Need Advise Help. My Identity has been compromised. What should I do?

[Rockrivr1]

Ok, here's the jist of things. I paid for a S&W 642 and accessories through Paypal. Yes, I know they frown on that type of purchase, but it was just easier at the time.

This morning I get an email supposedly from Paypal indicating that there are security concerns on the use of my account. I'm thinking oh boy, they are going to scold me for using thier service for buying a handgun. Like an idiot I click the link on the email and it brings me to the Paypal login. I log in like I normally do. The page is exactly the same as Paypals. It then asks me to confirm my information. They have most of it already, including my social security number. I hit submit confirming my information and it brings me to a screen indicating to confirm my mothers maiden name. Again, like an idiot I put the information in and it then brings me to a screen to confirm my credit cards This section is blank. As I start to enter this information I glance at the web address. I notice that it does say paypal in it, but there is a new piece at the end called Mattscollections. I delete the credit card information because alarm bells are only now beginning to ring and I call Paypal. They inform me that it's a new fraud email going around.

Great, now I have to go into the account and change my password and security question. I also call my bank and credit card company that was listed on Paypal and put a stop payment on them.

So now I'm sitting hear mentally beating myself up and thinking what the heck do I do now? They have my SS#, mothers maiden name and my correct address. So I'm asking all of you. What do I do now? Is there something else I should be doing to protect myself. I'm figuring it's just a matter of time now before wierd new credit card charges start showing up on my credit report. I'm not sure if I should be contacting my other credit card companies that were not on the Paypal account.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm at a loss as to my next steps. What do you guys suggest? STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!!!!

 

[CentralTexas]

Try this to start

http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

 

[boofus]

You got phished. I get about 10 of those stupid emails a day normally they have some kind of title like:

Your account has been updated.
Please verify your account info.
Your account may be suspended.
Yaddayadda, some excuse for you to input your credentials.

I'm the system administrator for the computers at work, so when I get those phishing emails claiming to be from myself I know they are frauds.

 

[hso]

Call all your credit card companies and tell them, call your bank, redo everything and let the credit bureaus know. Hopefully the credit card company will contatct the credit bureaus as soon as you let them know so that you have that in place while you close all your financials out and change it over. Regardless, you will be in the positon of having these folks opening bank accounts and getting loans in your name that will hound you for years.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

I NEVER click on those links in the emails. I get them all the time, and if they look to be legit, I close the email and type in the address to the website. So, if I have a question or concern about my PayPal account, I go directly to PayPal. If I still have problems, such as a pop-up I kept getting with my ISP for billing info, I refuse to plug that data into the pop-up and will actually give my ISP a phone call......It's better top be safe than sorry.

 

[ruger270man]

oh man, I'm sorry, but I can't believe you fell for that.

Keep an eye on your credit cards, and check your credit report for any accounts that you're not supposed to have.

 

[R.H. Lee]

I get those all the time, and I've never even used paypal. Mozilla Thunderbird identifies them as junk and tosses 'em.

 

[Byron Quick]

Contact the credit bureaus. Place stops on new accounts.

All the places that use your mother's maiden name...change it to something else...

Report the URL to your state's attorney general. Send them a copy of the email.

 

[BryanP]

Contact the Big 3 credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Trans Union and Experion if memory serves). Put a fraud alert on your name. This will help.

In addition, you can order one free credit report from each agency once per year. Do one every four months rotating through the three agencies. Read them carefully to look for fraudulent activity.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Thanks for the advise everyone. Yep, stupid I know it. I guess the timing for the email was just right. I just sent the funds less then two days ago so I was almost convinced it was them commenting on that. I let my guard down and screwed myself. Not much else I can do now but wait and watch. Damn!

 

[Firethorn]

Sorry Rock, but the advice mentioned is true

I echo the suggestion that you contact the credit bureus and have a 'fraud alert' placed on them. It ups the requirements for anybody wanting to offer you credit.

I did so after the medical company managed to let somebody steal all the information.

I work in IT, and have tried to inform my family about this.

Don't EVER reconfirm your information or such, unless you typed in the website address, or placed the call yourself.

 

[Flyboy]

The fact that the page already had your SSAN (ever noticed that nobody calls it your "social security account number" anymore?) is highly disturbing, and should be reported to the police and/or FBI as part of your initial report (or the followup, since you've already reported it, right?). That's seriously Bad Juju, and indicates that either you let it slip somewhere else, or somebody had a breach of security. Either way, if they had the number to present to you, it's a serious problem.

Hrm, I wonder whatever happened with all of those records the various banks and credit card companies lost. And I wonder if we'd have ever heard about it, were it not for California's mandatory disclosure law....

 

[Rebar]

Sorry, but it was too much a coincidence:

Today's Dilbert.

 

[chris in va]

I've had several of those myself. Paypal sent me a couple emails pointing out if my name isn't in the greeting it is fake.

For example..."Dear Chris,"

The fake ones usually read "Dear PayPal customer", etc.

 

[txgho1911]

I've beer here to often

With a call to each reporting agency apply a fraud allert. Pull a credit report now because of the fraud alert. Pull a new report in a few weeks to look for changes.This way you can put off the fees you will be charged for the reports if you pull more than one in a year. Some of the people you do buissines with may allready have access to some special search ingines and data mining activities comercialy available. Lexis-Nexis is one. You might put in there for a full background and activity report from them on yourself. It may cost 200-400 dallars but if you are activly defrauded on identity this may be quicker faster way of determining the extent of the damage.
Also you might replace every operational account you own. Or that owns you.
I recieved a confirmation letter informing me of my new mailing address in Main. I had to disagree with these relocation plans so I replaced that account and nixed the address change. Nothing else ever happened after that. May have been a typo for some poor sap.
Years before that I lost a whole lot of mail that included check books. I ended up replacing every account I had in my name. Every account except the utilities. Big mistake. Phone company turned me over to collections for 20+ lines, service with loads of long distance attached.
I know this may mean more than a few hours lost. More likely it will cost you several days time over the next few weeks or months. They have your social and mothers Maiden name!

Oh boy Sunny this ones done cmone stick a fork in it!

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Everyone already mentioned who to contact so I won't repeat it.


If you get those emails and you're questioning it's authenticity, go straight to the service's website and look for the information on an update page or similar (ie if you get a suspicious Paypal email, go to Paypal.com)

Good luck with everything. Hopefully your name is way down on the bottom of their list so you'll have sufficient time to halt/change/do everything needed to protect yourself. Best wishes.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

CORRECTION

To place a fraud alert, it is only necessary to contact ONE credit bureau. The information gets distributed immediately to the other two.

The fraud alert allows you to require new creditors to call you (at a phone number you specify when placing the alert) before extending credit to "you."

Contacting you before extending credit OUGHT to be the default for creditors in this age of rampant identity theft. But since it isn't...

I recommend that everyone call in a fraud alert, whether you've experienced a suspected identity theft or not. It's fast, free and simple, and you're better safe than sorry.

Here are the numbers, from http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/fraud_numbers.html

Fraud Contact Information

Use the numbers on this page to contact the different private and public agencies about fraud. Especially important are the credit bureaus. Asking them to put a "fraud alert" on your credit file should slow down anyone trying to open more credit in your name.

Credit Bureau Fraud Departments

TransUnion
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
Phone: 800-680-7289
Fax: 714-447-6034

P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634-6790


Equifax
Consumer Fraud Division
Phone: 800-525-6285 or: 404-885-8000
Fax: 770-375-2821

P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241


Experian
Experian's National Consumer Assistance
Phone: 888-397-3742

P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013

 

[Standing Wolf]

Too bad the B.A.T.F.E. is so busy persecuting America's firearms owners. We could put those federal trough feeders to work chasing down identity thieves.

 

[71Commander]

When you entered all the secure info, did you hit a continue button....... or a submit button? If it was just a continue button, you should be safe. I would change my P/W and ID just as a mtter of habbit. If it was the submit button, you're dead in the water.

 

[Elkslayer]

Get out there, NOW! and buy all of the guns, scopes, and ammo your vehicle can haul.

When the statement comes from the CC company you tell them your identity had been stolen, "see I notified everyone when it happened", and tell them it wasn't you!

That way you have a whole new arsnel of goodies,,,free!


Seriously, there is a great deal of accurate info posted already. Hope things go OK.

 

[Rexrider]

Sorry to hear this happened to you. Everyone has given you very good advise.

Don't beat yourself up for "falling" for the scam. It is a scam designed to make you fall for it. Hopefully this will be a cheap lession on the dark side of the internet.

The only way you can ever be sure of not getting caught up in this kind of fraud is to follow one very simple rule...always.

Never provide information to anyone (or entity) who contacted you first, be it email, US mail, or telephone.

Stay on top of situation, you will get throught it. Follow-up with everyone.

Good luck

 

[beltslide]

Sorry to hear about you getting phished. I hope you are able to sort things out without too many repercusions on yourself.

You made a mistake - the scammers caught you at the right time when your guard was down. We all make mistakes, so don't be too hard on yourself.

Thank you for passing this on to us, this will be a timely warning for us all.

Good luck in getting it sorted!

 

[308win]

Call one of the credit bureaus and put a lock on your account; all three major CBs are supposed to apply a lock if one is asked to. This will prevent new credit in your name as well as changes of address; the bad news is that you will not be able to get instant credit, etc. The credit bureau is supposed to call you when any credit related activity is initiated on your record. If you have actually been victimized by fradulent credit activity you can place a fraud alert on your account as well.

I learned these things the hard way about 15 years ago. The SOBs got about $15K on one of my credit cards as well as some minor stuff (utility deposits, etc.) I called the Secret Service and couldn't even get a call back and the Brooklyn, NY police who told me yes they knew about this ring and please don't call back.

Good luck.

 

[Crosshair]

Everything you need has already been said, so all I'm going to do is beat you with a stick for falling for this scam.
Crosshair Rockrivr1

/Hope you don't loose any money over this and let this be a good warning to all of us.

 

[PX15]

Compromised Identity?

Don't give it a second thought.

Just wait until the next offer of "sharing" 15 zillion dollars from some "poor, deceased foreigner's inactive account" someplace in Africa hits your inbox. If you want quick money, there ya go!

I get about 4 of these "offers" a week, and if you think you made a mistake falling for the "PayPal line", how would you feel if you fell for one of those scams?

Hope you get everything taken care of and don't get hosed...

Best Wishes,

JP.