I didn't realize so many people wanted to be me.
Let me take you back a little bit.
One time in 2004, through Ebay, someone stole my identity to the tune of $600. That is $600 I will never get back because it was out of my checking account, and Olin Community Credit Union stated that I "authorized" someone in Romania to use my checking account, therefore I do not get the money back. Luckily the credit union had enough sense to realize that I was not in Romania (a total fluke due to the lady who works there knows my mother personally). Yet, they didn't have the common sense to realize that I would not authorize Romanians $600 of my money. Guess who lost a customer.
That was my first taste of having my identity stolen. Oh, and if you are wondering what the Romanians were trying to buy - I'll tell you. A boat. A boat and an RV. I know, pretty ironic.
Move forward to 2007. I am working and at the end of my shift my wallet goes missing from the break room. My life that was in my wallet is gone. I flip out, of course, and then realize, 'oh no' my social security card is in my wallet. (I know you are not supposed to have it in there but I had paperwork to fill out requiring my social security card). This forces me to buy protection from Lifelock, an identity theft insurance company. I thought that I was pretty safe after that. They send you your credit reports monthly so that you can make sure no one is opening things under your identity.
Well.... here it is, 2009. After all my resolutions and good thoughts going into this year I get this phone call from Chase Card Services. "We have a fraud alert on your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa, please call us back at your earliest convenience". Ugh. I thought this has got to be a joke, I have only used this card online at Crate and Barrel, Fabric.com, Delias.com, and only lost the card under my old credit card number when my wallet got stolen. So I call the number on the back of my card just in case it was a scam. Nope, it wasn't. Someone in Long Beach California thought it would be ok to use my Chase Visa Card to buy $15 worth (in two transactions) of stuff at a service station. This is when I realized that I will forever be plagued with people wanting to use my credit to finance their affairs.
My experience with identity theft has taught me a few things...
1. Usually people who steal your credit card/checking account numbers have this pattern. They charge something small, they charge something else small, and then they charge something really big. Luckily for me, I keep all my credit cards maxed out so the joke is on them :). But if you see something small on your account that you are questioning please look more into it. The Romanians charged $5 to my account, then $100, then they went for the big one - I hope you jerks are enjoying your boat and RV.
2. Always check your statements. I got into the attitude that since I wasn't charging anything on my credit cards that nothing would show up in charges so I would just make the payment and be done with it for a month. After going through my statements I found other charges that I am going to have to dispute. Fun.
3. No matter how safe you are with your information on the internet someone is going to find it, use it, and it is going to be upsetting, scary, and extremely frustrating for you every time it happens. I was a little upset, not so much that I got something stolen from me but the fact that I knew the headache that would go along with it because you have to fill out an affidavit, fill out a police report, and then if anything ever comes to fruition, press charges. Pain in the rear. I believe that Identity theft is like the common cold. No matter the great lengths you go to prevent it (lysol-ing everything, washing your hands like crazy, staying away from sick people), it is just going to lie dormant for a while and then BOOM, you're sick.
So. That is life right now. Identity theft.
Love
-L
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