Comments on: Identity Theft and Family http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/ Financial talk for the rest of us Sat, 16 Feb 2013 01:14:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Michael Jurado http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-364394 Michael Jurado Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:08:51 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-364394 All of these comments are correct except those that involve lifelock. Your friend is not worried about junk mail. You want to stop that go to http://www.optoutprescreen.com/ and to stop the stupid calls at home go to http://www.donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222. What your friend needs to do is have communication with an attorney. I understand that we are not opposed to using an attorney, but we are opposed to the costs. Have your friend email me at michaeljurado@htpu.org and re-mention the problem along with a contact number that I can reach her at. I will call her and giver her advice as to an option that she may want to take advantage of.

]]> By: Personal Finance Review - All the Top Money Articles » Money Smart Life http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206831 Personal Finance Review - All the Top Money Articles » Money Smart Life Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:15:30 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206831 [...] Identity Theft and Family [...]

]]> By: reulte http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206761 reulte Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:51:57 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206761 This is from the Q&A section at SSA.gov.

“What if an identity thief is creating credit problems for you?
If someone has misused your Social Security number or other personal information to create credit or other problems for you, Social Security cannot resolve these problems. You should contact the Federal Trade Commission for help.

You can contact the Federal Trade Commission by:

Internet— http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft
Telephone— 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)
TTY— 1-866-653-4261
You also should monitor your credit report periodically. Free credit reports are available online at http://www.annualcreditreport.com.

]]> By: chhris http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206510 chhris Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:38:18 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206510 I’m confused. How could someone under 18 get a lot of credit anyway? Don’t you need some verifiable income or something? Sure, college kids can get a line of about $500, but not alot more… I remember my son (at the age of ~12) filling out an AMEX credit card request and honestly listing his income as $52/year (I gave him a dollar a week in allowance). He did not get a card.

]]> By: Madge http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206308 Madge Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:21:41 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206308 Tell your friend not to start paying on any of the debts, even if she gets harrassing phone calls from creditors. Credit agencies and bill collectors can get really nasty, but don’t give in. After a certain period of time a debt is ‘no longer active’ and is close to disappearing from your credit report, but if you make a payment on it that reactivates the whole thing. Also, by making a payment, the agencies can argue that your friend owes the money since she is paying on it.

My recommendation is to talk to a non-profit credit counseling service first (find one that is actually a non-profit and has a good listing with the BBB, don’t fall for the ones that advertise on TV) and then follow their instructions before doing anything else.

]]> By: Reannon http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206250 Reannon Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:04:23 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206250 Thanks for your response, Trent, and to everyone for their comments! It’s great to hear from people who’ve gone through similar things and worked it out. I’m sure this will be helpful to my friend. Thanks again!

]]> By: Gwen http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206207 Gwen Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:25:04 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206207 Aren’t there laws about how old one has to be to open a credit account? If she can prove she was a minor at the time with a birth certificate, it might help her cause with the creditors. Other than that, I agree that she needs to see if a lawyer would be able to help her with this, preferably pro bono.

]]> By: Elena http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206082 Elena Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:42:52 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206082 My husband had a situation when he was young and kust starting his credit history that his uncle that he was named after (so they had the same first and last name) was very insolvent financially, actually also homeless at times due to alcoholism. My husband kept getting turned down for things and finally figured out why. He ended up legally changing his middle name, he took his father’s name as his middle name rather than the one that was like his uncle’s and basically created a new untarnished name for his credit record.

]]> By: Christine http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206058 Christine Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:04:45 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-206058 She may want to consider applying for a credit card, which she will inevitably get denied for, it’ll then include a way for her to request a copy of her credit report for free without having to deal with the online (and somewhat difficult) questionnaire. On the bonus side, if she does get approved she can use that card to help her credit.

]]> By: Lenore http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205991 Lenore Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:45:59 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205991 This certainly underscores how pointless it is for lenders to ask the maiden name of an applicant’s mother. Any fact that ANYONE else knows about you is useless when it comes to securing resources. Most of us think we can trust relatives or close friends not to rip us off, but the data says otherwise. All financial transactions ought to be sealed with a password the applicant creates. It pays to be vigilant and clever when it comes to devising passwords or answers to online security questions. I have a few passwords I use for just about everything, and none are based on known or researchable facts about me. I share them with NO ONE, just as I don’t tell even my parents or spouse my ATM PIN number, and I switch them occasionally.

]]> By: Know The Ledge http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205961 Know The Ledge Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:53:57 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205961 This is just a disappointing situation, and unfortunately it happens more often that it should. I too was blessed with 2 great parents that tried their best to teach me sound financial practices and make sure that my credit was being built at a young age without any issues.

I agree that it’s going to be a long process and that she may want to look into a credit monitoring solution. For about $15 a month they can get access to all three of their credit reports including email alerts and all that. Assuming that they’ll be able to get passed the personal questions, it would be a positive addition to ensure no more damage happens to their credit.

]]> By: Meri http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205930 Meri Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:11:33 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205930 I’m a little confused. Doesn’t the letter say the woman in question cannot access her credit report because she can’t get through the security questions it asks in order to view the report? It’s all information her mother submitted that the mother hasn’t told the daughter of? How is this person supposed to know who all the creditors are if she can’t access the report to see who all she needs to contact?

]]> By: Just Simple http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205926 Just Simple Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:59:01 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205926 If i am her, i’ll hire an attorney and sue my own mother. What important for the moment would be, to prove that my identity had been stolen, and to keep her in jail so there won’t be any trouble for some time.

]]> By: LC http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205791 LC Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:23:17 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205791 I read in the newspaper pulic announcements all of the time where people deny the debts of another. I am sure this is a case that requires legal advice. Also, three years may be beyond the statute of limitations. On the other hand, this person is better off with disabled credit.

]]> By: Jessica http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205747 Jessica Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:21:43 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205747 My understanding is that you must be willing to file charges against the parent who did this, which most people aren’t because they don’t want to see their parents go to jail.

Some people have had their parents using their SSN and securing (and abusing) lines of credit in their names for 18 years…what a sad, sad mess. Some parents have good intentions too (using the credit to make life “better” for the family) which makes it even harder for a child to want to file charges against their parent.

]]> By: Elizabeth http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205725 Elizabeth Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:31:59 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205725 There are lawyers who would take her case pro bono. Check with the state bar association for help. This is really sad. A police report and freezing credit lines is a good start to work with the credit agencies.

]]> By: A.M.B,A. http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205721 A.M.B,A. Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:27:22 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205721 If affording a lawyer is a problem, she should contact her nearest or largest Law School’s Legal Clinic for advice. A tragic situation. I wish the best for her.

A.M.B.A.

]]> By: Credit http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205669 Credit Sat, 15 Mar 2008 21:23:12 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205669 There is some misinformation in earlier posts. LifeLock is a ripoff. They do things like opting out and putting a freeze on your file that you can and should do yourself for free.

1. Opt Out
https://www.optoutprescreen.com/

2. Freeze Credit Report
http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/learn_more/003484indiv.html

The credit reporting agency will provide you with a form to fax or mail to verify your identity if you don’t answer the security questions correctly.

Changing your social security number is not easy, even with identity theft.

]]> By: No Debt Plan http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205666 No Debt Plan Sat, 15 Mar 2008 21:15:52 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205666 I’ve listened to Dave Ramsey tackle this problem on his radio program several times.

Mary (comment #5) is correct — she needs to file a police report for identify theft. It is a crime. The credit bureaus and all the companies won’t care until you have proof that a crime has occurred. The police report will help provide that.

I would actually be careful with changing the SSN. It might look like you are trying to hide from the debt. Not saying not to do it, just do it carefully.

]]> By: Sabrina http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205657 Sabrina Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:46:08 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/03/15/identity-theft-and-family/#comment-205657 Additionally, she may need to communicate with the credit bureaus at a top level in order to place a lock on her credit to ensure her identity can be verified.

When a lock is placed on your credit, a pin is established to further secure your information, so once she is able to do that, her information will be what’s there and she’ll have control once again and know which addresses to use, etc.

Once she gets the ball rolling and finds a capable person in each bureau to speak with, she’ll be able to make this dwindle and go away.

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