An anonymous reader says credit bureaus can’t keep her identity separate with that of another woman with the same last name who used to live in her building. The reader says the bureaus won’t resolve her complaint, insisting the other woman has to take the initiative to fix the errors. [More]
identity
My Bank Refused To Believe I Was A Person
By 11.25.09
Inspired by the tale of a couple whose Wachovia checking account was frozen for a month, Loan shares a similar tale. [More]
Use a PO Box to Thwart ID Thieves
By 5.30.09
A Post Office Box, or PO Box, can be a very useful tool in your fight against would be identity thieves. Use them to add a layer of anonymity and thieves are likely to look for softer targets.
Direct Express Auto Transport Responds To Bad Reviews By Posting Reviewers' Personal Information Online
By 2.18.09
We write often about companies’ sleazy approaches to online reviews. Some companies bribe users for positive feedback. Others sue over negative reviews. Direct Express Auto Transport, however, is the first company we’ve seen that responds to bad reviews by sharing users’ personal information.
More Info On The $9.87 Credit Card Scam
By 4.29.08
MGD at dslreports read our post last night about Prophotosland.com and its fraudulent charge to reader Megan’s credit card. He’s been following the scammers—”an organized crime syndicate operated from Eastern Europe”—for nearly three years now, and has a ton of highly valuable information on them, including their recent targeting of military personnel stationed overseas. Bottom line: cancel your credit card, Megan, because they’ve got access to it now—and report the charge as fraudulent rather than dispute it.
Watch Out For $9.87 Credit Card Scam From Prophotosland.com
By 4.29.08
A reader named Megan noticed an unfamiliar charge for $9.87 from prophotosland.com on her WaMu credit card statement, so she began to investigate it.
Certegy Decides Whether Or Not Kmart Will Accept Your Check
By 4.23.08
S. wrote a check at Kmart earlier this month and it was denied. No reason was given—just “denied.”
Retail Management: "We Have To Check ID Or We Get Screwed By Credit Card Companies"
By 2.21.08
Scott, a member of management for a retail chain, wants to share the other side of the checking-ID debate:
Your website continually runs stories about how merchants aren’t allowed to ask for ID during a credit transaction. I work on the management team at a nationwide retailer, and credit card fraud occasionally hits our location. Every so often, we are hit with something called a ‘retrieval request’ from one of the big 4 credit authorization companies (Discover, AMEX, MC, Visa). This means we have 48 hours to provide a legible signed receipt, and video evidence of my staff checking a photo ID to verify the cardholder.
Is Someone Impersonating Your Child?
By 8.3.07
SmartMoney reports on the threat of underage identity theft; 5% of FTC complaints in 2005 were about victims 18 years old or younger. Children are often perfect targets, because they have social security numbers that are largely unused–which means unchecked–until they’re old enough to apply for their first job or credit card.
…shortly after [Kristen Smith’s] 16-year-old son started a summer gig at a local car dealership… his new employer conducted a routine background check that returned shocking news: A man living in Phoenix was using his Social Security number. Even more shocking was the discovery by the local police department that there was more than one perpetrator. In 1994, a man from Pennsylvania with a DUI arrest on his record had been using Smith’s son’s Social Security number as well.
Chase Refuses To Cash Check Without Thumbprint
By 3.17.07
Chase refused to let Ramsey cash his check without a thumbprint, even though he had called and verified that two forms of identification would suffice. The teller insisted that a thumbprint was required by a “rule.” How official sounding. Ramsey spoke with Heath, the bank manager.
- “Heath informed me that due to the Patriot Act, all negotiable instruments required a fingerprint as proof of my status as a holder in due course.”
Ah, the Patriot Act, that vague catch-all excuse for every vigilante action under the American sun.
BofA Throws Out Customer Who Refuses To Give Thumbprint
By 12.20.06
Bank of America ejected reader Tycho after he refused to give the teller a thumbprint while cashing a check.
