Identity Theft

[The Late Night Gourmet]

It's all fun and games until someone loses their identity, right? It's not quite as bad as all that, but what's going on with me now isn't good.

It seems that someone figured out my PayPal password, and has used it to transfer money from my PayPal credit. I say they figured out my password because, after noticing 115 unauthorized charges since the end of last year, my disputes of the charges were denied. Why? Well, because they can see "me" signing in multiple times every day, that's why.

How did they get my password? Well, I've trusted my son to use PayPal to pay for purchase in video games he plays. I know he didn't give anyone the password, but I also know that he's not always the most careful with websites he visits. It's possible he entered the PayPal info into a compromised site, and someone got the password that way.

After seeing every one of my 115 claims get rebuffed, I've spent the better part of the day on the phone with PayPal. I barely use PayPal Credit, but I do use PayPal to authorize payments from my bank account. I don't know why the appearance of 115 PayPal Credit charges to the same (bogus) site doesn't count as suspicious activity, but there it is.

I'm now reduced to sending an email to a Claims department of PayPal, and trying to convince them that none of these charges (totaling over $3000) are mine, that I'm an old guy who works fulltime, and I didn't suddenly start a new business. Obviously, PayPal don't want to give away $3000, but neither do I!

Now, I do have a LifeLock membership already. They will back me up to $1 million to pay for things like this. But, that's yet another process that I have to follow to get resolution. In the meantime, I have to make payments on my suddenly full PayPal credit balance.

Everyone else probably already knew this, but don't trust your kids to be responsible with your private information. I just hope no one else has to deal with this sort of thing.

 

[Kake Lover]

It's all fun and games until someone loses their identity, right? It's not quite as bad as all that, but what's going on with me now isn't good.

It seems that someone figured out my PayPal password, and has used it to transfer money from my PayPal credit. I say they figured out my password because, after noticing 115 unauthorized charges since the end of last year, my disputes of the charges were denied. Why? Well, because they can see "me" signing in multiple times every day, that's why.

How did they get my password? Well, I've trusted my son to use PayPal to pay for purchase in video games he plays. I know he didn't give anyone the password, but I also know that he's not always the most careful with websites he visits. It's possible he entered the PayPal info into a compromised site, and someone got the password that way.

After seeing every one of my 115 claims get rebuffed, I've spent the better part of the day on the phone with PayPal. I barely use PayPal Credit, but I do use PayPal to authorize payments from my bank account. I don't know why the appearance of 115 PayPal Credit charges to the same (bogus) site doesn't count as suspicious activity, but there it is.

I'm now reduced to sending an email to a Claims department of PayPal, and trying to convince them that none of these charges (totaling over $3000) are mine, that I'm an old guy who works fulltime, and I didn't suddenly start a new business. Obviously, PayPal don't want to give away $3000, but neither do I!

Now, I do have a LifeLock membership already. They will back me up to $1 million to pay for things like this. But, that's yet another process that I have to follow to get resolution. In the meantime, I have to make payments on my suddenly full PayPal credit balance.

Everyone else probably already knew this, but don't trust your kids to be responsible with your private information. I just hope no one else has to deal with this sort of thing.

What a nightmare!

 

[Elawin]

How awful! The only person who has any of my passwords is my daughter (1 to get into my laptop and 1 to get into my ISP main account) in case of dire emergencies. Neither give her access to any accounts that are likely to have my credit card/bank/PayPal accounts - in fact these use different email addresses, most of which no one would even realise I have.

Several years ago, before computer access was the norm, my ex and I were refused credit on a car we wanted to buy. The official reason was that we had recently taken out a large loan at our address, which we most definitely had not. The kids were of an age where they still believed that money grew on trees. A few discreet enquiries on our behalf later, and we managed to get the surname and first initial of the person who had taken out the loan - it was my ex's younger brother, who did not live with us but had been visiting early in the day quite frequently. Shall we say it got sorted and he was unable to do it again. And a friend had received a final demand for several thousands of pounds - his son who had the same names as him and again did not live at the same address had taken out the loan and had been hanging around the house a lot waiting for the postman. So even in those days it was not impossible to pretend to be someone else, even without online accounts.

 

[CraigC]

That really sucks. It seems that credit card companies don't do enough to verify if the person making the purchase is the account holder. Especially with that many purchases that don't match your normal habits. Years ago, we had a couple issues with our bank cards. The charges were reversed. Just let me use it outside my normal purchases, no matter the amount, today and the e-mails start immediately. If I don't respond and answer the questions, they shut my card down.

 

[Elawin]

That really sucks. It seems that credit card companies don't do enough to verify if the person making the purchase is the account holder. Especially with that many purchases that don't match your normal habits. Years ago, we had a couple issues with our bank cards. The charges were reversed. Just let me use it outside my normal purchases, no matter the amount, today and the e-mails start immediately. If I don't respond and answer the questions, they shut my card down.

What used to confuse me, when I had my own business, is that some non-UK credit card companies put the name of the principal account holder on the card, rather than the name of the actual card holder. I once had a young man come into the shop wanting to pay with a credit card where the name was obviously that of a woman with a different surname. He said it was fine, the lady was his girlfriend and they had a joint account. I still phoned up the UK offices of the credit card company to make sure that it was OK.

 

[flyinglentris]

It seems that someone figured out my PayPal password, and has used it to transfer money from my PayPal credit. I say they figured out my password because, after noticing 115 unauthorized charges since the end of last year, my disputes of the charges were denied. Why? Well, because they can see "me" signing in multiple times every day, that's why.

Sorry to hear of your woes. I am of course a Computer Scientist/Engineer and have been privy to a lot with regard to what goes on in the industry and it is scary. Here in California, key jobs are given to cheap labor from overseas and while at University, I saw how many of these people cheated in their studies and on exams. I have heard educators condemning my country and advocating against it in the classroom. It's a bad scene and these students are those who get jobs in the industry and have exposure to your privacy online. Yet, we now all literally need to shop online.

Advice: Never use your bank card online. Never! If you can, spend that trivial fee to load up a prepaid debit card prior to making online purchases. I do this and I only load up enough to make the purchase I want to make. There are prepaid cards that you can load more than $500 for those big purchases. Never do online banking. We have all seen enough examples of identity theft to know that we are susceptible. Be smart about it and limit your exposure. Use cash for purchases at places that you don't trust.

It is not only the average consumer that is gun-shy about identity theft. I have run into big purchase issues with online vendors who have verification departments that exhibit what I see as an extreme paranoia due to credit card fraud. I have already had my "prepaid" debit card declined by two vendors and had to take early steps to ensure that others did not do likewise. I am the good guy and they just have no way to know it. Their employees in verification don't take chances and if they have the slightest doubt, they cancel your order and make it impossible for you to do business with them. Then it takes a month to get your money back on your prepaid card, but you do get it back.

Take care. It's not a nice world out there. Those prepaid cards are risk limiting.

 

[GadgetGuy]

My debit card was compromised several times!

TJX had the computers hacked for customers' card & PIN numbers. Mine was on the list!! Home Depot had theirs hacked. Again, my card# was on the list. Last year, someone hacked into my card# & was falsely charging my debt card for Lyft rides!!

I had to have the card blocked so that wouldn't happen any more, a new card issued to me, as well as the money refunded that was fraudulently charged to my checking account!!

When this starts happening, immediately block the card & get a new one, & your money refunded!!

 

[ElizabethB]

I NEVER use my debit card on line. I had my debit card hacked once. Never again. Blocking a debit card purchase is not as easy as blocking a credit card purchase. I had to open a new checking account. I have a credit card for on line purchases with a $2,000 limit. The extreme irritation is that I have to contact them on a regular basis to keep them from upping my limit. I also use Pay Pal. I have only been hacked once. George is another story. Our joint credit card has been hacked numerous times. I am waiting for another hack. My dear, sweet, gullible man has never learned the lesson "if it sounds too good to be true it is too good to be true". He is easy prey for scam artist. He fell for a scam two days ago. I am monitoring our credit card account like a hawk.

When I visited my Brother in Colorado I used my "on-line" credit card for purchases. Before my trip I notified the credit card company that I would be traveling.

@The Late Night Gourmet It is a good thing to have Life Lock. I appreciate that it is a royal pain but at least you are protected.

A couple of years ago G and Step Son were hunting. SS received a call from DIL Over $800 of unexplained charges on their credit card bill. He went ballistic. His first assumption was a hack. After many conversations with the credit card company he realized it was not a hack. GS had access to the credit card for games and music. Several things were going on at one time. SS did not give GS a limit. GS ordered lots of music and games. GS was fifteen and had the raging hormones of a normal fifteen year old and accessed porn sites.

We laugh now but it was not at all funny at the time. GS had to repay all of the charges. It took him a year to do so. GS and GD each have an "emergency only" credit card with a $1,000.00 limit. They have never charged a single penny to their accounts.

Children do stupid stuff because they are children.

I do not envy my beautiful Nieces rearing children in this very strange techno age. How do you keep a child from revealing financial information when I can not keep a 70 year old man from doing the same thing?

 

[GadgetGuy]

I NEVER use my debit card on line. I had my debit card hacked once. Never again. Blocking a debit card purchase is not as easy as blocking a credit card purchase. I had to open a new checking account. I have a credit card for on line purchases with a $2,000 limit. The extreme irritation is that I have to contact them on a regular basis to keep them from upping my limit. I also use Pay Pal. I have only been hacked once. George is another story. Our joint credit card has been hacked numerous times. I am waiting for another hack. My dear, sweet, gullible man has never learned the lesson "if it sounds too good to be true it is too good to be true". He is easy prey for scam artist. He fell for a scam two days ago. I am monitoring our credit card account like a hawk.

When I visited my Brother in Colorado I used my "on-line" credit card for purchases. Before my trip I notified the credit card company that I would be traveling.

@The Late Night Gourmet It is a good thing to have Life Lock. I appreciate that it is a royal pain but at least you are protected.

A couple of years ago G and Step Son were hunting. SS received a call from DIL Over $800 of unexplained charges on their credit card bill. He went ballistic. His first assumption was a hack. After many conversations with the credit card company he realized it was not a hack. GS had access to the credit card for games and music. Several things were going on at one time. SS did not give GS a limit. GS ordered lots of music and games. GS was fifteen and had the raging hormones of a normal fifteen year old and accessed porn sites.

We laugh now but it was not at all funny at the time. GS had to repay all of the charges. It took him a year to do so. GS and GD each have an "emergency only" credit card with a $1,000.00 limit. They have never charged a single penny to their accounts.

Children do stupid stuff because they are children.

I do not envy my beautiful Nieces rearing children in this very strange techno age. How do you keep a child from revealing financial information when I can not keep a 70 year old man from doing the same thing?

After I had my debit card blocked, TWO MORE Lyft ride purchases were posted onto my checking account, but they didn't go through, because I already had the card blocked!!

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

@The Late Night Gourmet It is a good thing to have Life Lock. I appreciate that it is a royal pain but at least you are protected.

There's a 17 page document that I need to fill out that includes getting pages notarized, and also getting a police report. That last bit seems a bit odd, simply because they want this from my local sheriff's department, not a specialized cyber-crime agency. But, if that's what I have to do to get my money back, of course I will.

Take care. It's not a nice world out there. Those prepaid cards are risk limiting

Sound advice. I am also an engineer, and I've seen how the "need" for convenience has made us much more vulnerable.

I know someone who actually had his identity stolen...after over 7 years of hell getting it back, he's finally in the clear. When I hear about things like this happening, I think about how much worse people are than they were when I was younger. Then, I remind myself: people haven't changed. There have always been bad people out there. But, what's changed are the means available to do bad things.

 

[ElizabethB]

Then, I remind myself: people haven't changed. There have always been bad people out there. But, what's changed are the means available to do bad things.

So true.

 

[Francesca]

@The Late Night Gourmet

Sorry to hear about your "nightmare" ..

Truly, hope all gets settled in your favor and all the best of luck with this horrid dilema ..

 

[classic33]

I've two accounts opened at different branches of the same bank, Skipton & Sowerby Bridge. Half a million, in cash used to open both. Neither branch thought there was anything strange in someone carrying that much cash.
Passport in my name, was last seen in Germany. "I" drove a high end car from a dealership in Manchester, then stopped the payments. Court balliffs sent out to collect either the car or the money. Visited the dealership, offering to take any car for a test drive, with the manager in it. Refused when I'd to ask about stopping it, once they had it going.
Three driving licences, the last one returned, in my name. Two still out there somewhere, along with a car registered in my name.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I've two accounts opened at different branches of the same bank, Skipton & Sowerby Bridge. Half a million, in cash used to open both. Neither branch thought there was anything strange in someone carrying that much cash.
Passport in my name, was last seen in Germany. "I" drove a high end car from a dealership in Manchester, then stopped the payments. Court balliffs sent out to collect either the car or the money. Visited the dealership, offering to take any car for a test drive, with the manager in it. Refused when I'd to ask about stopping it, once they had it going.
Three driving licences, the last one returned, in my name. Two still out there somewhere, along with a car registered in my name.

That's horrifying. Are they trying to collect damages from you?

This just confirms what I've suspected about many credit agencies:

1) They're primarily reactive: there's no day-to-day monitoring of all activity in most cases. In your case, the left hand literally didn't know what the right hand was doing.
2) Even though they want you to feel reassured that your credit is being protected, they really don't want to give you the money back if they can pin it on you. Hopefully, that's not what's happening to you!

 

[Elawin]

I am very wary about using ATMs because of the risk of fraud. Two local ones were terrible - one was at a building that used to be a bank, but that has now been taken out completely (it was also hidden behind a row of trees, which didn't do it any favours), and the other is at a garage about 3 miles away. That one is round the back of the garage out of view, and again is decidedly dodgy. Many people have had their accounts emptied when they used that one. If I used an ATM now, it's either the one at my branch of my bank and has more CCTV cameras covering it than I can even count easily), a local building society (more CCTV cameras again), or the one at Tesco (although I used to feel safer using that one when it was inside the supermarket itself). Luckily the bank usually phone up if there is any strange activity on a bank account including money that is paid in. This was a godsend to my friend who had several very large transactions queueing up in Hong Kong, all the same day as she had gone into her bank to pay in a cheque. Even she couldn't be in two places at once. They did however not stop two transactions the following day at the ATM at the garage, but these were soon refunded when it was pointed out that she was a work at the time and could not possibly have travelled to the garage and back in her lunch break. Which also reminds me, my bank card only covers the next few days, and I do not have the (new) replacement card yet. I think a phone call to my bank is going to be in order this afternoon.