Get to Know Your Mailman
A few weeks ago my mailman stopped and asked me if I was going to be gone the whole summer. I said no, why was he asking? He said the post office had gotten a change of address card for my mail for the summer. It said send all my mail to some address outside Dallas. I told him I was going to be home and would he please take out the change of address card. He said he would take care of it and would give me a copy of the card. Two days later I got a call from one of my credit card companies and they asked me if I had recently gotten two money withdrawals for $400 each in Mesquite Texas. NO, I said. Thank goodness they keep track and if they see unusual activity they ask. I don't have to pay the $800 but someone had gotten all my info (identity theft at its best) because I had not used that card for several years, it was put up and I don't know how they got the number unless they got hold of a monthly statement. I keep them and after a year or so I shred them so I am still wondering. They had told my card company that I was changing my address and to rush another card to the new address (coincidentally the same town as the address change) and they had my mothers maiden name, etc so the company did send another card and that is what they used to get the money. I got that one canceled and got a new number. I guess my SSAN isn't hard to get as everyone (i.e. the tv people, etc) want the last 4 digits every time you call in a problem. I did call all my credit card companies and put a special password on all my accounts. The card company did call me a few days later and asked if I had called them, not known my special password and hung up? No I said, so we knew they were still trying to get more money from that account. I did talk to the Postal Service Fraud Department. I want to remind people to not give out any information, don't throw any papers away with credit card number on it or even your name and address. I am one of those extra careful people who shreds things and is very careful and someone still got my info. I also advise you to talk to your mailman once in awhile. Get to know them and let them know you. Don't use your mothers maiden name as a password as that is obviously not hard for someone to get. The person who was stealing my identity probably was someone who knows me. The people who were wanting money from me wanted my mail stopped so I would not get my statement and see that someone was taking money. Luckily my credit card company is observant and checks unusual activity also. Just goes to show that you can't be too careful!!
posted by Ann at
5:13 PM
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