General Credit Topics

[quirkypixie]

My neighbor just attempted to open a saving account for her son. The bank informed her there was already an account under his name and SSN. Well, her wallet was stolen several months ago.......evidently the perp has opened an account in her sons name. What can she do? She called TU and they informed her she could put a freeze on his CR but is that really going to help?

[TheNewWorldMan]

She should file a police report...most police and sheriff's departments have an identity theft department.

[quirkypixie]

Can she still file a police report after several months have passed? She just assumed canceling her CC's and everything else would solve the problem.

[TheNewWorldMan]

Many cases of identity theft go for months without being discovered by the victim. The lag in reporting shouldn't pose a problem.

[Cleanmachine]

quirkypixie

I can relate to the problem with your neighbor having her son’s identity stolen.

I would highly recommend that she visit this site:

  http://myfico.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/myfico.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=227

Send letters as soon as possible about the identity theft to ALL the Credit Bureaus.

I have been trying since December 2007 to clear up the identity theft of my 13 year old daughter.

The Credit Card Issuer refuses to provide any information by phone and has failed to answer any written correspondence. In addition, we have been receiving calls from a Collection Agency who have been informed as to the identity theft and they continue to call demanding payments. On numerous occasions they refuse to provide any information as to the callers Company Name, Address and Phone numbers. They just hang up the phone.

We have disputed the debt and requested verification to no avail.

To be fair, one of the Credit Bureau’s did respond in writing stating that based on the information that I have provided they have determined the my 13 year old daughter is a minor.

Please advise your neighbor that trying to correct her son’s stolen identity will be a long drawn out processed.

By all means, contact the local Police Department and file a complaint. Remember some jurisdictions are not equipped to handle such cases as Identity Theft. I would also recommend that she file a complaint with the State Attorney General’s Office.

The sad part of all of this is that the minor child will have hard time when they turn 18 years of age trying to establish credit on their own. Please keep copies of all letters that are sent and received, the child will need them someday.

I truly wish your neighbor the best of luck.

Message Edited by Cleanmachine on 06-18-2008 06:24 PM

[Wonderin]

Please, please, please forgive me for asking ... but how in the world does one open credit in the name of a 13 year old??? Doesn't some credit card company see SOMEWHERE that the person in question's DOB indicates that they're too young (legally) to enter into a contract like credit????

Or am I just THAT out of touch???

DD & DS's SS cards are kept in a lock box and never come out to play except when school registration comes around. Even at tax time, the data's just kept at TurboTax and the cards stay snug in their lock box!!!

[Cleanmachine]

Wonderin

In the credit card industries many accounts have been opened on children as young as a day or two old. There have been cases when accounts were also opened in the name of pets.

This problem is not with just the credit card industries, it is also with government agencies.

Unfortunately in today’s electronic age a lot of damage or theft has already occurred before it is caught. Many are not caught until a person is either contacted by the credit issuer or government agent.

Identity Theft is a major problem in society today. Far too many people are more concerned about their three digit number credit score than they are in exactly what is in the credit report.

As you are aware, the credit score numbers can change every time they are pulled. Your credit report stays the same for many years. That is why the consumer should pull their credit report from all three agencies at least once a year, especially since the government mandated the agencies to provide these reports free of charge.

I applaud your sense of security on important documents such as social security numbers and birth certificates.

Remember, if someone wants that information bad enough, there are many ways to obtain the information.

To answer you question as to how this occurs it all boils down to security and verification.  The shear volumes of applications and the lack of qualified personal to process, will eventually lead to disaster for both you and the industry.

Message Edited by Cleanmachine on 06-19-2008 07:36 AM