Sigh...dad gave personal information out (SSN, drivers license #, credit card #) in reply to a spoof email...

wasssup

Diamond Member
Nov 28, 2000
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Yeah...so this sucks.

My dad received an email from Bank of America (so he thought) stating that somebody was trying to login to his account or something and his account was locked. They asked him to click on the link and enter ALL his personal information (SSN, drivers license number, BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, ROUTING NUMBER, mothers maiden name, dob, credit card number, address, debit card pin number, userid, freaking everything).

My dad called my sister after getting this email and she told him she lost her debit card (she loses everything) so he thought things were making sense and submitted it. He called Bank of America, and this is where he found out it was a spoof email. My sister then told me about it, I called my dad and asked him to send me that email, it's a freaking link to a russian website that looks legit but the url is for a russian site.

I'm not worried about the bank account, I told my dad to lock it down and have everything changed. Problem is, this site now has his address, phone number, drivers license number, social security number, etc. Can *ANYTHING* be done to protect him at this point?
 

BigJ

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
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Contact your motor vehicles department about identity theft. Contact the Big 3 Credit Reporting Agencies and they'll put up a fraud alert.

He'll have to cancel/change EVERY bank/credit account he has.
 

wasssup

Diamond Member
Nov 28, 2000
3,142
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Originally posted by: BigJ
Contact your motor vehicles department about identity theft. Contact the Big 3 Credit Reporting Agencies and they'll put up a fraud alert.

He'll have to cancel/change EVERY bank/credit account he has.

Thanks for the info, i'll have him do that tomorrow. Also...the Big 3 Credit Reporting Agencies are...?
 

BigJ

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
21,335
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Originally posted by: wasssup
Originally posted by: BigJ
Contact your motor vehicles department about identity theft. Contact the Big 3 Credit Reporting Agencies and they'll put up a fraud alert.

He'll have to cancel/change EVERY bank/credit account he has.

Thanks for the info, i'll have him do that tomorrow. Also...the Big 3 Credit Reporting Agencies are...?

Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.
 

Eeezee

Diamond Member
Jul 23, 2005
9,923
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You can get a fraud alert put on your credit for something like 12 years. It requires any company doing a credit check to CALL YOU DIRECTLY before they can issue a credit card, bank account, etc. You literally either must be there in person or they must call the specific number listed on your credit report, and you get to choose the phone number (logically it will be your home phone number).

 

wasssup

Diamond Member
Nov 28, 2000
3,142
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thanks again for the help guys, i'm still working on trying to clean up this mess with my dad...
 
Jun 19, 2004
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Your dad should just move to Russia since he's already there!

This makes me think of one of those Citi Bank commercials where a big fat sweaty dude is talking with a high pitched female voice talking about all of the stuff she bought with a stolen identity.
 

jtvang125

Diamond Member
Nov 10, 2004
5,399
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Good thing my parents don't know how to use the internet. Never have to worry about them getting into these kind of mess.
 

Raduque

Lifer
Aug 22, 2004
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My parents call me every time they get an email from the bank, paypal, ebay, etc. It's kind of annoying, but at least I know they'll never get phished.
 

Fraggable

Platinum Member
Jul 20, 2005
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Yeah call the Big 3 credit reporting agencies and get a free 90 day credit fraud alert put on them. Or have them call.
 

spaceghost21

Senior member
May 22, 2004
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My dad recieved an email from "paypal" along the same lines. He entered his account information and only later realized it was a fraud.

Forunately, he had forgotten his password and entered the wrong one. :laugh:
 

DeviousTrap

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2002
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Originally posted by: JS80
change you social security number!

That's extremely hard to do. You're better off just watching your credit very carefully and putting a fraud watch on it.
 

Shawn

Lifer
Apr 20, 2003
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like other have said make sure you put his SS# on a fraud alert. it'll make it hard for someone to use it without you finding out about it.
 

Trikat

Diamond Member
May 22, 2003
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Originally posted by: DeviousTrap
Originally posted by: JS80
change you social security number!

That's extremely hard to do. You're better off just watching your credit very carefully and putting a fraud watch on it.

Personally I would rather change the SS number instead of having to monitor EVERYTHING, but that is just me. I don't know how hard it is, but it seems like monitoring everything will be extremely difficult.
 

Baked

Lifer
Dec 28, 2004
36,152
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This just means your dad loves your sister more than you. If it were me, I would just LOL @ my dad and say, you got scammed, sucka. And hang up the phone. Fortunately, my parents don't internet.