| I used to live in a small apartment building in a suburb of | | | | fix. |
| Los Angeles. I was newly married and my wife and I | | | | As you can see from my own personal story that |
| had just combined our separate checking accounts | | | | occurred many years ago that some forms of identity |
| into one. One day I was at home checking our account | | | | theft are relatively easy crimes to commit and are |
| balances preparing to write out monthly bills. (This | | | | easy to get away with. In my case, I gave the |
| particular incident occurred prior to the existence of | | | | perpetrator(s) the opportunity to victimize me by being |
| online banking.) When I called the bank to verify our | | | | very careless with my personal information. |
| account balance, I noticed that our bank account | | | | Our Identity-Theft Solutions |
| balance had increased unexpectedly by four hundred | | | | I am a believer in Shred, Shred, Shred. Items that I |
| dollars. At the time, I didn't think much of the four | | | | routinely shred are bank statements, mail with our |
| hundred dollar increase because my initial thought was | | | | names on it, junk mail, monthly bills, (after I pay them of |
| that my wife had deposited a check and just didn't | | | | course) expired credit cards, pay stubs and anything |
| mention it to me, no big deal. However, over the next | | | | else I don't want in the hands of some identity theft |
| three days my checking account balance increased by | | | | opportunist. |
| $400-$500.00 each day unbeknownst to me or my | | | | Before I shred information that I deem important or I |
| wife. Back then, it wasn't as convenient to get your | | | | would like to keep a record of, I will scan it into my |
| balances as it is today. For three days we had no clue | | | | desktop computer and convert them into PDF files for |
| that our account balance continued to grow. In | | | | later viewing and record keeping. This is an easy way |
| retrospect, I didn't recognize the first clue that | | | | to keep records of certain information without retaining |
| something was wrong when I failed to follow up with | | | | endless amounts of paper that has your personal |
| my wife when I noticed the first deposit. | | | | information on it. Prior to implementing this solution, I |
| After the fourth day, I began receiving "returned check | | | | would suggest that you make sure your firewall and |
| letters" from my bank stating that checks deposited | | | | anti-virus software are up to date and in good working |
| into our account had been written against closed | | | | order. You should also place a password on your |
| accounts and thus had "bounced." At that point I knew | | | | computer to protect it from prying eyes. |
| I had a problem with our account and I was | | | | We have a lockable mailbox to prevent easy access |
| devastated and scared when I realized that I was a | | | | to our mail. I am amazed how many people do not |
| victim of identity theft. I immediately called the bank to | | | | have locks on their mailboxes. If your mail is stolen that |
| find out the extent of the damage done to our | | | | is a federal crime. You should contact the Postal |
| account. The bank representative told me that I would | | | | Inspector or visit the U.S. Postal Inspection Service |
| need to come to the bank in person to straighten | | | | website; |
| things out because they too (the bank) had observed | | | | We notify the post office if we are going out of town |
| the suspicious transactions occurring on our account. | | | | for more than a few days and request a vacation |
| The drive to the bank was a short ride but it seemed | | | | hold. (U.S. Postal Service (800) 275-8777) We do not |
| like forever because I had a sinking feeling the bank | | | | deposit our outgoing mail in our mailbox on the street. |
| was going to tell me that our account was cleaned | | | | We take it to the postal collection box located nearby |
| out. Once I arrived at the bank and sat down with one | | | | or the post office itself. |
| of the branch managers, I was relieved to find out that | | | | We have a credit monitoring subscription that monitors |
| the thieves were only able to steal five hundred dollars. | | | | our credit reports for any changes to our credit profile. |
| Although the amount of money stolen from us was | | | | I physically inspect our credit reports via the online |
| small, the incident was very unsettling to me and my | | | | service once every two months. (You can look at |
| new wife. To know that my identity was compromised | | | | your personal credit report as often as you like through |
| by someone impersonating me and endorsing my | | | | the monitoring service.) |
| name on checks that were drawn on closed accounts | | | | We do not carry our Social Security cards around with |
| made me very angry. | | | | us. There is no reason to carry your Social Security |
| The time it took us to close our accounts, check with | | | | card in your wallet on a daily basis. Commit those |
| the credit bureaus, open new accounts, obtain new | | | | numbers to memory. If you need to show the actual |
| checks was extremely time consuming. My anger | | | | card or even give out the number for some reason, be |
| soon turned to frustration when I saw first hand how | | | | careful to inquire about what it is going to be used for |
| cavalier the bank was about this crime or what it's | | | | and if it's absolutely required. If possible don't provide |
| effects could or would have on my credit profile. It | | | | your Social Security number to medical offices or |
| seemed as though they just didn't care. In the big | | | | hospitals. In many cases a drivers license number is |
| scheme of things in the banks opinion, this was a minor | | | | acceptable. Medical fraud and identify theft through |
| breach of one customer's bank account. No big deal. A | | | | your medical file is huge because almost everyone in |
| five hundred dollar loss isn't even petty cash for a | | | | the medical office has access to your chart. |
| bank. But it wasn't about the money per se because | | | | We do not give out any of our personal information in |
| our account was ultimately restored to the original | | | | response to email, snail mail or telemarketer inquiries |
| amount prior to the breach. However, my identity had | | | | unless we initiated the contact. We are very careful to |
| not been restored and the perpetrator was out there | | | | not respond to email posts that are phishing for our |
| free to continue to victimize others. | | | | information. Some of these sites are very good at |
| Here's how they did it | | | | mimicking legitimate websites. However, legitimate |
| Back then I wasn't as careful as I am today with my | | | | companies and your bank do not ask you to update |
| banking records i.e. statements, cancelled checks and | | | | your personal information via email. Please, don't fall for |
| deposit slips. I somehow inadvertently threw some | | | | these scams. |
| checks, deposit slips or both in the trash bin that was | | | | Keep all of your important personal documents; social |
| located in a heavily traveled alley behind our apartment | | | | security cards, birth certificates, passports, insurance |
| building. At that time, there wasn't a lock on the trash | | | | policies, IRS and State tax documents, credit cards |
| bin and anyone walking or driving by could sift through | | | | that you don't carry in your wallet and your marriage |
| the trash without raising suspicion. As it turned out, the | | | | license locked in a heavy safe that is bolted to the |
| perpetrator(s) had accurate information that I had | | | | floor in your home. Identify thieves are also burglars |
| given to them (by not being careful) to carry out the | | | | who will target a home specifically to steal private |
| identity theft. | | | | documents in order to assume identities. |
| The perpetrator(s) would obtain another person's bank | | | | This was my experience with identity theft and some |
| account checks by fraud or theft. They would then go | | | | of the identity theft solutions that my wife and I |
| to the bank as if they were me, walk up to the teller | | | | implemented after I became a victim. The more we |
| window and using one of my deposit slips, deposit a | | | | stay aware of the different scams out there the |
| check payable to me using the stolen checks. Typically | | | | better we can avoid becoming a victim. |
| that amount would be between $400.00-$500.00. They | | | | I encourage you to tell your identity theft stories and |
| would end the transaction by asking for $100.00 back. I | | | | your identity theft solutions so we all can learn from |
| was told that the bank did not require identification for | | | | them. We all need to be aware of the scams, tricks |
| such a small amount of cash back when depositing a | | | | and fraud out there so that we do not find out, after |
| check. | | | | the damage is catastrophic, that someone is walking |
| The perpetrator simply walked out of the bank, nice | | | | around pretending to be you and putting you deeply in |
| and easy with $100.00 in his pocket. This occurred five | | | | debt. Educate a friend or family member about identity |
| times in a four day period which amounted to a | | | | theft so that they do not become victims either. |
| $500.00 loss to my account and a whole lot of time to | | | | |