Posted on 12/07/2015 6:40:51 PM PST by Jed Eckert
Ok Freepers, so my question is are these services (LifeLock and others) worth it? Or are they just a waste of money?
Can anyone recommend a particular one based on personal experiences?
Reason I ask is one of my credit cards was apparently hijacked today. No fraudulent charges but they did manage to change my profile info and password for online access.
Received an email from the bank saying my personal info was changed and if I didn't do the changes contact the bank at the number on the card.
Sure enough they had successfully changed all the info including the password. This in effect locked me out from online access.
After calling and answering several questions to confirm my ID they cancelled the card and are now sending a new card.(Indian guy of course and bit hard to understand at times)
The troubling part is, the thief or hacker was probably able to login online and see things such as my full name, address, additional cardholders, recent charges and the bank (but not the account number) I use to make my payments. My SS number is not in the profile so that should be safe.
There are simple things you can do yourself. As one other stated, lock you reports. When online, always use a credit card, NEVER a debit card. Destroy your card annually and request a new one, change your pin as often as tolerable. I tend to not worry too much about credit card theft, the c/c company already protects me against that. Just be damn careful with your debit card. I’ll go so far as to say just don’t use the damn thing, there are too many skimmers floating around. Just use the c/c and transfer funds weekly. The debit card gives direct access to your cash, don’t risk it... most especially online. Use a shredder, it’s a PITA, but do it anyway. Don’t do business with companies that want your ss# (I’ve even had comcast ask me for it). Don’t save your c/c number with online retailers like Amazon. You don’t control their security. don’t save your passwords in your web browser or anywhere else for that matter.
Yes, pretty good evidence of legitimacy. Now if they told you to call an number that started 011-234 or 011-7, it would be a different story....
I run an identity theft racket, er, service. Send me all your info. Don’t even need to send me a fee. That will be, um, “taken care of.”
My guarantee: If anyone steals your identity and assets, it won’t be me. Honest!
LOL.
You and me, same boat.
OK, sounds legit. Things like this are very scary to me.
I use Lifelock for my son and myself. just $20 a month for both of us. they watch activity, I have had them call me to verify if I am opening an account that requires a credit check (like when I changed phone service, moved my internet etc). I think they are definitely on the ball.
What’s an IRS pin?
I think some else had already gotten our table.
After filing for an extension, we e-filed our taxes to the IRS this October. The IRS rejected it because someone stole our identity via Social Security number. Started the process of getting things resolved. Was told by the IRS agent, during a two hour 45 minute conversation, that stealing Social Security numbers is epidemic. Apparently this happens so often they do not go after single thefts. I asked if it was within our country or China or Russia. They would not tell me. They are supposed to issue us a pin to use as identity.
I'm going through ID theft right that now.
I got whacked in august.
They had my SSN,(pretty sure they got it from my cell phone account).
I got hit with heavy charges from a spit load of credit opened in my name, to include a car loan,(which was denied).
They changed my profile info to a legitimate phone number and email address that didn't belong to me and turned off all alerts I had set up.
They like to open department store charge cards and cell phone service accounts as you can get instant\immediate credit now.
The stores don't verify til later.
By that time, the bad guys are gone with the goods and you have thousands in charges. You don't get the bill or the credit rejection until 30 days later.
Having your SSN also has the potential to compromise your tax return. (they beat you to filing and claim a refund).
There are the things I did.
1.I rec'd all my credit reports. Looking for any new credit inquires or new accounts. I immediately contested any new accounts I did not open.
2.a. I activated free monitoring of my credit reports.
2.b. I Froze my credit reporting to the major firms Equifax\TransUnion\Experian.
3.I filed a police report.
4. I filed an FTC Identity Theft Victims’ Complaint and Affidavit. The instructions that come with this affidavit has an outstanding road map of what to do and when and how to do it when chasing Identity theft. Can go to the FTC web site to get it.
5. I contacted the fraud department for each account that was opened in my name and explained the circumstances\situation. I was required to fill out a each company's version of a fraud affidavit.
6. Filed with the IRS and they approved my SSN be flagged with an identity theft marker. They also recommend I set up am PIN number. Once that is set up, it must be used to identify yourself when doing any business with the IRS.
The sooner you do it, the better...research everything to make intelligent decisions about how to handle it.
Does that mark you as 'going steady' with an IRS agent?
An IRS pin is a pin assigned to you by the IRS (it changes every year).
Only the person with the correct IRS pin can submit tax forms.
This way, no one who steals your identity can then submit false tax forms and claim a huge refund in your name.
Thanks for the information. With the reports of hundreds of tax refunds being sent by the IRS to the same addresses, I didn’t think the IRS was doing anything to correct the problem.
Different banks. Only the online info at the bank that issued the card was compromised (password, email, mailing address etc). I have a credit union account, different company, that I use to make my card payments.
So far no issues with the credit union or any of my other cards. In any case, I spent the morning getting things in motion for freezing my credit files at the three credit bureaus.
Next up is the IRS pin number.
I also signed up for a complimentary membership to ProtectMyID Elite from Experian.
So far no unusual activity anywhere else. I suspect the credit card web site got hacked based on something the guy said when I called them. Keeping my fingers crossed.
As an IT infrastructure professional, I can tell you that information security is an illusion. If the ner-do-wells do not have your personal information today, they will have it someday soon.
I use Experian ProtectMyId. It was free to me as a company benefit. It does work. Beyond that, I also have a rider on my home owners policy that covers any legal expense for restoring my ID should it become compromised.
I view both as essential protections/services.
hope you lock it all down.
it’s been a PITA for us to chase\close all this up.
here’s a decent site showing breeches
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/worlds-biggest-data-breaches-hacks/
click on a balloon to get more info
good luck
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