Identity Theft - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**Canadian Dude** · 05-04-2005, 07:51 AM

So the other day I got a letter in the mail from a local cell phone company thanking me for becoming a customer. Thinking this very odd, since I did not sign up for a cell phone I contacted the company and advised them of this fact. They told me that "i" signed up for the the phone. I told them I had not, and they said they would start a fraud investigation, and I would not be responsable. In the same batch of mail I go a credit card for Staples, which I had not ordered. I called them and was told that "I" had got the card with 4000$ limit and spent 3900$ at the store in Toronto. I told them I had not, they are sending me a letter in the mail to say that it was not me who got this card and I "should" be off the hook. It was pretty much at this time I knew I was the vitim of Identity theft. I contacted the 2 credit agences here in Canada and have put "fraud watch" on my information so credit cannot be obatined anymore without a photo id and a more strigent process of credit approval. All in all they spent almot 10000$ under my name.

I have no ide how this happened, I am almost positive that it was not internet related. They new EVERYTHING about me, where I worked, home address, Social Insurence #...EVERYTHING!

So the cops were at my houselast night to take a report. but I do not think they will catch the guy who is doing it. One of the store owners remebers thay guy when he tried to buy 4000$ in music Equip, so I guess thats lead.

Anyway, I am a little stressed about i, I just wanna know how this happened?? Was I careless, is someone selling the information to other people...FUC!

Ah well, not much I can do about it now, just gotta wait and see i suppose.

Watch you ass guys, cause i was one of those poepl who said...I will not happen to me.

**elfmaiden** · 05-04-2005, 08:06 AM

OMG! That's horrible! People so have to be careful lately. I noticed on some of the receipts I got from purchases had my name, address, and CC# on them!!! They didn't even have the little start on the the paper or anything. Kinda troubled me, I mean really how hard is it to the get the info if you really want to? :|

Jenn

**GoKrazy** · 05-04-2005, 08:06 AM

Ouch, that has to be a stressful experience! When the police came to write up the report, did you have to prove that you did not make those purchases, or did they take your word? At least you noticed that something was going on and took action immediately. I hope that you won't have any further problems with this.

**blinkchick2134** · 05-04-2005, 08:21 AM

Wow CD that sucks big time. Well I hope you get off the hook for everything.

This reminds me that I should be more careful with my reciepts/bills/etc.

**kingcrazylegs** · 05-04-2005, 10:43 AM

blow! if you need a tpunk hit squad let us know

**Sijuki** · 05-04-2005, 11:28 AM

You know what C-dude.. I bet it was nothing that you did... I blame a Credit Reporting Agency of some type.... with the hundreds of thousands of personal accounts that have been comprimised in the last 6 months... you could be perfectly careful and some stupid ass company that knows everything about you will give it away to anyone who wants to act like they think they might be a company. Their response is, "oh, that's too bad, tough luck." I think these CRA's should be held responsibile for the great amount of information they obtain. If they become compromised I think they shoul dhave to pay out a fee to everyone that might have been compromised.

I just get so sick of identity theft being such a huge issue but the media and companies shift the blame onto consumers instead of CRA's that constantly give out this information...

But hope everything works out man... best of luck... I was a victim of it a couple months back and everything worked out fine.

**simply_angelic** · 05-04-2005, 02:25 PM

Daaaaaaaaaaaamn CD that SUCKS! I always rag on my dad for being crazy paranoid about this kind of stuff (cuz he really is) but i never thought it would happen to someone i know

im w/ sij on this one, iz prob the companies fault......it really is too easy to do this sort of stuff nowadays.........best of luck to ya though man! Hope everything works out ok

**Tadpole** · 05-04-2005, 06:41 PM

Quote:

blow! if you need a tpunk hit squad let us know

Sign me up KingCrazyLegs. This fraud guy didn'trealize he messed with a member of the Tpunk community. Not to mention Backpacker of the Year.

**zylah** · 05-04-2005, 07:33 PM

i think its strange and lucky that you actually got some recipts. I thught they usually go and get adresses changed.
(also did't you lose a passport some time ago?)

**travelpunk** · 05-04-2005, 09:10 PM

Them bastards

! Sorry to hear it, bro.

Wish you luck in getting it all squared away.

Me2 · 05-05-2005, 09:48 AM

WOW thats hursh... well i am down with the hit squad sign me up too... ouch man that hurts bad...

<--- this one is on me man

**my retro career** · 05-05-2005, 02:05 PM

Another possibility is at restaurants...

...There has been reported scams....a syndicate of "buying" people's credit card data when you give your cc to the waiter/waitress...they'll swipe your info onto a machine that "sells' your data to thieves...

I remember reading that on the Washington Post not long ago...

I too had by credit card number stolen just a few weeks ago....but thankfully it's less than $200...and my creditcard company has credited my account for those fraudulent charges....

I hope you get the problems squared away soon, CD.
As if you need more things to worry about...

**bluepea** · 05-05-2005, 02:48 PM

That really sucks CD - hopefully it won't be too much of a hassle to get this all cleared up. I try to be careful as possible, but sometimes worry that I'm not careful enough. I think if people really want the info though, they'll get it. They can have my identity - my credit sucks. Good luck with that one people! :greenguy:

**tumblezweedz** · 05-06-2005, 02:08 AM

Lithuania has a terrible rep for being a hotbed of credit card fraud. The techniques we use to (hopefully) protect ourselves are - we don't get receipts from the ATM machines and we use cash for all daily purchases. We can do that here, since things are cheap and we don't have to haul around great loads of cash. If you're travelling, I'd stick with this technique. Also, you could let your CC company know where you're going to be, so that they approve appropriate charges. Ours calls us if they start getting charges from unexpected places, and refunds any that we tell them are fraudulent.

**benna2** · 05-07-2005, 06:29 PM

That is crazy. I'm one of those girls that thinks that would never happen to me or (this is even more ignorant) I think that stuff never happens in Canada because you mostly only hear about it in the States.

But sorry to you CD, hope everything gets sorted out and it doesn't ruin your credit!

I am always really careful about shredding my credit card statements and stuff but I'm sure there are some other things that I forget to do. Thanks for giving everyone a heads up though and warning us to watch our backs!!

**SuDz** · 05-10-2005, 09:21 AM

People laugh at me cause I burn the papers that come to my house for credit cards or even worse though checks they send you out that anyone could use easily. i just burn them in my backyard at night when I am ion the yard. I will also usually store and file any bank notices instead of letting them get out of reach. About once a year I wil scan all of my papers from the bank like monthly statements and burn them to a CD then shred and burn the actual paper ones.

I don't know how much it will help me since there are tons of ways people get it, but it makes me feel better.

SuDZ

**Canadian Dude** · 05-10-2005, 03:28 PM

Well this idenity theft has come to a total of 35000$ !!!!!!!!

I have been on the phone for the last week with all the companies involved, about 8 in total. What a fuc'n pain in the as.

It would appear at this point its just a metter of keeping the companies up to date on what is going on, and signing afidavids stating that it was not me who bought al this crap.

I just want it to be over!!!

Arthur · 05-10-2005, 03:57 PM

sign me up for this hit squad

. i have always wanted to fight a Canadian

no but realy that suxs. 35,000$ is that USD or the Canadian dollars

**Tadpole** · 05-10-2005, 04:03 PM

What kind of stuff is this guy buying? 35 grand worth or items....

**GoKrazy** · 05-10-2005, 08:10 PM

SuDz - I started doing the same thing about 8 months ago and right now I'm very happy to be doing it. If it saves me the hastle of not having to prove that it wan't me who bought 4 grand worth of stereo equipement 3000 miles from here, all the better!