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Identity theft

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Smallpotatoes, Jul 28, 2018.

  1. typefitter

    typefitter Well-Known Member

    I don't know, but I'm going to try to find out. This just came up on Friday. We're pretty obviously different people—different middle names, different DOBs, different address histories. But like @John B. Foster, I have had same-name nightmares for years. I'm on every possible no-fly list. I travel a ton and for years couldn't check in online for flights. A few years back, I got strip searched four consecutive times at the US border when a felon with my name and the same birthday (different year) escaped from a Texas prison.

    I've said for a long time: Name your kid Huffledinkus Xavirianitisim and then just call him "Dave" or whatever you want to call him.
     
  2. John B. Foster

    John B. Foster Well-Known Member

    Sorry to hear that. I’m thankful I’ve never had any issues with my passport, however, I got pulled over about four times because of it. Now the police have a little note in their system when they look up my license plate. I actually asked the cops what I can do about it - and, this is an honest story, they told me to officially change my name. I’m not fucking changing my name. I’m not afraid to admit this, I’ve been in tears a few times dealing with this. It’s a massive nightmare.
     
  3. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Same first and last name, not birthdate, as someone who was bouncing checks all over town. So one day I write a check at one of the same places. Clerk looks at it a while, scrunches up her face, goes to see her manager. He comes storming toward me, telling me he's called the cops and my days as a thief are over. They go get the bounced checks, see the middle initial and address (and SSN) don't match. Manager starts apologizing profusely, tells me to take my check back and gives me my dry cleaning.

    Another guy with my name got busted in a big jewel thief and I got a number of calls asking when I went off the straight path. Even though it was obvious from the picture in the paper it wasn't me (this guy had HAIR).

    Had a credit card stolen once. Guy used it to buy a tank of gas, some Doritos and a drink at a place close to my house. With the camera right on him.

    Never had one of my brothers steal my identity. Going to assume it is him and you need to keep in mind while you're being nice that, like others have said, he didn't seem to give a shit what happened to you. What he did was wrong and he should not get off the hook.
     
    John B. Foster likes this.
  4. BurnsWhenIPee

    BurnsWhenIPee Well-Known Member

    Back in the high demand days of Jordan's Bulls, I got through Ticketmaster on the day tix went on sale one season and bought for 3 decent games, got the confirmation number and all was good.

    A week or so later, got a call from the CC company, asking if I was in downtown Chicago, buying $2,000 worth of baby clothes and furniture. They said there was a young lady trying do to that right now with my CC.

    I said no and the police arrested her. Had a feeling and called Ticketmaster. The confirmation number for the Bulls tix was a phony. Apparently the operator faked the order and confirmation, wrote down the CC info and tried to go shopping.

    I grabbed the Bulls media guide at work and sent a letter detailing what went on to the Bulls liason with Ticketmaster. He called me and replaced all the tickets we thought we ordered with comparable seats the team holds back in reserve.

    Very cool ending.
     
  5. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    Democrat, Republican, Socialist, Communist ... I would wholeheartedly support a political candidate who proposes making identity theft a death penalty offense. The pain, frustration and misery it inflicts on its victims, and the utter lack of remorse most of its perpetrators have, is sickening and an affront to all that's still good and decent in the world.
     
    cjericho likes this.
  6. Donny in his element

    Donny in his element Well-Known Member

    This is why I named my kids creatively to spare them the trouble common names could cause. Actually used the first items I saw in the recovery room post-delivery as inspiration: Lemonjello and Orangejello.
     
  7. Smallpotatoes

    Smallpotatoes Well-Known Member

    I guess what I'm going to do is just let the bank and FTC investigations run their course and go wherever they take them. If the banks or anyone else want to press charges, so be it.

    I feel bad, but I have to protect myself. It wasn't too long ago that my credit was really bad. I've worked hard to get it to a good level. I've avoided using credit cards unless absolutely necessary and paid them off as quickly as possible. I've been obsessive about paying everything on time.

    They say that 1/3 of all identity theft is committed by a relative.
     
  8. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    You should at least let him know that you know:
    'I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart.'

    Probably stop short of having him killed while he's fishing and praying, though.
     
  9. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    Reminds me of the old joke that I'm sure will get me branded as a horrible racist in 2018, but fuck it:
    How do Chinese families name their kids?
    They throw a box of silverware down the stairs and spell out the sounds.
     
  10. qtlaw

    qtlaw Well-Known Member

    I got ripped off by a family member a while back as well; even put my law license in jeopardy momentarily. Sucks, never told the authorities but confronted the perp and told him in no uncertain terms he was dead to me for doing so. Never let him even get a sniff of any information ever again.

    Protect yourself. Glad you caught it too.
     
  11. spadjo martin

    spadjo martin Member

    Several years ago somebody file a phony income tax return with my information, and when we submitted ours, it got flagged. Took nearly five months to get my return, partly because it was the year they were furloughing government employees. Now, each year the IRS sends me a PIN.
    Went to Chicago a few years back. Only used my credit card twice - to pay my hotel bill and one meal. A month later was headed out on vacation and tried to use it for gas and it was denied. Called the credit card company and they had flagged it because somebody had tried to use it in chicago. They overnighted me a new one. Neither of those experiences were any fun at all.
     
  12. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Yeah I appreciate their concern for card security but it works in weird ways sometimes.

    Late in my married life, we were in New York. She'd come into some bonus money and it was sitting in a savings account. We decided to get the kids an iPad and get one for us. So I put the $2,500 on my debit card and we'd move the money back when we got home. Got approved no issue.

    That night at dinner, it gets declined. I called and they explained a large purchase was made outside a 250-mile radius from our normal spending area so they locked it. That's great, I said, but why not deny the big purchase? Fortunately we had cash to cover dinner and it got unlocked pretty quickly. But still. You explain at the restaurant, ah, there must be some issue, there's plenty of money and they give you that yeah right look.

    One of my cards sends me a text for any purchase over $500, which isn't very many. I need to reply 1 for yes and 2 for no. That seems like a reasonable protective measure.
     
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