Erick asked:


I hope to be able to find some help here. I was part of an ID Theft with Credit One Bank, I called them and they said the sold the account to LVNV Funding LLC and that Credit One can no longer help me out and they will not conduct an investigation of the fraud.

I called LVNV Funding LLC and they say that the only way to clear the debt from the ID theft is by sending them a “ID theft affidavit” which they told me to complete at www.ftc.gov/idtheft.

I went ahead and completed the form and submitted it. At the end the gave me a PDF of the submitted form, is this the affidavit that I have to get notarized? Or do I have to wait for the results from the FTC?

This has never happened to me before, I am only 23, and unfortunately I have no idea what my rights are. I have never owned a credit card before and have no loans or debts and becuase of this ID theft my credit has been highly effected.

5 stars for anyone that can help!
I am currently not in the U.S

Rodney

Michael asked:


Hi I recently won a lot of these little credit cards in a competition run by Magnum ice Cream Each credit card has a set amount of credit on it but I want to lump them all together into one big bit of cash. I was planning on doing this with one of my friends(who also won some of the cards) by each of us setting up auctions on ebay and buying stuff off each other using the cards.

I asked would this work earlier and someone said it was fraud and my question was removed. However I don’t think it is, I mean who exactly are we defrauding? Magnum does not lose any money, Im selling the auctions to my friend, ebay and pay-pal still get their fees. Magnum says the cards cannot be redeemed for cash but we’re not redeeming them we’re just spending them. No one gets hurt, Id still be getting the same amount of money(less actually due to pay-pal fees etc) its just now I can spend it all at once. All Im doing is changing the form of the money, I don’t see how this could be seen as wrong.

I ask anyone who believes this to be illegal not to report the question because if indeed it is Im not going to go through with it anyway.

What do you think?
Nah it doesn’t constitute money laundering as the funds were not obtained illegally, and it won’t violate the feedback policy as we won’t be leaving any feedback.
And obviously the auction will be for something crazy and Il leave a message saying don’t buy this in the details.
Yeah I think Im going to answer my own questions here and say that it doesn’t constitute fraud, because fraud is “intentional deception for personal gain”, yet I gain no money from this, I merely change its form (and its not laundering because the money was legally obtained in the first place). So since I gain no extra money technically it is not fraud, and once again who would I be defrauding??? I am actually quite suprised at the hostility people have shown towards this idea, you would swear what I was doing was hurting someone.

Colleen

i love Michael Jackson! asked:


i put a fraud alert on my credit about 4 to 5 days ago because someone was taking money out my account i was a victim of id theft so i got my Debit Card cancel and another was sent to me…. i Called to get it activated and i cant activate it…do u thiink the fraud alert on my credit has anything to do wil it??

PLEASE Help me im at my with ends i cant deal with this anymore…
everthing keeps happening to me

thanx so MUCH!

Christina

Christian Ward asked:


There are many reasons why you should fear identity theft and credit fraud. Hundreds of people contact their local Citizen’s Advice Bureau each month for advice on repairing their credit file due to identity theft or credit fraud causing problems in obtaining credit.

It is very important to be protected against these practices if you want to keep your credit sound and your credit score high. A simple credit fraud can destroy the efforts of years on building a clean and stainless credit history. Following are some tips that it is smart to follow if you want to remain on the upper side of the credit rank.



Protect Your National Insurance Number

Your national insurance number is probably the most important identification you have. When forged or used illegally it can cause a lot of harm to the owner. Thus, it is important to be cautious and avoid providing your social security number when there is no good reason for doing it. As a general rule, you should refrain from providing your social security number to companies that you did not contact you first and, for additional protection, you should run a background check on any company requesting your national insurance number.



Dispose of Documentation Properly

Any documentation used during applications such as credit reports pulled or filled loan applications need to be archived properly or destroyed if they are not going to be used anymore. This is a significant issue as unscrupulous people make use of this kind of documentation to obtain important personal information for engaging in identity theft. Mail is another source of information that could be used for this purpose and you should also destroy all mails that you do not need to keep. It is important to destroy the documentation or paperwork, shredding is the ideal procedure but in any case, you should dispose of it in such a way that the information cannot be retrieved anymore.



Take Note of All Your Personal And Financial Information and Keep It Safe

Chances are that you have plenty of accounts, store cards, credit cards, and such. If you do, you should take note of all account numbers, credit card numbers, store card IDs, CDs, stocks, bonds, and any other personal and financial information and keep this information printed in a safe place where you can retrieve it easily in case you need to contact the issuers for cancelling the accounts. In case of theft, it is important to cancel credit cards and account or debit cards immediately and have new ones issued to avoid further damages to your credit or finances.



Monitoring Credit And Purchases

Another thing you must do every month is to control your account, credit card and store card statements so you can notice immediately when an unidentified or unauthorised purchase was made. Moreover, it is a good idea to hire credit monitoring services to find out if any unauthorised use of your credit was made before it can cause troubles and leave a stain on your credit file.



LAVERNE

Pamela Williams asked:


Did you know that most credit card fraud occur even when offenders do not have the actual credit cards in their hands?  In fact according to reports, only 23% of all credit card fraud cases are resulted from lost credit cards. 

Today, the most common cases of credit card fraud actually happen without the credit card holder’s knowledge.  Yes, even if you have your credit card or your business credit card in your safety, you can still be victimized by credit card fraud. How do these criminals achieve such fraudulent acts?

There are a number of different strategies that these criminals use to achieve their purpose.  Some use a special skimming device to obtain the credit card data and create dummy cards that use the same numbers.  Others simply obtain credit card accounts through the use of deceptive e-mails and websites.   These are known as phishing scams.  Once a thief obtains your credit card information, he can use this to open new accounts in your name, charge expensive purchases to your account and commit other fraudulent activities.  All these can be done without your awareness until your credit card company starts calling you about unpaid bills. 

Most people who have been victims of credit card fraud were surprised to find out that their accounts have been plagued by illegal transactions only after a few months had passed.  It can be an enormous inconvenience on your part if your credit history is damaged by such activities.  Even if you report that you have been a victim of fraud, it can take some time before you can regain your reputation and fix your credit report.

Business Owners Watch Out!

If you’re a business owner, you also need to be wary about phony credit cards used by these criminals.  Your best defense against credit card fraud is precaution.  Here are some ways you can do to protect yourself and your business:

•    When a customer uses a credit card in purchasing a product, ask for proper identification.  Ask to see their driver’s license, passport or other valid Identification cards.

•    Examine the signature carefully.  Make sure that there are no erasures or blots in the signature.  If there is, it may be possible that the credit card has been stolen and the signature has been changed.

•    When examining identification cards, make sure that the signature in the IDs presented are identical to the one in the credit card and the credit card slip. 

•    Check the credit card’s signature panel.  Authentic credit cards should display a certain color design which can either be MasterCard or Visa, while fake credit cards are discolored, erased, painted, or covered with tape.  Also, check that the hologram on the credit card is not tampered or damaged.

•    Call the credit card company if you have any doubts.  Make sure that when you make your call, you still have the customer’s credit card with you.  

•    Do not keep carbon copies of the credit card receipts.  Make sure that you shred these important papers before throwing them in trash.  Other people can get relevant information from these papers. 

•    If you have sales staff, alert them about credit card fraud.  Instruct them about the necessary steps in checking the credit card’s authenticity. 

Protecting your business from credit card fraud is possible if you stay alert about the signs.  Be especially careful if your customer is:

o    ordering a suspiciously large bulk

o    ordering for a large bulk and asks for an overnight shipping

o    using multiple credit cards with numbers arranged in sequence

o    asks that the goods be delivered overseas

o    using different credit cards to pay off a single purchase and asks to send it to a single address



ADRIAN

Bernard Pragides asked:


Note: You have a one in ten chance of becoming the victim of identity theft this year. With this in mind, you need to make sure that you take all reasonable steps available to you to protect yourself from becoming the victim of identity theft. With this in mind, if you have detected that you may have become the victim of identity theft, one of the initial steps that you will want to take in response is to put a fraud alert on your credit reports. You will want to contact the three major credit reporting agencies and have them flag your accounts with these fraud alerts.

 

Fraud alerts do serve a very helpful purpose when it comes to protecting you from become a victim of identity theft or becoming re-victimized by an identity theft. When you ask the credit reporting agencies to place a fraud alert on your credit reports, when an attempt is made by an identity thief to open up new credit accounts in your name, the financial institution from which the credit or loan is being sought will see the credit alert and will proceed accordingly. For example, rather than issue a new credit card to the identity thief in your name, the financial institution will put the whole process on hold until the time that it can confirm that it really is you who is seeking this extension of credit – in this case, a credit card.

 

Despite the definite importance of fraud alerts, these alerts simply are not enough to clean up after you have become the victim of identity theft or to protect you from becoming the victim of identity theft in the future. Fraud alerts are one weapon in your arsenal that can be a part of your overall effort at responding to and preventing identity theft.

 

For example, if you have been the victim of identity theft, in addition to seeking and obtaining fraud alerts you absolutely must also file an appropriate police report. Moreover, you must notify each and every financial or similar type of institution or business through which you have an account. You need to make these types of individual notifications in the aftermath of becoming the victim of identity theft.

 

If you have not been the victim of identity theft per se, fraud alerts also represent one line of defense that can be helpful to you. But, you must maintain a vigilant and comprehensive approach to doing everything possible to protect your identity.

 



ELBERT

Allison May asked:


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Have you ever tried shopping online? Why not? Many people find that online shopping is not only easy and convenient, but much cheaper as well. Internet merchants can afford to sell their products for lower prices because of a lower capital needed for maintaining an online store. But don’t forget about the risk of credit card fraud and identity theft when purchasing from the web.

You may not even be aware of it but other people may already be using your personal information to commit fraudulent crimes against you. For instance, one common strategy used by identity thieves is called “phishing”. In fact, this strategy has been used by ID thieves since the 1990s and has become more and more prevalent today.

How is the crime of phishing done? An identity thief will send an email to an unsuspecting victim, disguising as an email from a reputable company or online merchant like the IRS, Amazon, PayPal and other big names on the web. If you’re not aware of identity theft tricks, you may think that the email is indeed from a valid source.

You may be asked to click on a link that leads to a phishing website. This webpage was made to look just like the genuine company and it takes careful examination to recognize a fake one from the real one. The email may ask you to fill out the online form for them to verify your account. But upon submitting that online form, you may not know that you’re also handing out your personal information to identity thieves.

What You Should Do

The Federal Trade Commission warns all consumers against such tricks. Remember that trusted merchants and government agencies will not solicit personal information from consumers through an electronic message.

The best thing to do if you receive a suspicious email is to call the company who appeared to have sent it to confirm. Never attempt to open an email or click on the links in it.

Bear in mind that the URL of a secured website always begins with https://. You should also look for the pad locked icon in the bottom right corner of your browser. If you have been a victim of Identity Theft or credit card fraud, contact the FTC immediately.

Be Alert Against Online Identity Theft

When making an online purchase, check the background and reputation of the internet merchant you intend to purchase from. Don’t just compare shops based on the low prices they offer. If a certain online shop sells items at an incredibly low price, if it doesn’t have a solid track record of service to show, you could be in danger.

You may also prefer to send in your payment through a reputable online system like Pay Pal. This way, you don’t have to reveal your credit card’s number to anyone. See to it that the online shop uses a secured server. There must be a Privacy Policy provided on the site to show that they are concerned about protecting their customer’s personal information.



KELVIN

Liana Mei asked:


I am a store clerk and our policy recently changed to checking the signature on the back of the card instead of ID…or at least we can’t insist on ID if the card is signed. If they offer ID, great, but we can’t insist on it anymore. This was apparently done because of customer attitude towards mandatory ID. Can anyone explain this to me?

I recently bought a train ticket with my debit card, but the pad wasn’t working. But they refused to take my card because it wasn’t signed and refused to look at my ID which had a signature sample on it. They said to sign the card, I did, they checked the card signature with the receipt one which was totally pointless since I did both in their presence and then let me go,,, I almost talked to a supervisor but my train arrived and it was the last for a while. Can anyone explain this policy to me, I just don’t get it…with fraud on the rise it seems stupid to not check ID…anyone can practice a signature then forge it and rack up credit card debt for you…it’s crazy.
oh it was more than a few complaints..rumors are floating around about a lawsuit or something like that. Our store had always been so firm on “no ID, no purchase” until recently…and it makes my nervous as a cashier.
But fake IDs are at least harder to come by than practicing a signature so it seems like its easier to get away with theft if a signature is all that is needed….I think all cards should have a PIN required, not just for cash back.
I had “Check ID” written on the back and they had me sign over it in sharpie pen otherwise I would have to spend the night at the station. Too bad it’s the only station a safe driving distance from my house otherwise I would stop going to them because of that.
Yes, they refused to accept a card that had “Check ID” written on it.
But if someone practices your signature and then uses your card how do they banks determine what is fraudulent and what isn’t? It just makes me so mad…and this whole thing about showing ID slowing down the line? That’s crazy. It only takes a few seconds and can save lots of $$ and headaches.
It seems like if you sign the back of the card, you’re giving someone the tools to steal from you.

RAFAEL

Shr3dh3d asked:


I know this has to be illegal like ID theft and fraud. Now to put the acoount in my name, I have to prove who I am and that it’s my SSN on the account. Is there anything I can legally do to him for this? Would this affect my credit if the account is in a bad standing?

STEPHEN

Michelle Thiel asked:


It seems you’ll be hard pressed to sit through the evening news without a story about the nation’s mortgage crisis. You’ll hear blame towards the lenders, the borrowers and the government. Looming behind crisis in the mortgage industry is the risk of an increased amount of homeowners filing for bankruptcy.

It is expected that obtaining a mortgage is going to be more difficult as the credit markets tighten. Should the supply of money tighten up companies will want to person additional layers of due diligence when reviewing new loan applicants.

For companies looking to mitigate fraud risk, below is a list of actions they can take among different parties.

- Property Brokers: Be cautious if a property broker insists a buyer uses a specific lender exclusively.

- Maintain Records: Ensure you receive copies and appropriately file and archive all copies of signed documents.

- Appraisers: Hire third-party appraisers.

- Referrals and References: Request referrals and verify references of real estate professionals that have an established record.

- Document Signatures: Never sign documents with incomplete information.

- Professional Service Reports: Research and leverage professional services that report on mortgage fraud as a collaboration with the federal government.

Bankruptcy Records:

Did you know bankruptcy records are public records? Bankruptcy records, along with other liens and judgments are part of the research process of due diligence. Professional organizations are making it easier for a person to research the credit history, from a bankruptcy prospective, of persons and organizations they are conducting business with

ID Verification Services:

Is your loan applicant really who he or she claims to be? How do you know? Have you confirmed the applicant’s identity? Is there a chance he or she is looking to commit a fraud and misrepresent their identity to obtain a loan? Fortunately id authentication services exist that can help provide a series of verifications against a person’s ID including:

- The ZIP Code matches the state.

- The last name matches the address.

- The Social Security number matches the first and last name.

- The Social Security number issue date is within a valid date range.

- The Social Security number is not listed as deceased.

- The Social Security number exists.

- The subject meets your age requirement.

ID’s issued by state government’s have become more tamper-resistant within the last decade. Many states have implemented advanced security features. At the same time many would-be thieves and criminals have also tried to keep pace and are constantly seeking methods to stay ahead. As a means of providing due diligence you may want to consider running a verification against a person’s ID to ensure you know the identity of the person you are working with.

The state of the economy is of great concern to many in America . It can speculated that companies will have an increased interest in researching the organizations and persons they are conducting business with. Remember when conducting due diligence, leverage the available professional services available that can help you collect public records information. By referring to national databases and public records services you are helping your organization mitigate the risk of a potential fraud.



KIETH