your personal information, like,SOS or banking information?  I spoke to someone and they were very convinincing and he said I wouldn't have to give any personal info.  But I am sure Scam artists are suppose to be.

Please help!!!

I noticed that American Express recently modified their Cardholder agreements stating that if one of their merchants submits charges to an American Express card, and the card number has changed, that American Express will charge the new card number AND give the new card number to the merchant ... sounds ridiculous, but getting a new card number with American Express isn't going to keep away the bad guys!!!

Thanks for the info on Debix.  I signed up.  
    I'm victim of identity theft too.  It takes a lot of leg-work to follow up on everything you need to do to get it straightened out.  Even then, there are glitches like TransUnion telling me, after I had supplied every bit of info they requested, saying that they couldn't put a fraud alert on my account until they had further checked the info provided with the account affected!  Blah, blah, blah.   Why are these credit agencies in business, anyway, if they aren't there to help protect the consumer?  Or, or they just another business for profit outfit?  So, if TransUnion wants to be obstinant, Debix can handle the problem instead!

Nobody here(my town) is willing to help. I went to the police department and they're no help at all. They say i need a credit report which i cannot get because some question that are being asked from the credit report company i dont know the answer to.(Apperantly they(who ever stole my identity) got a new car, and i have no idea where nor when nor what the monthly payment is)  and this information is being asked at every credit company and i have no answer and my credit report is being denied. This is exactly what i told the police department and they said they cannot do anything for me.   Luckely i got a report from the Bank of america but police department doesnt accept it, they say it doesnt work for them.  I did call Transunion and put a id theft report.  Then having the report from the Bank of america i called the dealer and all the places where my SSN has been used and they cannot give me any information because appearantly it wasnt me the one that signed the contract....    Anyone out there willing to help me.   Please contact me at jve8508@yahoo.com  PLEASE

can someone help, what if a company that was hired to do back ground checks and finger printing for another company that you work for allow someone in the hired company to steal your information that was on a lap top computer. What do you do?

We're kind of in the middle of this right now -- I'll let  you know what happens.  We got one of the letters -- and the check looks really genuine.  We were supposed to deposit the check and then call to get instructions for the rest of the money.  We didn't have to give any personal id.

I went to our credit union and asked the member services person if she thought it was a scam.  She called the bank it was drawn on, and they confirmed that it was a real check with a real account number and that at that moment, there was actually money in the account to cover the check. So we deposited it in an account that we have that we don't use. We decided to wait for a few days before we call them back -- just to see if it really clears.

I'm just trying to figure out what the scammers would get if this is a scam....

Thanks for your response, I have contacted SS, Went in person, still fighting with them, and their still refuseing to give me a new SS #,I filed all applications to get a new one. no luck yet. but still fighting.

Thanks

Ladyrose

Thanks for your response, I have filed for new SS# their still fighting giveing me a new SS#..

Thanks
Ladyrose

THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR RESPONSES & ADVICE, MEANS ALOT TO ME, I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING, ALL BETTER BUSINESS BUREAUS BEEN CONTACTED, HAS ALL FRAUD REPORTS, POLICE REPORTS, I HAVE CONTACTED FTC ALOT OF TIMES, I HAVE CONTACTED OUR STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL,BUT NOT ONE HAS CONTACTED ME, NOR
RESPONSED TO MY CALLS, OR EMAILS, OR LETTERS. THE ACCEPTED THE FAX SENT TO THEM, BUT NOTHING YET.  THE PERSON WHO STOLE MY IDENTITY BROKE INTO OUR HOME, GONE THROUGH OUR STUFF, TOOK CHECK BOOKS, BANK STATEMENTS FROM OUR MAIL BOX, POSTAL WAS INFORED AND DID A FRAUD THEFT KIT WITH THEM AS WELL.

THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE GOVERNOR, ALL CREDIT CARD COMPANYS HAS RECIEVED A
LETTER FROM THE ONE WHO STOLE MY IDENTITY, AND WAS CAUGHT IN CALIFORNIA, BUT
HE WAS IN OUR COUNTRY ILLEGAL, IRAQ, THE IRAQ AUTHORITES CAME AND TOOK HIM BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY, AND HE SENT LETTER TO ME, AND THOSE OTHERS.

I CONSULTED WITH A ATTORNEY, THEY HAVE ALL MY INFORM, BUT CAN'T AFFORD THEIR RETAINER FEE.. SO THEY SAID NO TO HELPING ME.

I HAVE HUNG UP THE CALLERS, EVEN AT WORK, I INFORMED MY EMPLOYER NOT TO GIVE OUT MY INFORMATION TO ANYONE, THEY CALLED TO CLAIM THEY WE'RE RELATED TO ME AND NEEDED TO SPEAK WITH ME, FAMILY EMEREGECY,SORRY FOR TYPO ERRORS.

I WAS MAD, I WENT OFF ON MY EMPLOYER... I EVEN REGISTER DO NOT CALL REGISTERY,I FILED COMPLAINTS WITH THOSE CALLS, BUT NOTHING...

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP. SUPPORT, UNDERSTANDING, AND KNOWING WHAT I'M GOIN THROUGH... IF ANYMORE TIPS, PLEASE PASS THEM TO ME..

THANKS
LADYROSE