Beware the ID thieves!
Like other crimes, ID thefts are one of those things that you always hear about on the news that happen to other people. I just got my second reality check this weekend when my Wells Fargo checking account had unauthorized purchases.Thank goodness i check my bank account every day!
I am usually very good about protecting passwords and my wallet is ALWAYS with me so this is all very discomforting to me.
The first incident occurred about 2 months ago when someone wired money through the United States Postal Service. I called Wells Fargo to dispute the charge and everything was resolved in a matter of three days.
After this Second incident I have taken further measures to ensure that I am not at risk. The bank had pretty much confirmed that this was a security breach. I also contacted Hewlett Packard because apparently someone used my card to buy a PC from them. (and a crappy one too!) Hewlett Packard also was able to confirm that I was a victim of ID theft.
I pretty much concluded that I probably became a victim at a local ATM machine. It’s funny about a year and a half ago I remember a story about how my neighborhood ATM’s were rigged to steal information by criminals.
I have replaced my Debit Card and placed a Alert with the major credit agencies such as Equifax. I have also notified the local police agency.
This is what I have taken from this experience
- Always cover your password when using ATMs. Identity Thieves place cameras in hidden areas to steal you PIN
- NEVER use auto-fill passwords for emails/online accounts. Besides typing in passwords is good practice anyway.
- Contact your banks to file disputes, I am happy to report that the customer service at Wells Fargo was very understanding.
- Place an Alert with Credit agencies after you become a victim. This places greater scrutiny on yourself for a time, making banks and financial institutions look closer into your name on the chance that someone uses your information to open an account. I recommend Equifax as they will also alert the other major credit agencies.
- Let your local police know about it. Even though the cops wont do anything, it is still important to file a report so they have a profile and can begin building a case. If there are enough victims they WILL look into it.
- Identity theft is a relatively new but fastest growing crime in the world.
Chris-Hooley.com has a great story on ID thieves for those who want to learn more.