[Novalug] Totally OT: Identify Theft

[Jay Hart]

If novalug or ma-linux is a wiki, then yes, otherwise no.

Jay

> Are you putting all of this on a Wiki somewhere?
>
> jf
>
> On Jul 12, 2008, at 8:49 PM, Jay Hart wrote:
>
>> To the list, I have updates:
>>
>> 1. First of all, it is amazing what companies/employees will do (or
>> not do) to
>> get a sale.
>>
>> 1a. I'm not telling everything here, some items I will not state
>> here because
>> at this point its speculation, or stuff I will need a lawyer for.
>> But, figure
>> what I really mean on item #1 and you can read between the lines...
>>
>> 2. I had to file not one, but two police reports, the thefts
>> occurred at three
>> different Best Buys, all in Maryland, all within 2-3 hours total
>> elapsed time.
>> The thieves were kind enough to apply for card/account protection
>> for me, how
>> special.
>>
>> 3. Each store got hit for about $5,000. This must be a limiting non-
>> trigger
>> point for fraud.  Can anyone comment on this?
>>
>> 3a. The account has been placed in a fraud condition state, meaning
>> closed.
>> The credit card bank did this when I called them the first time.  I
>> should
>> have asked for the credit application, but I thought the store would
>> have that
>> document.
>>
>> 4. I now "own" three very high-end laptops ($2,800 each), two very
>> high-end
>> cameras ($1,800 each) with monster lenses ($1,100), some WII
>> hardware ($250),
>> a 32 inch LCD TV ($580), and a few other things I don't recognize
>> right out
>> the bat.   They put all this on a 2 year payback plan.  Stupid
>> Fscking Best
>> Buy, if you ask me.
>>
>> 5. There is video, and it ain't me.
>>
>> 6. The cops were very helpful, I at least think that video will be
>> retrieved
>> from all three stores, and once that is done, I'm hoping to get a
>> copy.  If I
>> can't, that is where a PI might can help me out. The PI was not able
>> to help
>> me today, but depending on the follow-up detectives, I might ask for
>> his help
>> if it looks
>>
>> 6a. My goal is NOT to get the guy, but to get the guy to tell me how
>> he got my
>> SSN.  This is the single most important thing to concentrate on.  If
>> the guy
>> gets busted up a little prior to coughing up the info, he has a WII
>> that he
>> can use while recovering...
>>
>> 7. Things you should know: a) stores generally won't give you any
>> documentation or video. File a police report ASAP, they can supeona
>> the store,
>> and the store will be very happy to turn over anything they have.
>> (at least
>> Best Buys seems to be willing in this case) b) Managers won't tell you
>> anything usually when you walk in off the street. c) Take enough
>> documentation
>> so that the cops/store has not doubt who you are d) I dressed in a
>> nice pair
>> of slacks and dress shirt, was very calm, did not rant, did not
>> threaten,
>> basically tried very hard to get the store on my side e) tell store
>> they are
>> in the same boat as you f) get the name and a number if you can of
>> anyone you
>> talk to, record any phone cons you have, doing this on paper is fine.
>>
>> 8. It seems like it would be hard for an inside job to occur over
>> three
>> stores, so not sure if this is a plausible scenario. However, others
>> have told
>> me inside help is very good percentage of fraud.
>>
>> 9. Try to get a copy of the actual credit application. Many stores
>> do not keep
>> your app, they are sent to their credit bank after 1-2 days, so this
>> you will
>> need to try and get either through the bank, or through the
>> companies fraud
>> investigation unit.  In my case I know that at least two of the nine
>> SSN
>> digits were correct (I did not want to give the bank rep I spoke to
>> any more
>> than two, but stasitically its very hard to not say they had the
>> rest correct
>> as well. I didn't supply them with the first two or last two digits,
>> but with
>> two random digits of the nine.
>>
>> 10. Call all your banks/401K/mutual funds and put a fraud alert on
>> all of
>> them. (CYA)
>>
>> 11. Not that it matters, but one store has a black male late 20s/
>> early 30s on
>> tape.  Would like to see the other two tapes, good bet not same guy.
>> This
>> proves it was a fraudulent activity, I'm totally in the clear just
>> due to this
>> fact alone.
>>
>> 12. According to Best Buys, when you apply for an account, and prior
>> to
>> charging on that account, you must show two forms of ID, one has to
>> be a
>> picture ID, the second they usually ask for a credit card with the
>> same name
>> on the picture ID. They do not make a photo copy of any IDs. (read
>> inside job
>> action time here..)  I bet most if not all companies have a similar
>> policy.
>> They want to make it easy for you to buy stuff, remember...
>>
>> 13. Based on the time line scenario for the charges, my guess is
>> that Best
>> Buys fraud preventive software does not track or notify if large
>> purchases are
>> made in several stores within a short period of time. Hence I figure
>> if it
>> did, the last store, which actually had two charges, might have been
>> flagged.
>>
>> 14. The three large credit reporting agencies will share updates to
>> your
>> profile if you put a block on it, they say there is no need to call
>> all three,
>> and that the block is sent out quickly (I can't tell you what
>> quickly means
>> with regard to a time frame this happens).
>>
>> 15. I'm going to see about getting a new SSN, will let you know what
>> I learn.
>>
>> 16. If you have a clearance, remember you are doing this to protect
>> your
>> livelihood, bad credit can get your clearance revoked. IOW, you are
>> not doing
>> this to "KILL the Mo-fscker".
>>
>> 17. the police are seeing this type of crime more, they really seem
>> to want to
>> help you.  Don't expect much when you contact the police and file
>> the report.
>> They may have good relations with the store, or not.  Different
>> stores seem to
>> have different policies. While one store might show the cops video
>> without a
>> warrant, another might ask for one. But, they all seem to want to
>> get the info
>> to the police, have patience.
>>
>> 18. Don't go into the store on your own and talk to any of
>> employees, if it
>> was an inside job, you just tipped them off.  REMEMBER THIS.  If you
>> do talk
>> to someone at the store, STORE MANAGER ONLY!!!
>>
>> 19. If the store suspects an inside job, they may be more willing to
>> pursue
>> the matter, but might not be willing to share everything they find
>> out (think
>> lawsuit here...).
>>
>> 20. I wonder it its possible for me to determine if someone bought my
>> information recently through an online service like Intelius???
>>
>> 21. I plan on following up with Best Buy corporate, I need that credit
>> application...
>>
>> 22. My brain is dead, hope this is enough for now.
>>
>> Jay
>>
>>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>>> Hash: SHA1
>>>
>>> I will check w/ my mom.
>>>
>>> Call ALL your credit card companies NOW and tell them this
>>> happened. Ask
>>> them what they can do to help and what you should do. Bank(s) you do
>>> business with also. Check with work as they might have some type of
>>> program to assist you.
>>>
>>> The credit card companies or your bank might be of assistance in
>>> getting
>>> protection (passwords added to accounts, flags set, no new accounts
>>> opened w/o a passcode, etc). I remember my mom had to do this.
>>>
>>> FYI, everyone I know who this happened to was NOT liable for the
>>> bills.
>>> Don't go in w/ an attitude. Go in trying to get their help and you
>>> cooperate.
>>>
>>> IF you are held liable, then worry about it. Otherwise, do what you
>>> can
>>> to protect yourself from other damage. Chances are pretty good
>>> another
>>> card or 6 will show up shortly. It is USUALLY not a 1 time thing.
>>>
>>> Best of luck.
>>>
>>> Jay Hart wrote:
>>>> I was made aware this evening that I have been a victim of
>>>> identity theft.
>>>> Someone(s) opened an account at Best Buy using all my
>>>> identification,
>>>> including my SSN, and rang up $15,000 worth of stuff.  Basically
>>>> walked in,
>>>> opened account, bought $15K of stuff, loaded it up, and off they
>>>> went.
>>>>
>>>> I found out about it when the account information arrived at my
>>>> house, along
>>>> with the new Best Buy Store credit account card. I received two
>>>> separate
>>>> items
>>>> in the mail, had they not arrived same day, I might have shredded
>>>> both.
>>>>
>>>> I've called the credit reporting agencies, the FTC, my bank, and a
>>>> Maryland
>>>> Private Investigator.  Tomorrow I plan to take a little trip to
>>>> the store to
>>>> see what I can learn, maybe get the PI to help me out.
>>>>
>>>> If you have been the victim of identity theft, what other stuff
>>>> should I
>>>> know,
>>>> and what kinds of problems did you encounter that would be good
>>>> stuff to
>>>> know?
>>>>
>>>> I'm hoping the store is going to want to work with me since they
>>>> are out
>>>> $15K
>>>> of stuff.  The FTC uses your data to search for patterns, so I
>>>> figure they
>>>> will not be of much help to me.  Equifax will help me out, by
>>>> putting blocks
>>>> on my account, but most of their services will cost me money.  My
>>>> best shot
>>>> is
>>>> either video footage at the store, and/or fingerprints on the credit
>>>> application.
>>>>
>>>> Jay Hart
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Ma-linux mailing list
>>>> Ma-linux at calypso.tux.org
>>>> http://calypso.tux.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ma-linux
>>>
>>> - --
>>> greg pryzby                              greg at pryzby dot org
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>>>
>>
>>
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> franklin at elfie.org
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