What to do if you find accounts in your name you didn't authorize

Ma Barker

@mikk1 suggested this thread so we can all share our experiences/plans in case our SSN gets compromised. here’s c&p of my post what I plan to do.

Here’s some notes to myself I’ve written just in case I find a new account opened in my/DH’s name that we did not authorize.

I will NOT call the bank/FI involved. IF I discover this, I will file a police report immediately and ask for a receipt. I leave it up to the police to investigate but a report is necessary to state my claim;
I will look for the postal address (not email) of the legal department of bank/FI and send them via snail mail a letter with the following content:
a. name/dob/current home address;
b. tell them that I did NOT open a new account I discovered on X date;
c. I would like necessary corrections be made ASAP;
d. I do not expect any collections activity report to any of the 3 CRAs that’s why I’m being pro active;
*I will attach the receipt of police report I filed as proof that my SSN has been compromised.
*I will NOT put my SSN in my first letter so they will reply to me in writing requesting for it for further action.

Hopefully, I do not have to write this kind of letter but in case I have to, I know exactly what to do.

I will keep a separate file of all these communications in case I need them in the future.

Ma Barker

Mods, this didn’t turn out right, can you please format it correctly? TIA

mikk1

@ma-barker said in Free Equifax Credit Freeze Through 11-21-2017:

Here’s some notes to myself I’ve written just in case I find a new account opened in my/DH’s name that we did not authorize.

I will NOT call the bank/FI involved. IF I discover this, I will file a police report immediately and ask for a receipt. I leave it up to the police to investigate but a report is necessary to state my claim;

I will look for the postal address (not email) of the legal department of bank/FI and send them via snail mail a letter with the following content:
a. name/dob/current home address;
b. tell them that I did NOT open a new account I discovered on X date;
c. I would like necessary corrections be made ASAP;
d. I do not expect any collections activity report to any of the 3 CRAs that’s why I’m being pro active;
*I will attach the receipt of police report I filed as proof that my SSN has been compromised.
*I will NOT put my SSN in my first letter so they will reply to me in writing requesting for it for further action.

Hopefully, I do not have to write this kind of letter but in case I have to, I know exactly what to do.

I will keep a separate file of all these communications in case I need them in the future.

Ma Barker

TY @mikk1! I hope we can encourage input to benefit us all.

mikk1

Thanks for inspiring the idea! I finally figured out how to clean up your OP above.

Ma Barker

Here’s another thing I’ve been doing even before this breach came about. I put a verbal PW that is separate from my written PW on each of our accounts. I thought of this years ago so that if anyone called to ask information about my account(s), a prompt on the rep’s screen will come up asking for a PW before they proceed to give information. It’s easy to do this, pick up the phone right now if you have not set a verbal PW on all your accounts; the inconvinience of the rep asking you for it prior to giving info is very minimal, but benefits are priceless. Do it now!

*make sure your PW is a word that’s not commonly used, you can tell it to your SO/spouse/person you trust and NO one else.

fivetalents

@mikk1 said in Free Equifax Credit Freeze Through 11-21-2017:

If there’s anyone here who has gone through the pain of having fraudulent accounts opened in your name, it would help all of us if you could share your experience… we could… put together a “here’s what you should be doing and thinking about” checklist for everyone’s benefit

fivetalents

@ma-barker said in Free Equifax Credit Freeze Through 11-21-2017:

it’s best for us to be pro-active now before there are issues. knowing what to do next lessens the anxieties. I have been reading a lot of suggestions online and decided to put them together as note to self.

fivetalents

@ma-barker said in Free Equifax Credit Freeze Through 11-21-2017:

I am a CC and bank sign-up bonus churner so I’m not inclined to freeze n thaw all the time, I am losing a lot of opportunities by doing so. I feel violated by this recent massive breach but remind myself that anger will get me nowhere. I must stay compose all the time so I can think clearly while keeping in mind to make all my communications with companies short, firm and straight to the point. This frame of mind has worked for me a lot of times without having to burn bridges and losing opportunities.

mikk1

Just received these tips in an email from AT&T:

If you believe you were the victim of identity theft, here are some steps you can consider for additional protection:

Close the accounts that you believe may have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the Identity Theft Report, which can be found at www.identitytheft.gov
File a police report and get a copy to submit to your creditors and others who may require proof of the crime.
File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains an identity theft database that law enforcement agencies use for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps the FTC better assist you, as the commission learns more about identity theft and the problems it creates.