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2012 Update Week: Identity Theft

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Identity Theft

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

Welcome to Update Week! During this week, I will follow-up on topics introduced throughout the year.

Each day, I will choose one topic from that category. For today, I chose our identity theft update.

Back in October, I mentioned how our family was the victim of identity theft. Though we are super careful with our credit card information, passwords, and personal information, we are not exempt from a hacker obtaining our information.

Our Initial Identity Theft

On a Saturday morning, I awoke to a phone call from Walmart.com asking if I had made a $200+ purchase that morning. When I denied the charges, the representative confirmed the suspicious activity as someone had opened a new Walmart.com account using another name.

The thief back-linked to the credit card I use when making purchases at Walmart.com. (The credit card was not saved in the system. It was just linked to a prior purchase.)

Gathered Information

Upon getting the information from the representative, I took wrote down the details, canceled that order, and denied the charges to our credit card.

Notified Credit Card Company

Next, I called our credit card company, reported the fraud, and checked for any other suspicious activity. When none was found, the representative closed our account immediately. She sent our information to the fraud department who transferred our account to a new number and reissued the cards.

Notified Other Account Providers

Staying proactive, I checked our other credit card and placed an alert on the card. I then checked our bank accounts. Seeing no unusual transactions, I called our credit unions and placed alerts on all our accounts.

Filed Police Report

By this point in the morning, I was wide awake. Though still in my pajamas, I called the police department to file an identity theft report. Since the information must be gathered in person, two police officers were dispatched to our home. I quickly changed, and then reported the morning’s activities.

The officers were really nice, and my girls loved the attention from the female officers. Confirming that we covered all our bases, they took the information and gave me a report number. I was then advised to pick up the police report at headquarters after waiting a minimum of 48-hours for processing.

Changed Password on Account

Shortly after the morning calmed down, I accessed my Walmart.com account and changed my password. Though I am not sure how the thief got access, I chose to change what I could to protect my account.

Filing a Claim

With the police report in hand, I plan to contact Walmart.com with the report number and file a claim to track down the thief. This process takes time, and I am pressing on. My goal is to find the culprit (if possible) and file charges.

Since this initial compromise, I have had an identity theft attempt and a breach which I will share in 2013. We are actively keeping watch on our accounts and staying proactive in the process. Though this thief has not been caught, I am working to provide as much information as I can to the authorities to bring down these criminals.

In using time wisely to act on the information immediately, no additional issues have surfaced with this account. We now have our transferred account with our new cards. Everyone has been very helpful which has saved us money, energy, and time.

Should you find your information compromised, act quickly. Gather the information, notify your credit card and other account providers, file a police report, change your password (if needed), and file a claim. Though we cannot prevent all criminals, we can make it difficult for them to get the information. Staying alert with you!

Question: Have you been a victim of identity theft?

Credit Cards: Copies of Active Accounts

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In working through an organizational system for our important documents, we are still concentrating on the first section of Box 1 titled Credit Reports/Card Documents. As a review, here are the documents housed in my first box and links to the posts addressed to date:

BOX 1 of 3

  • Credit reports and credit cards

Credit reports:

Credit Report: Reporting Agencies

Credit Report: Schedule

Credit Score: Free Experian

Credit Score: Free TransUnion

Credit Report: Reviewing Information

Credit Report: Disputing Errors

Credit cards

  • Personal records
  • Home ownership
  • Vehicles

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

If you are following the same system I am sharing, then the first folder in your accordion file should obtain your accurate credit report(s) and credit score(s). Are you are still disputing errors on your credit report(s)? If so, then good for you! Keep those credit bureaus accountable for reporting your information accurately.

Having concluded last week the first part of this section dealing with the credit reports and scores, I will address credit cards, which is the second part of the Credit Report/Card Documents section. The second folder of my accordion file houses copies of my active credit cards.

TIP: These are just credit cards. Our debit card information is housed under Investments in Box 3.

For each credit card, I have the following documents:

1.       Copy of the front and signed back of the card. Hopefully this never happens, but in the event that my purse is stolen, I will have the phone number to contact the issuer to report the theft. The phone number to contact is on the fine print located on the back of the card. When I make the copy, I make sure the print is readable in case I need the information.

2.       PIN information. If a Personal Identification Number (PIN) was issued with this card, then I keep that number with the copy of the credit card.

3.       Credit Card Agreement. This document usually arrives with your credit card. When a new card is sent to replace an expiring card, a new card agreement is usually sent. If you have misplaced your original, you could contact the issuer and request a new one, or wait until a replacement card is sent before your current card expires.

4.       Website Address,  User names, and Passwords. Having the website address to access this card information written down will be very handy in the event you become incapacitated or pass away. If your Executor knows about your Important Document file, then he/she can access your accounts with this information. If you do not want this information all in one place, then choose a good hiding place. When you have a designated place, write down your user names and passwords and then let someone know where that information can be found. This one action can save your loved ones oodles of time and ounces of worry. Remember to update your list when you change your passwords or add accounts.

PROTECTIVE PASSWORDS: To help protect our accounts, I have placed a protective password on each account. I have called each account issuer and asked to put this password on our account. I then followed their guidelines. Now when I contact them regarding my account, the representative will ask for my protective password in addition to the other personal information they request. Having this password also allows me to bypass giving out our Social Security Numbers for identification. I prefer the protective password since I can customize the word or phrase making it difficult for someone to  commit identity theft.

5.       Contact name. If you have called for any reason and had a great customer service from a senior representative, then I write down and keep the name and direct phone number or e-mail of that representative with the credit card information. If I have a problem and need assistance, I will have direct access to someone who I know will help.

6.       Credit Card. Since we do not carry all our credit cards with us, we keep the unused ones in our credit card file. If we need to use it to make a purchase, then we get the card from the file. This action helps us make wise decisions with our money.

I paperclip these items together for each credit card we hold. I then place all these documents in the second file of my Box 1 documents. Next week, I will share the contents of the third file which is the last compartment under the first section titled Credit Reports and Credit Card Documents.

Are you finding this information helpful? Do you already have protective passwords on your accounts? Do you have them written down for your loved ones and/or Executor? If not, please write them down. Your family will be so thankful you did!