dealing with identity theft!!! :-(

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-13-2004
dealing with identity theft!!! :-(
5
Thu, 08-19-2004 - 3:35pm
Back in 1997 I lost my wallet. Months later my military ID card shows up, mailed back to me through the post office (which I turned back in because I had a new one by then). Lost about $300 that day and my driver's license, which didn't have my social on it that I can recall. I got a new driver's license in that new state, and went on. However, about 3 years later I was contacted about a bounced check by a collection agency. I went in, and they actually had two from me. I paid the one because it was one I'd written. The other one wasn't me but it had my info on it. They said they'd take care of it and not to worry about it.

So here I am years later still having a problem from having lost my wallet and my information. A lawyer's office contacted me about a check written five months ago. He was nice and told me what I need to send about it to dispute the check. :-( Anything after the day we moved from FL will be easy to prove, but I wonder how much if anything there is from while we were there?

How can I find out about other checks without making a trip back to FL? I know I can find out if any credit cards were issued by my credit report, which I'm about scared to look at now!!! How much is not having filed a police report on a lost wallet going to hurt me? We didn't have any credit cards at that time so I didn't have any to cancel. Now I'm thinking I really didn't do enough years ago about this.

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 08-19-2004 - 5:05pm

For what it's worth, years ago we didn't know what we do now about ID theft.


Here's a link to the gov't's ID theft web site: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

All my best,
Danni

Avatar for zaboz
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 08-20-2004 - 9:35am
So, your wallet was stolen in 1997 but this check

was written only five months ago? Yikes. Did you have

your existing account information in your wallet?

I wonder if there's a way to check with chexsystems.

https://www.chexhelp.com:447/ChexHelp/chex/english/publik/index.htm

These are the people that keep track of bad checks

or overdrawn bank accounts. When you go to open

an account with a bank they will usually check

your information on this system to be sure it's clear.

If you have bounced checks, they might be reported to them

although it might depend on the amount.

I don't mean this in a bad way, only because it's something I would

do myself, but are you sure you didn't write the check

five months ago and forget about it? I've never been

good about keeping careful track of checks and sometimes

I've been sure that I didn't write a check. But then

when I do a little more research I go "ohhh, THAT one".

Were the fradulent checks written on your existing bank account?

If so, you should probably close it right away.

Were they your checks or a different design? Have you lost checks?

Were they written on a different account, but with your information?

Then you might want to contact that bank and tell them that the account was opened fradulently.

Sorry for the babbling, I'm just trying to think of all the possibilities.

Anyway, best of luck in resolving this!

Identity theft can be a real nightmare and I hope you get it straightened out.

Avatar for zaboz
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 08-20-2004 - 9:37am
Hey, I was just looking at the Chexsystem website and

it looks like you can get a free report if you suspect

fraud. So it's definitely worth a look.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 08-20-2004 - 12:15pm
Have you checked a recent copy of your credit report? If someone has checks in your name, it might be worth it to see if they have any other accounts in your name.

Your social secutrity number can show up in very subtle but obvious places. Our health insurance cards used to use our social security numbers as the ID number. A friend of mine remembered that her old driver's license was her SS # (I won't say the state in case they still do this).

Personally, I think the government needs to do more to protect us from identity theft. I know a lot of people are complaining about NJ's new identification policies regarding driver licenses, but if the government is going to issue IDs, they better make sure they are giving it to the right person. I know someone who was hit with identity theft big time and they had to put fraud warnings on their credit reports.

Good luck.

Sandra

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-13-2004
Sat, 08-21-2004 - 3:50pm
It was a bank I've never heard of. Also, when I went to open an account at a local bank since my move to a new state I was told I couldn't because I supposedly owe money to a bank here in this state; yet I've never been here before in my life.

So between the two incidents, I've put fraud alerts on my credit and DH's. I'll check with Chexsystems, too, thanks!