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Thread: Identity theft...urban myth??

  1. #1
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    Identity theft...urban myth??

    Just heard that you shouldn't post too much personal data about yourself on websites such as Facebook, ...and even Optiboard, because some criminally minded individuals have figured out how to use a computer to narrow down your social security number to within ten digits, using your DOB, town where you were born, etc...

    Anybody else know of this?

  2. #2
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter varmint's Avatar
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    No it's not true. I see you're from New York, when were you born?

  3. #3
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    Most of it is hype like most of our homeland security. Lots of stuff to be sold, appropriated for and people to be controled. However I have had a few patient's who were identity theft victums and they described it as a nightmare that took up to 18 months to rectify.

    Chip

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    Too much information..............

    ...is shared and collected, distributed and carelessly stored. The consequence is that, if so inclined, an individual's identity can be comprimised.

    To this end, I prefer to sign virtual signatures with "Barak Obama", never give out phone numbers to retail establishments....or if they insist, give them the number of the local Police Dept..

    I am tussling with our local association, which is trying to collect Social Insurance numbers for reregistration. This number was never meant to be shared with any entity, but the Federal Government, but.......

    All information given, even online, is going to end up on some idiot employee's laptop, stolen, and then bought and sold.

  5. #5
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter DragonLensmanWV's Avatar
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    Could you at least spell the President's name right?
    DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by DragonLensmanWV View Post
    Could you at least spell the President's name right?
    Reasons for spelling:
    1) Virtual signature.............
    2) Payback for misspelling our Prime Minister's name!
    3) Not my President
    4) Just stopped using George Busch!
    5) Correctness would just be......wrong.
    6) No spellcheck at most check-out retail counters.
    7) Left hand signature?
    8) My right hand refused to comply with brain order.
    9) Virtual pens....what can I say!
    And the top reason for misspelling your President's name......

    10) The cute check-out person always distracts me!!!!:bbg:

  7. #7
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter DragonLensmanWV's Avatar
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    Ooh! Look! Shiny!!
    DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
    "There is nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country."

  8. #8
    Compulsive Truthteller OptiBoard Gold Supporter Uncle Fester's Avatar
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    A couple of Governor's ago a reporter shocked him when he showed him his SSI number and one of his credit card numbers that was obtained for a couple of hundred dollars over the internet. The Legislature was working on a bill to prevent identity theft.

    This horse is long gone from the corral!

    This story is currently on Comcast.net
    Last edited by Uncle Fester; 01-10-2011 at 04:59 PM.

  9. #9
    ATO Member HarryChiling's Avatar
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    It can happen and it's not too difficult, although it's not necessarily easy to target someone. Identity theft is often more a buck shot approach compared to a rifle approach.
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  10. #10
    OptiBoard Professional brucekrymow's Avatar
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    Put your name in here & see the scary results for anyone online to see: www.spokeo.com.

    You can use the "Privacy" link at the bottom to remove links from their database, but only a few a day.


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  11. #11
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    Yup. Pretty scary.

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    I like that Spokeo goes off of old information from when I lived at home...several years ago. It also looks like they have me down making $138,000 a year..I'd like to find this person that says it's me because I'd LOVE to make that a year!! It also shows other incorrect information. I mean honestly, if someone really wants to know that much about me..their nuts! :hammer: Granted, if you're not on my Facebook friends list, you can't see C R A P because I have it blocked 100%.

  13. #13
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    So someone got hold or my credit card numbers recently... One card I use all the time. The other I never use, it sits home in a drawer. Both were "stolen" at the same time. False charges were made on both on the same day.

    Both credit card companies called my house the same day to tell me about suspicious charges and to determine if I made them. None of the charges were terribly outrageous...how did they know they were fraudulent?

  14. #14
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    I have had a few patients who appearentlly have had terrible problems (as bad as those described in the lifelock commercials) but I think it isn't as common as described.

    Chip

  15. #15
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    Not the first time this has happened to me. It's about the third time in ten years. The credit card companies are always on top of it and willing to help me out, and always reverse the charges.

  16. #16
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    either freeze or put a fraud alert(every 90 days) on your credit

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by fjpod View Post
    So someone got hold or my credit card numbers recently... One card I use all the time. The other I never use, it sits home in a drawer. Both were "stolen" at the same time. False charges were made on both on the same day.

    Both credit card companies called my house the same day to tell me about suspicious charges and to determine if I made them. None of the charges were terribly outrageous...how did they know they were fraudulent?
    I can tell you that this happened to me one week before my wedding back in April. They called me on a Saturday, said they were from a fradulent place on behalf of my bank. Someone in VIRGINIA (I live in Nebraska) got my card # but not my account #. They used my card # 4 times and on the 3rd time, the place called me and asked if I was in Virginia or authorizing charges from there. My dad asked, "Why didn't they call after the 1st one?" Well..they don't know if you're really there or not. The thing was, I used my card in town 12 hours before all these charges from Virginia came about so they pretty much knew it wasn't right.

    Long story short, that's what happened, my account was frozen, moved all my money into savings, they got me a new card, new account and I'm good to go.

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