Identity Theft: Discuss

[GTaudiophile]

The GF and I were approached by a neighbor yesterday, warning us that he has observed individuals searching through and taking mail from our box as well as those of our neighbors. I assume these people are looking for ways to use our identities for illicit purposes.

We live in a new, modern building on a "recently-gentrified" street in NW DC. Recent as within the past 5 years or so. Go too far East or North of where we live and things get a little more sketchy.

We rent and have asked that lockable mailboxes be installed. The boxes are currently completely open and accessible from the street.

Has anyone had experience with this? Thoughts? Comments?

What do you do to protect yourself from identity theft?

I am aware that a PO Box would be another solution. As would be diverting all personal mail to my office but that could be a headache as well.

 

[kranky]

If you know your mail is insecure, you must opt out of credit card solicitations and freeze your credit reports. That way no new credit can be opened in your name without you being contacted or unless you unfreeze your reports first.

Beyond that, one option is to sign up for e-statements for anything financial - bank, brokerage, credit cards. Another is the PO Box, which is what I would do as I don't care for e-statements. You could use the PO Box for anything financial and keep your home address for everything else, or just make the PO Box your mailing address for everything. I would never use my work address for anything personal.

If you have nothing finance related coming in the mail, you reduce the chance of identity theft greatly even if your mail is stolen.

If I was in your position, I would just see if the PO will agree to hold your mail for pickup without having to have a PO Box, and you can cancel that once your mail is secured.

 

[GTaudiophile]

That last bit of advice is good. Thanks.

I too do not like e-statements as I try to keep a paper trail for tax purposes.

How the F does one opt out of credit card solicitations? Freeze credit reports? (I don't receive the latter anyway.)

 

[SunnyD]

If someone steals my identity, I really don't care much. I doubt there's anything they could do that wouldn't actually INCREASE my credit score.

That, and I'll just shit in my mailbox. Let em rummage around in there I say!

(Okay, I jest, I've been working on rebuilding my credit for a while now, so it'd be a step backwards... but still, I'll be reactive in my efforts, rather than proactive.)

 

[highland145]

That last bit of advice is good. Thanks.

I too do not like e-statements as I try to keep a paper trail for tax purposes.

How the F does one opt out of credit card solicitations? Freeze credit reports? (I don't receive the latter anyway.)

Go online to the major 3, look for freeze/lock credit report. Can't remember but you may have to call. No one can access your report without you first unlocking it. They will give you an un-lock code, DON"T LOSE IT.

 

[CRXican]

probably getting some credit cards in your name

 

[kranky]

How the F does one opt out of credit card solicitations? Freeze credit reports? (I don't receive the latter anyway.)

Opt out: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre17.shtm
Freeze reports: http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/credit-report-freeze-1282.php (has links to each CRA you'll need)

 

[highland145]

Opt out: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre17.shtm
Freeze reports: http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/credit-report-freeze-1282.php (has links to each CRA you'll need)

^^
The Man, right there.

 

[arcenite]

Go online to the major 3, look for freeze/lock credit report. Can't remember but you may have to call. No one can access your report without you first unlocking it. They will give you an un-lock code, DON"T LOSE IT.

Wat?

You can go to any one of the three major reporting agencies' website and put a fraud alert on your report (the one company will set them up with the other two).

The 'Unlock Code' is a phone number. Make sure it's not a phone you plan on getting rid of any time soon, because I made that mistake and made my life interesting when I bought a house. The fraud alert needs to be manually renewed every 90 days.

 

[highland145]

Wat?

You can go to any one of the three major reporting agencies' website and put a fraud alert on the report (the one company will set them up with the other two).

The 'Unlock Code' is a phone number. Make sure it's not a phone you plan on getting rid of any time soon, because I made that mistake and made my life interesting when I bought a house. The fraud alert needs to be manually renewed every 90 days.

The fraud alert lets the creditor know to be careful. The lock keeps them from pulling the report at all. The lock used to not need to be renewed. Change maybe?

 

[rudder]

probably getting some credit cards in your name

yeh OP needs to opt out of those CC offers.

Me, I worry more about some illegal immigrant using on of my children's social security numbers. I think my middle child's number was jacked... at least she is young enough that i can fix it.

 

[ShawnD1]

We rent and have asked that lockable mailboxes be installed. The boxes are currently completely open and accessible from the street.

Yikes. That's obviously a major problem. If he doesn't fix that shit within a month, definitely get a PO box.

If you plan to move around apartments and get a house later then you could get a PO box right now and avoid the hassle of needing to change your address all the time and avoid those stupid letters where the cable company asks why you haven't paid the bill even though they're sending bills to Calgary to bill you for service even though you lvie in EDOMONTN YOU LUFDKJSLDKJF STUPID ASSHOLER>S

 

[abaez]

I have a CC with Bank of America and every month or so they send me mail with blank checks linked to my CC for what I guess would be a cash advance using a check. I shred them everytime but I really don't even want them mailed out.

I've called them up and have told them to stop sending me these but I've had no success. I'm assuming the traditional opt-out methods wouldn't work as I have a CC with them and I'm sure there is some setting that a CC user has opted-in.

Anyone have any idea on how to stop these? I see nothing in my account settings online for this.

 

[Harrod]

I had my identity stolen by a roommate a few years ago, you are probably pretty safe though. I would be more worried about having your mail delivery tampered with because it seems like it's pretty easy to do.

In my roommates case he was manipulating the mail system and putting my mail on vacation hold to keep insure that the credit card came in when he wanted to. I actually discovered this because before I moved to an apartment I thought I needed a credit card, so I filled out all of the credit card stuff at my brothers house, so when the cards were applied for it sent the fraud alerts to my brothers house. Needless to say, over the next 2 weeks of dealing with trying to figure who it was, I racked up 13 felonies worth of charges against him. Heres the problem though, after all of that and then finding out that he did the same thing to his girlfriend, who didn't know about it until I told her to run a credit check, he only got a slap on the wrist(and a felony conviction).