Have You ever had your identity stolen???

[Rick2007]

Do you subscribe to a web site that claims to protect your identity?
If so WHY???

So far I have not been hacked. Am I just lucky???

I do no Banking on line,,, pay no bills on line,,, but I do on occasion use
my credit card to make an on line purchase.

I don't have a firewall,,,,,,don't even know what a firewall is. Do
I even need one???

So Here is my question,,,,,,,,

What do I need to do to get up to speed and protect myself????

Thanks, Rick

 

[faralos]

macafee helps it's from comcast and it's free! I had my id stoled about 15 yrs. ago, Me and my (at the time) wife found out when we got a bill for a 72 thousand dollar (U.S.) boat! from our credit card co. apparently we were in Europe at the time and purchased this thing online! i kid you not!! Took us about 2 yrs. of arguing with Mastercard to straighten out our credit. So now I have firewalls up the wazoo, An anitvirus, and a program that erases everwhere I've been (cookies, history temp folders everything) never can have too much protection!!

 

[sleepy]

I would consider buying a debit card like a $20 to $100 Visa or Mastercard gift card like you see at the supermarket alongside the gift cards for restaurants, amusement parks, movie theaters, IPod gift cards. These cards promise that they are accepted the same as the credit card, including for online purchases, though I've never used one myself, so I can't say for sure.

Then if the website rips you off, they've only ripped your gift card and not your checking account, but check out the fine print on these cards. For instance, the Visa Gift cards currently deduct $2.50/Mo. "processing fee" after holding the card or its remaining balance longer than 9 to 12 months, so if you spend the entire card before 9 to 12 months (depending on the fine print terms on the back of the card's packaging) then there is none of that extra service charge, but stay away from Visa and MasterCard cards from "Green Dot" because those cutthroats charge $4.50/Month processing fees after owning one of their cards for only 7 to 14 days and they say so on the back of the card's packaging, so if you buy the $20 "Green Dot" card and hold on to it for 5 months, they spend your money for you. Isn't that nice of them!

So read the back of the card's packaging. A good card charges an additional $4.50 at the store when you buy it with no further processing fees unless the terms on the packaging state otherwise, usually after a reasonable 9 months minimum, and I've seen the Visa card (not the Green Dot Visa Gift card) state only after 12 months, so check them out first before you buy.

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Yes, everybody should have a firewall
A firewall is a door that keeps out nasties
antivirus just cleans up after

If you are running a fully updated windows XP or Vista, then you do have a firewall already installed

 

[Shadow]

So Here is my question,,,,,,,,

What do I need to do to get up to speed and protect myself????

Thanks, Rick

My name is now Rick 2006. . . .

. . .I've fucked up your PC, cleaned out your bank account, given you a criminal record and shagged your missus . . .

. . .nah, I wouldn't bother mate . . .

 

[faralos]

wether you actually do banking online does not matter. You have internet yes? how did you pay for it? well, they may notbe able to get yopur account info, but if you are online without protection a hacker can just 'see' your ip address and get into your computer. I don't know exactly how they do, but trust me I know! if you get spam, then they already know your ip address that's not that hard to get. every time you log into a site it records all that in its bookkeeping! So beware, you have been warned!!

 

[m4paws]

Slightly off-topic:
I recommend you look here for information on how to secure your PC for free:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/pc/security-tools.html

On-topic:
No, I've never had my identity stolen. My credit report is often a mess - mixed with other people who have the same name, but nothing worse than that so far, knock on wood. I do all sorts of online stuff - banking, billpay, shopping, you name it. I also have hardware and software firewalls protecting my network to keep "the nasties" out.

 

[Rick2007]

My name is now Rick 2006. . . .

. . .I've fucked up your PC, cleaned out your bank account, given you a criminal record and shagged your missus . . .

. . .nah, I wouldn't bother mate . . .

My PC is already f234cked up, and you are welcome to the $3.00
in my bank account. I always did deserve to have a criminal record
since I am Guilty of,,,,,,,,,,,,,,well,,,,,,,,,,I plead the 5th here. And my wife has a weird smile on her face.

(Shadow,,,,I always enjoy your humor.)

Rick

 

[lupo51ca]

My Mother had her Identity stolen. She had never bought anything online and does not banking online. One day in the mail she received 3 different store credit cards that she never applied for. She was just going to cut them up and throw them away and I told her to call the store and check on those accounts as It seemed strange for her to get cards she'd never applied for. Upon checking with the stores she found there was approx. $5000 worth of charges in electronics and other things on each of these cards. Needless to say she informed the stores and the police and an investigation was launched and she was not forced to pay for anything. The police found that the signatures on the application were not even close to my Mothers actual signature, but they had her address and phone number and everything. Since then she has put a lock through the credit agencies that means anytime a major purchase is made or a new credit card applied for or anyone doing any searching about her credit rating she must give an ok that it's legit. So far no one had ever been charged with this and we still don't know how they got the info.

 

[faralos]

It's possible they went thru your physical garbage! i always usea shredder for old bank andcc statements just in case. You'd be surprised what kinds of people hang out by landfills and garbage dumps looking for anything with a bank account number, cc # or just an address and phone number. Many online co.'s (including honest ones) just ask for a phone number and those online statements that say"yes I am so and so" go ahead and charge me! So be real careful what you throw away! that outdated car insurance bill may just have enough info on it to help someone else make a purchase or steal your id!

 

[Shadow]

(Shadow,,,,I always enjoy your humor.)

Rick

Ahhh . . .YOU'RE the one . . .good taste my son . . .

. . .actually, someone did steal my identity once . . .

. . .gave it back within fifteen seconds . . .funny that . . .

Now I have to visit the dozy bastard every day at the funny farm . . .

. . .maybe it was something I thought . . .

Ah well . . .who'd be me . . .

 

[lupo51ca]

It's possible they went thru your physical garbage! i always usea shredder for old bank andcc statements just in case. You'd be surprised what kinds of people hang out by landfills and garbage dumps looking for anything with a bank account number, cc # or just an address and phone number. Many online co.'s (including honest ones) just ask for a phone number and those online statements that say"yes I am so and so" go ahead and charge me! So be real careful what you throw away! that outdated car insurance bill may just have enough info on it to help someone else make a purchase or steal your id!

I don't think there would have been anything in the garbage. My Mother has used a shredder for years. Everything with her name on it always goes in, but as you say it could have even been something old found at a landfill.

 

[Rick2007]

Thanks to all of you that have responded to my question about Identity theft.

faralos, $72,000 dollars on a credit card would be a big red flag. I thought that
I had good credit with several cards with a $20,000 plus limit. What a nightmare
that must have been, and Oh F@#$K, I do pay for internet service with a credit card.

Also Pinball Nirvana Forums - View Profile: lupo51ca@@AMEPARAM@@View Profile: lupo51ca</title>@@AMEPARAM@@lupo51ca your story is exactly what I fear might happen to me.

Pinball Nirvana Forums - View Profile: m4paws@@AMEPARAM@@View Profile: m4paws</title>@@AMEPARAM@@m4paws Thanks for the link!!!

Also thanks for the info MFP. (Off Topic) I hope there are are no hard feelings between us regarding your former life as a Mod. You have always been one of my favorites on the Pinball Forums Scene.

Sleepy,,,,,,,,, I use gift cards for my Mom and Dad. It works well. I tell them that if they can't find anything they want in a huge store like Target or Wall Mart,,,How can they expect me to pick out a special gift for them.

Shadow,,A few new V references,,,
Viagra Vacation, Vaseline Vatican Village, Virgin Vanilla Varnish,,,,,,,,OK I will Stop.

Rick

 

[Shadow]

Shadow,,A few new V references,,,
Viagra Vacation, Vaseline Vatican Village, Virgin Vanilla Varnish,,,,,,,,OK I will Stop.

Rick

v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-vamoose . . .

. . .see, you got me stammering now . . .

. . . vile villain of venal vocation.

Or as the Chinese V might say . . .Velly Vunny