Potential identity theft AND cannot verify identities at Equifax and Experian

[Safire]

Interesting update:

I *was* able to order a credit report via phone on Experian and create an a/c on Experian to check out what was going on with my credit report. Strangely enough, there was no freeze on my report.

I similarly tried to create an a/c online at Equifax. It could not verify my identity and then I got alert stating they would be sending me a code via snail mail and to use the code to continue with my a/c creation on the website.

But I am unable to place a security freeze on both - I thought I had previously had a freeze placed, but now they are requiring a police report to do this? I did call in a complaint to my local police station who wouldn't file a report until I COULD "show proof" that my id was stolen.

Just more and more DRAMA. But thought I'd post an update here.

 

[harllee]

Safire all that sounds strange about not being able to place a credit freeze. I thought anyone could put a freeze on their files without having a reason. Maybe they were talking about a credit lock which is something the credit agencies charge for?

 

[RetiredHappy]

Safire, do you remember unfreezing your credit files with these credit agencies when you applied for the 2% cash back credit card? Maybe you forgot to re-freeze after the application?

 

[Safire]

Safire, do you remember unfreezing your credit files with these credit agencies when you applied for the 2% cash back credit card? Maybe you forgot to re-freeze after the application?

No, I didn't unfreeze my reports because I have an older credit card with Wells Fargo and so they could access my file without me having to unfreeze my report.

 

[Sunset]

Nobody requires a police report to place a freeze on their credit report.

Congress passed the law, so it is free to freeze and un-freeze credit reports anytime, repeatedly. I've done it and no police report. Whoever said that lied.

Don't be fooled by the credit LOCK, and similar things that are not a freeze.

 

[Sunset]

..

I similarly tried to create an a/c online at Equifax. It could not verify my identity and then I got alert stating they would be sending me a code via snail mail and to use the code to continue with my a/c creation on the website.
....

This is what EquiFOOLs do very regularly, instead of having a good safe secure software, they mail you the code.

They did it for me too, it does work using the code they mail.

 

[RunningBum]

No, I didn't unfreeze my reports because I have an older credit card with Wells Fargo and so they could access my file without me having to unfreeze my report.

I have an older credit card with WF and they required me to unfreeze my report when I applied for the new 2% cash back card.

 

[gauss]

If you believe that you need a police report you may wish to file a report with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) as described here.

Local law enforcement may be hesitant to take a formal police report. I experienced this problem first hand. I *suspect* that it has something to do that they will not have the resources to track down the criminal and unsolved police reports may count against their metrics.

You won't have this challenge when reporting directly to the FTC as described above which you can do online from home.

-gauss

 

[Safire]

I have an older credit card with WF and they required me to unfreeze my report when I applied for the new 2% cash back card.

I did not. WF sent me a letter detailing why they were denying my request (due to low income / large monthly expenses) and further stated that they retrieved my credit report from Experian. So not sure what happened there with you, as existing business have continued access to your credit report (also confirmed by my credit report that I ordered via phone at Experian). My bigger worry is why my credit report now shows that there's no freeze on it currently.

 

[braumeister]

I've looked through these posts and I'm very confused.

You said originally that you "suspected" your identity had been stolen.
Then later you said you were "informed" by some unidentified person who was subjected to a break-in and theft of your documents.
Then you started wondering why your credit accounts were not frozen although weren't sure you had frozen them or maybe just locked them.
Then you couldn't get a police report despite the break-in and theft.

If you want more good advice than you have already received here, you're going to have to provide a lot more detail so we can figure out the actual situation.

Believe me, we're all more than willing to help, but with so many contradictory items it's very hard to know what to tell you.

 

[Safire]

I've looked through these posts and I'm very confused.

You said originally that you "suspected" your identity had been stolen.
Then later you said you were "informed" by some unidentified person who was subjected to a break-in and theft of your documents.
Then you started wondering why your credit accounts were not frozen although weren't sure you had frozen them or maybe just locked them.
Then you couldn't get a police report despite the break-in and theft.

If you want more good advice than you have already received here, you're going to have to provide a lot more detail so we can figure out the actual situation.

Believe me, we're all more than willing to help, but with so many contradictory items it's very hard to know what to tell you.

Yes, you're confused. Where I have contradicted myself?

I was very clear - there was a break-in at a location which had copies of confidential documents containing my personal sensitive financial / identity information. Among the things missing from the place after the break-in was my paperwork, which is presumed stolen.

I was informed of the break-in and the disappearance of my paperwork. This loss, in addition to my difficulties accessing my credit reporta online, made me worried that my id could have already been stolen. So I called the cops who informed me that they couldn't file a police report about my particular worry of potential ID theft unless I could show fraudulent a/cs were opened in my name or money stolen from my a/cs.

The cops are investigating the break-in SEPARATELY. I do not own the place that was broken into - maybe that makes this clear? I am only concerned about my stolen document copies which were there, and which may or may not be used to steal my ID.

No, I said nothing about a credit lock. I was VERY CLEAR that I had previously FROZEN my credit reports online years ago. Apparently, that is no longer the caae which contributes to my mounting fears.

 

[braumeister]

No, I said nothing about a credit lock. I was VERY CLEAR that I had previously FROZEN my credit reports online years ago. Apparently, that is no longer the caae which contributes to my mounting fears.

Well, I guess I was wrong. I was going by this comment:

Yes, my credit is still supposed to be locked.

But never mind. Your situation is clear as mud to me, so I won't comment any more here.

 

[Safire]

Well, I guess I was wrong. I was going by this comment:

Ugh... My bad. I never did a credit lock which apparently is a paid option at credit bureaus. I meant a freeze.

 

[aja8888]

It sounds like the only thing you can do right now is monitor your credit cards and try to get credit reports through mailing the form mentioned a while back.

Please remember that the vast majority of your personal information, both financial and otherwise, is already all over the web. This is the result of the Equifax hack a couple of years ago and other hacks which have and have not been publicized.

We all worry about ID theft and inappropriate financial info ad asset theft. A friend of mine who has been paranoid about this for years and has done everything you can do to protect his assets had $25,000 extracted from his Chase savings account over a weekend a year ago. It took him quite a while to resolve this as you are guilty until you can prove yourself innocent these days.

Good luck going forward.

 

[ivinsfan]

Ugh... My bad. I never did a credit lock which apparently is a paid option at credit bureaus. I meant a freeze.

Best not to use caps in your answers then. You haven't actually said if the theft was a one off of your info or part of large break in theft. Most identity thieves tend to use the web, your email or phone. I don't think they break in places looking personal info.

 

[Safire]

You haven't actually said if the theft was a one off of your info or part of large break in theft.

How does this information help? What difference does it make?

Most identity thieves tend to use the web, your email or phone. I don't think they break in places looking personal info.

So just ignore the loss / disappearance of sensitive paperwork? Don't think that's a good idea.

 

[Safire]

It sounds like the only thing you can do right now is monitor your credit cards and try to get credit reports through mailing the form mentioned a while back.

Please remember that the vast majority of your personal information, both financial and otherwise, is already all over the web. This is the result of the Equifax hack a couple of years ago and other hacks which have and have not been publicized.

We all worry about ID theft and inappropriate financial info ad asset theft. A friend of mine who has been paranoid about this for years and has done everything you can do to protect his assets had $25,000 extracted from his Chase savings account over a weekend a year ago. It took him quite a while to resolve this as you are guilty until you can prove yourself innocent these days.

Good luck going forward.

Thank you. That's horrible about your friend. Was he able to recover the money in full? Yes, the issue here with identity theft is that you are considered guilty by default and the burden of proof that you are the victim is solely on you.

To be on the safe side, I just sent out written requests by postal mail to the credit bureaus about adding credit freezes to my account. It may stop my brain from heating up (at least temporarily) over this issue.

 

[ivinsfan]

How does this information help? What difference does it make?



So just ignore the loss / disappearance of sensitive paperwork? Don't think that's a good idea.

It helps because if it was part of a large group of papers including other people that means it wasn't targeted towards you, was anything valuable besides paperwork taken..

If the person holding your paperwork filed a theft report I don't see what else you can do.

 

[Safire]

It helps because if it was part of a large group of papers including other people that means it wasn't targeted towards you, was anything valuable besides paperwork taken..

Seriously, do you think it matters if the theft was "personal or not"? Ignoring the fact that sensitive information was lifted (because, oh, it wasn't personal) is not a good idea because who knows who the thief was and what s/he could do with this info on his/her hands? YMMV.

 

[ivinsfan]

Seriously, do you think it matters if the theft was "personal or not"? Ignoring the fact that sensitive information was lifted (because, oh, it wasn't personal) is not a good idea because who knows who the thief was and what s/he could do with this info on his/her hands? YMMV.

If you don't want to give more info don't. I'm following the lead of other posters and checking out ..

Your answers are non responsive bordering on aggressive .

 

[aja8888]

Thank you. That's horrible about your friend. Was he able to recover the money in full?

Yes, he got the bank to pay him back in full. But it took a while. Apparently, someone got his personal and bank login/password info and convinced a bank person to electronically transfer the $25 K to a bank in Iowa where a fake account was set up in my friend's name. The thief the accessed the funds and bought a ton of cash gift cards.

 

[Safire]

If you don't want to give more info don't. I'm following the lead of other posters and checking out ..

Your answers are non responsive bordering on aggressive .

Thank you! As for me being "aggressive", that's a joke given that you started harassing me on the thread first, including openly mocking me that my thread read like a spy novel like thriller! You don't need any more info... unless you're looking for my full legal name, DOB, SSN, current and past addresses etc.

Good bye.

 

[MichaelB]

Let’s remember we’re among friends here, so let’s keep it pleasant and respectful.

 

[RunningBum]

I think the point is, if your data was kept at someplace like a friend or relative's house, and they had other stuff taken like TVs, jewelry, etc, it was a run-of-the-mill thief who probably doesn't really even know what to do with your papers.

But if it was a service of some sort that stores papers for a lot of people, and it was all those records stolen, likely it was someone who was looking for this kind of information to steal identities.

Either way it's good to be careful, but it's the latter that I'd really be super concerned about, to the point where I'd already be looking at all the steps you need to take to recover your identify, and maybe starting to take action. If it's the former, I'd watch and see.

We have no idea which case yours is. That's your business if you don't want to say, but with less information comes less useful answers.

 

[RobbieB]

I think your paperwork has been tossed in the garbage soon after the thief found no stocks, bonds, currency or bullion.

Like a pickpocket tosses the wallet after removing the cash. Don't want to be caught with the evidence.