stolen identity? Freaking out here

fetch33 · #1 03/08/11, 07:24 AM

My 19 year old daughter recently had someone hack into her facebook account. The person was in Florida. Then she noticed that her 'recent visits' on some websites she goes to are saying this same city in Florida. So this morning, I decided to pull a credit report on her. It wouldn't let me complete the online form. The security questions were alarming.... a mortgage taken out in August of 2010, a city where she recently lived... a street where she recently lived... all with totally incorrect answers. Oddly enough, the cities mentioned weren't in Florida but little local cities nearby. So, I am freaking out here. I guess it could be an innocent transposition of numbers on a loan app. At least I am hoping so. Anyone have this happen?

LittleRedHen · #2 03/08/11, 07:36 AM

are you referring to the actual answers or their security questions where you pick the right answers to prove you the actual person?

fetch33 · #3 03/08/11, 08:08 AM

[QUOTE=LittleRedHen;4983044]are you referring to the actual answers or their security questions where you pick the right answers to prove you the actual person?[/QUOTE

Both were all wrong.

twomeal · #4 03/08/11, 08:19 AM

I'm not sure I understand what has happened. Could you elaborate a little more?

2 things have happened to me. Someone stole my social security number (I guess they just made it up) and got a phone in my name, racked up a $800 bill in one month. On their phone application, they only used my ss number. Not my name or address or anything like that. I was 17 at the time. I worked under the table, lived with my parents- so no w2's saying I didn't live where the phone was, no bills in my name either-- so I had no leg to stand on. My credit was screwed for 7 years and nothing I could do about it.

This doesn't seem like the same thing with you- as the FB account and such involve her name.

I also had an incident just last year where a creditor kept calling me about a truck that was purchased using my ss number. I did some investigating and found out that a business had a business number that is identical to my ss number. When applying for credit, the number was put in the wrong spot- ss number instead of business number. It has caused a few issues, but they are [relatively] minor.

I am thinking the best course of action for you to take right now is to start making some phone calls.
-Contact the creditors- you should be able to get some info out of them. In both of my cases, I was given the name and work place phone numbers of the other party. I then mde phone calls and what not to them.
-Contact fb- they have a fraud department. May not help a lot, but it does help show that something has gone wrong.
-Contact the credit bureaus (transuinion, experion, equifax). Let them know the situation and get what you can from them.

Hopefully you can get something done without major damage. Hopefully, this is all just a mix up.

Good luck.

Use Less · #5 03/08/11, 08:51 AM

Some years ago, we had someone opening credit cards in our name, saying they were our children. We have none). They had gathered most of our vital info., and were one number off on dh's social security number. We made a report w/the state police, but the main credit card company declined to pursue/prosecute. The total scammed ended up around $30,000. We didn't pay any money, but it sure was stressful. It cost us a lot of time getting credit reports & talking to a series of businesses as the thieves headed west. Sue

fetch33 · #6 03/08/11, 09:06 AM

We have to establish that she is the right person before the credit agencies will even let us know what is going on. I guess we'll just send in the paperwork and bite nails until the results come back. I am hoping it is an honest mistake as my daughter has been denied a credit card recently because of no credit history.

luvrulz · #7 03/08/11, 09:34 AM

I've had someone @ netfliz steal 2 of my cc #'s and used them. Luckily, I keep a close watch on that stuff and had the charges reversed. I shred everything and change my passwords frequently. I pay all my bills online also and have never had a problem with identity theft - I know of people that have though and someone got in their trash all 3 times. You have to be very careful these days -

mnn2501 · #8 03/08/11, 09:34 AM

facebook account has nothing to do with real life EXCEPT that identy theives can go there to fish for personal information. Thats why you should never put personal information online.

luvrulz · #9 03/08/11, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fetch33

We have to establish that she is the right person before the credit agencies will even let us know what is going on. I guess we'll just send in the paperwork and bite nails until the results come back. I am hoping it is an honest mistake as my daughter has been denied a credit card recently because of no credit history.

Call the police either way......if it is a case of identity theft, you will need a police report....

luvrulz · #10 03/08/11, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnn2501

facebook account has nothing to do with real life EXCEPT that identy theives can go there to fish for personal information. Thats why you should never put personal information online.

And how could they get her social sec # on Facebook??

fetch33 · #11 03/08/11, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvrulz

And how could they get her social sec # on Facebook??

The facebook notification was just a wakeup call that got me looking. She didn't have any personal info other than her name on there.

Suzyq2u · #12 03/08/11, 09:50 AM

When you answer the questions for a credit report, they put some that are similar so if someone trying to access the report is indeed not the individual it will not go through. They are supposed to have incorrect answers as a choice for some. Could it just be that you put in the wrong answer? Also if they do not have an updated address it will not go through. Perhaps have her go to her bank and have one pulled.

FB accounts get hacked all the time. Go back, have her change her passwords, problem solved. Run a program like spybot to check your computer, delete your cookies.

fetch33 · #13 03/08/11, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suzyq2u

When you answer the questions for a credit report, they put some that are similar so if someone trying to access the report is indeed not the individual it will not go through. They are supposed to have incorrect answers as a choice for some. Could it just be that you put in the wrong answer? Also if they do not have an updated address it will not go through. Perhaps have her go to her bank and have one pulled.

FB accounts get hacked all the time. Go back, have her change her passwords, problem solved. Run a program like spybot to check your computer, delete your cookies.

No, every single answer was not anything associated with my daughter. First was a mortgage was taken out in Aug 2010, what bank was it financed under... that was a no. Next was what bank now holds the mortgage... well that was a no. All of the answers for what city did she live in in the past and what street did she live on were all cities and streets she has never lived on. She has lived with me in the same house for 17 years.

Suzyq2u · #14 03/08/11, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fetch33

No, every single answer was not anything associated with my daughter. First was a mortgage was taken out in Aug 2010, what bank was it financed under... that was a no. Next was what bank now holds the mortgage... well that was a no. All of the answers for what city did she live in in the past and what street did she live on were all cities and streets she has never lived on. She has lived with me in the same house for 17 years.

I see. Does she have a local bank? Might try and see if they'd pull her account for her so it can be looked at sooner.

kirkmcquest · #15 03/08/11, 10:06 AM

You should be able to pull a credit report with just a ss#. If you see a mortgage taken out with her ss# then that is a very serious situation. The weird part is that whoever got the mortgage can be easily traced...usually ID theft isn't that big.

I recommend getting Lifelock or some other id protection device. I have one ( it isn't lifelock...I forgot the name )...and anytime anything happens with my credit they send me an email. It's only 14 dollars a month and they bill me automatically.

snowshoehair · #16 03/08/11, 10:25 AM

Sometimes information is associated with a particular name because you have the same name as someone. When I checked my credit report, it said I lived in Washington state at one time...wrong! However, I got that removed.

You can "contest" the information that is listed on your report....not sure if that is the right term...but you can get the false information removed. I did it by email so I have something in writing rather than relying on memory or who said what.

ETA - I re-reread the thread and wanted to add that just because there is incorrect information on your credit report is no reason to panic that someone has stolen your identity. At this point, it only means that there is incorrect information associated with you. That is the reason for checking your credit report - to make sure it is accurate and to make corrections as necessary.

fetch33 · #17 03/08/11, 10:25 AM

I tried pulling credit report. Because I failed the test questions, see above, I was locked out. Now have to mail in proof of her identity. Perhaps bank will help up pull credit report as she has a good amount of money in a savings account there.

Suzyq2u · #18 03/08/11, 10:27 AM

I would try the bank. Then contest/file a report as necessary. Good luck!

foxtrapper · #19 03/08/11, 11:39 AM

Wait a sec. If you got locked out of pulling a credit report because you couldn't answer the security questions then you did *not* get the info from them you are claiming to have. So where did this mortgage stuff you are talking about actually come from.

And why are you posing as your daughter trying to pull her account information. That's for her to pull, not you. What you are doing is actually fraud, posing as her. You are being the danger.

Perhaps your daughter has set up some security measures deliberately? In order to keep an overly reactive mother from messing with things?

fetch33 · #20 03/08/11, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxtrapper

Wait a sec. If you got locked out of pulling a credit report because you couldn't answer the security questions then you did *not* get the info from them you are claiming to have. So where did this mortgage stuff you are talking about actually come from.

And why are you posing as your daughter trying to pull her account information. That's for her to pull, not you. What you are doing is actually fraud, posing as her. You are being the danger.

Perhaps your daughter has set up some security measures deliberately? In order to keep an overly reactive mother from messing with things?

That couldn't be because my daughter was standing over my shoulder as I did it! She is timid about most things unfamiliar to her. The mortgage info was from the security questions referenced above. The security questions didn't pertain to my daughter AT ALL. We went to the bank and they just wanted her to sign up for credit protection. We will send in the required info and just wait.