ID theft victim here needs some answers please. TIA - PS3 NEWS

**Porkape** · 06-17-2005

I recently applied for a loan and was shocked to see that I had 2 credit cards taken out in my name with a very high balance. One of them is going to write it off but the other (Dscover) won't because someone charged too much (above$7k). Now I am having the worst time dealing with all this just because someone ended up with my ID. I have blocked the cards and put alerts with major credit bureaus, I am in the middle of filling affidavits with the FTC and will file a local police report soon. How good are the local police at this sort of stuff? How good are the credit card (Discvr) investigators? One thing that was highly unusual was that these accounts were opened using my mother's maiden name and that info very few people know and isn't written down anywhere, so it leads me to believe there was a leak in a database somewhere with all that info. Some of the charges on the account were a national supermarket chain, Paypal and ATM withdrawls. Do any of those help me i.e. with ATM camera footage or knowing the Paypal email of the perp? If I know the fraud card number will going to the local supermarket and asking for receipts help or even work? Can anyone advise me on this, sorry if I have a lot of questions here but I just found out all this 4 days ago and its still sinking in. If anyone can answer all or some of my questions that would help. Thanks much.

**CJPC** · 06-17-2005

Wow, sorry to hear...

Were the CC's taken out locally? What addy were they delivered to as well.. it was possible it was either a leak in the system, or somone going through your trash!

**Porkape** · 06-17-2005

Thanks for replying, I have had no outside help on this, the only people I have been talking to are the FTC, post office and credit card people. The cards were all taken out locally using my home address but the phone numbers are all in different states IL, CT and only one in my home town in MA. So whoever the fool is lives in the area, I understand people going through my trash but my mother's maiden name won't be there and my SSN rarely ends up there without being shredded. I will find out in the morning how willing the local police is on this, any idea about that or the Paypal email I have. Thanks

**Rook** · 06-17-2005

You've probably already handled most of this and visited several sites, but I just wanted to help out as much as I could:

http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml
http://www.identity-theft-help.us/identity-theft-victim.htm
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html
http://www.privacyrights.org/identity.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.htm
http://www.ago.state.ma.us/filelibrary/ident4.pdf

Also, I wanted you to know that you are in no way liable for more than $50 of fraudulent charges placed on each of your credit cards. Even if you do not submit an acceptable Identity Theft Affadavit and/or proof of fraud, it is against both federal and state law for Discover, or any creditor, to claim that you are responsible without them submitting proof to you that the charges were authorized by you (Sources: http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode15/usc_sec_15_00001643----000-.html & http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/140d-26.htm).

**CJPC** · 06-17-2005

JCW is right, even if they were to take you to court, they need to prove BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT that you did it, which means videotapes from atm's/stores, signatures, ip addys etc etc..., so you will definately to be able to straighten it out, it just matters how much agrivation you will have to go thru!

Edit: And I hate to say it, but do you have a close family member/friend that may have some financial troubles?

**Porkape** · 08:19 PM

Thanks a lot guys that's a little relief, but I still missed a real good business deal not having that loan come through and knowing that I want to find out who did it. I do have friends who are in financial trouble but no one to screw me out of $7 grand, I have a housemate who's a law graduate and does well for himself. As for friends go they have no idea what my mother's maiden name is or what my SSN might be. I am still waiting on the cops to come over to my place and take a formal complaint, I already called them. I have no idea how far they will take it, so my only hope is finding some time and do a little sleuthing on my own, which is where I am still lost since I have no clue how long the ATM tapes are stored for and whether store receipts can be traced for signatures. My one hope is working with Paypal to get an account name from the email. Its just pain dealing with this is all. Cheers

UPDATE: The local police boy just stopped by took a report and he said he'll file it and the detectives will handle the rest i.e. looking at the surveillance tapes of ATM withdrawls etc., I hope they still exist so I can see who the bastard is. BTW last cash withdrawl on the account was about May 19th.

**bharter** · 06-17-2005

unless the person verified their PayPal info, PayPal may not be able to help you very much. Since they used your home address for the accounts, you should have gotten bills and statements from the CC companies. If the accounts were opened long enough for you to get the bills and you didn't, they must have been taken from your mail box. Who would be able to do that and would also have the info needed to open a PayPal account? Sorry to not be able to give you more help.

**Starlight** · 06-18-2005

Sorry to hear that Porkape and i hope you and the authorities find this person so justice can be served.Just makes a guy mad when people do stuff like that.

**socom god 420** · 06-18-2005

one of my former high school friends who is vert inteligent but never did anything with his life just got out of prison for 42 counts of idenity theft. i dont know how he was doing it but he was doing the majority of it online.

he got out about 3 months ago. and guess what hes going back to prison for id theft again.

good luck

**L84skewl** · 06-18-2005

I'm sorry to hear that man..

If the guy was using paypal... I'm assuming he wasn't shipping what he was buying to your house... are there any accounts of sent money and a different shipping address (I know this is really obvious, and you've probably thought of it) but sometimes the answers right under our nose and we don't see it.