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Identity Theft, credit freeze

tahoebum

tahoebum

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After having our 3rd letter in 15 months yesterday from a company saying that our personal information was compromised by hackers my wife and I put a security freeze on our names with all 3 credit bureaus. The companies involved were Target, Home Depot, and Anthem/Blue Shield. The most recent attack hacked my entire families names, dates of birth, email addresses, social security numbers, health care ID's, employment history, and possibly income data. The letter we received from Anthem recommended we consider a credit freeze so that is what we've done. It's done online and only takes about 15 minutes. It's $10 one time fee for each credit bureau but it is the best way to prevent anyone from opening any kind of credit or loan in your name. The only hassle is you have to unlock your credit if you want to apply for any loan or credit but we are at the point in our life where we may never open another line of credit or loan.

I have a sense of security after doing this because I have a good friend who is going through the nightmare of identity theft and after 6 months his life is still not back to normal. I thought I'd share for those of you who might have had a security breach.
 
So sorry this happened to you. This--identity theft-- keeps my Fiancé awake at night worrying. She cringes anytime I use my debt card at a Big Box type store.
 
CAA_Beat said:
So sorry this happened to you. This--identity theft-- keeps my Fiancé awake at night worrying. She cringes anytime I use my debt card at a Big Box type store.
Click to expand...


I'm starting to use more cash and now ApplePay quite often and according to the credit security experts it's much safer than a credit or debit card.
 
Be careful. The new scam is they call u saying they are from somewhere and ur security has veen breached. Then they ask u to confirm ur information be4 they will tell u what the problem is. Then after they give u some BS story ur identity has been stolen and you have offshore bank accounts opened in Nigeria. Seriously
 
tahoebum said:
I'm starting to use more cash and now ApplePay quite often and according to the credit security experts it's much safer than a credit or debit card.
Click to expand...

Apple pay is less secure than a credit card. They can hack your phone and Apple account. Its actually the least secure way to pay anything other than flashing ur social security number to a passer by at checkout.
 
mcrobertsjmac32 said:
Apple pay is less secure than a credit card. They can hack your phone and Apple account. Its actually the least secure way to pay anything other than flashing ur social security number to a passer by at checkout.
Click to expand...

Nothing is 100% secure, but Apple Pay and Google Wallet are more secure than a credit card. Credit card numbers can be stolen in a second with a simple, inexpensive scanner -My wife and I have had several credit card numbers stolen in the last 5 years this way from restaurant employees both here and outside the US.

Here's a link to article explaining why Apple Pay and Google Wallet are safer than credit cards.

http://www.esecurityplanet.com/mobile-security/apple-pay-how-secure-is-it.html

And a paragraph from the article:

Although the actual transactions are not identical, with Google Wallet creating a virtual credit card while Apple Pay uses tokenization, "they are pretty much parallels (in terms of security)," Doyle adds.
When it comes to emerging payment methods like Apple Pay, perhaps the best way to look at it is not whether they are secure -- as nothing is 100 percent secure -- but whether using them is more secure than using credit cards. We know that the magnetic strip and signature system of credit cards used in the U.S. is not very secure at all - BI Intelligence estimates that credit card fraud in 2013 in the U.S. amounted to about $7.1 billion, more than half of all global payment card fraud costs.
When more secure credit cards with EMV chips (sometimes known as chip and PIN) become more commonplace in the U.S. in 2015, the rate of fraud is likely to fall. But even after the introduction of more secure credit cards in the U.S., Doyle believes that Apple Pay will prove to be more secure.
"Apple's system is a clear enhancement over chip and PIN," he says. "It's a win for customers, and for retailers that choose to take it -which they really should."
 
Interesting that this popped up today.
I just got my AmEx card number stolen, second time that has happened.
I guess there is not much one can do about that, compared with opening accounts at BigBox retailers. Or other credit cards.
 
Wow, that's gotta sucks having to freeze your own credit. up here in Canada we're pretty much chip w/pin everywhere.
 
tahoebum said:
Nothing is 100% secure, but Apple Pay and Google Wallet are more secure than a credit card. Credit card numbers can be stolen in a second with a simple, inexpensive scanner -My wife and I have had several credit card numbers stolen in the last 5 years this way from restaurant employees both here and outside the US.

Here's a link to article explaining why Apple Pay and Google Wallet are safer than credit cards.

http://www.esecurityplanet.com/mobile-security/apple-pay-how-secure-is-it.html

Although the actual transactions are not identical, with Google Wallet creating a virtual credit card while Apple Pay uses tokenization, "they are pretty much parallels (in terms of security)," Doyle adds.
When it comes to emerging payment methods like Apple Pay, perhaps the best way to look at it is not whether they are secure -- as nothing is 100 percent secure -- but whether using them is more secure than using credit cards. We know that the magnetic strip and signature system of credit cards used in the U.S. is not very secure at all - BI Intelligence estimates that credit card fraud in 2013 in the U.S. amounted to about $7.1 billion, more than half of all global payment card fraud costs.
When more secure credit cards with EMV chips (sometimes known as chip and PIN) become more commonplace in the U.S. in 2015, the rate of fraud is likely to fall. But even after the introduction of more secure credit cards in the U.S., Doyle believes that Apple Pay will prove to be more secure.
"Apple's system is a clear enhancement over chip and PIN," he says. "It's a win for customers, and for retailers that choose to take it -which they really should."
Click to expand...
Not trying to sound like a jerk, but this is my field of expertise and even tho Apple has these feel good reviews and a prior legacy of extreme security its not the case any more. Ive investigated literally thousands of identity thefts, and I cant tell u how many have been at fault of Apple.

Back in the day be4 Apple was exploding in popularity their security was tops. Since their explosion in popularity their security has fallen by the way side as we have seen with the "Fappening" and several other incidents. Apple isn't the worst, Google/Android is easily the worst, followed by Apple. BlackBerry is the clear winner, and still gets used in most major corporations as well as the white house.

The only truly safe transaction is cash, taken out from inside your bank with a teller, everything else is a role of the dice. True that Apple Pay with ur phone protects ur payment through the app, but ur phone isnt as protected and they can hack that very easily and get your information that way. So its really 6 and 1 half and a dozen in the other.
 
gizmo3putt said:
Wow, that's gotta sucks having to freeze your own credit. up here in Canada we're pretty much chip w/pin everywhere.
Click to expand...

Chip and PIN will be common by October here in the US. My amex has it now.
 
mcrobertsjmac32 said:
Apple pay is less secure than a credit card. They can hack your phone and Apple account. Its actually the least secure way to pay anything other than flashing ur social security number to a passer by at checkout.
Click to expand...

This claim has not been sourced anywhere that I can find. The only well sourced issue is that people can steal credit cards from somewhere else and use those stolen credit cards to set up an Apple Pay account. There is nothing out there in the mainstream media about people actually hacking your phone and getting your credit card information.

Please provide sourcing for this claim.
 
tahoebum said:
Chip and PIN will be common by October here in the US. My amex has it now.
Click to expand...

I'd say the gov let you down, up here they told all financial institutes to get it done with a dead line.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
rbarthle17 said:
This claim has not been sourced anywhere that I can find. The only well sourced issue is that people can steal credit cards from somewhere else and use those stolen credit cards to set up an Apple Pay account. There is nothing out there in the mainstream media about people actually hacking your phone and getting your credit card information.

Please provide sourcing for this claim.
Click to expand...
Hands on investigations done by urs truely. Apples PR firm wouldnt allow this on the mainstream net. They have had several breaches recently. Ppls accounts gave been used to purchase anything ranging from surf boards to gift cards.

Like I said its not the worst, but its far from the best as far as phine security. It is the worst way to pay.
 
gizmo3putt said:
I'd say the gov let you down, up here they told all financial institutes to get it done with a dead line.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I believe the deadline in the U.S. is this October.
 
this sucks buddy. identity theft stays on my mind as well. another thing to keep an eye out for when using debit card is where you have to enter you pin on a key pad. there is an app that allows a person so scan the heat signature of the key pad to get the last digits typed in. if you use the key pad then after typing in your pin place your fingers over all the keys for a bit.

i am trying to use my debit card less and if i do then use it for credit so i don't have to enter pin.
 
Well, that sucks, and it reminds me that identity theft is not going away.

I honestly have no idea, but would a company like LifeLock (they are the only one's I know) protect you, rather than freezing your credit?

Someone in Ohio tried to login to my facebook account the other day. I blame MikeDean, but either way, your situation sounds way more scary.

~Rock
 
mcrobertsjmac32 said:
Hands on investigations done by urs truely. Apples PR firm wouldnt allow this on the mainstream net. They have had several breaches recently. Ppls accounts gave been used to purchase anything ranging from surf boards to gift cards.

Like I said its not the worst, but its far from the best as far as phine security. It is the worst way to pay.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I call BS on this one. If you can prove and document a security flaw there are tons of tech blogs and news sites that would at least take it on and investigate it further. And there is nothing that ""Apple's PR firm" ( which is in actuality Apple, Inc. ) can do to stop that word getting out. That is as lame an excuse as I have ever heard.

If you legitimately have found a flaw in the security of the Apple iPhone then get the word out there, otherwise you are doing nothing to help matters. And doing it on a golf forum doesn't count. Document your findings, put them up on your own blog which would take you 15 minutes to make. People will run with it. Otherwise you have no credibility other than just "some random guy on the Internet told me ".
 
It sucks, and has happened to me twice. I have had my credit report locked down since 2008, opening it up whenever I need to.

Once they made a physical card and was hitting ATM's up in the Northeast. The other time it was someone in Florida.

It was hell to resolve, and mine wasn't as bad as most I have heard about.
 
gizmo3putt said:
Wow, that's gotta sucks having to freeze your own credit. up here in Canada we're pretty much chip w/pin everywhere.
Click to expand...

I was just going to mention the same thing. 98% of places I buy from here in Canada require a PIN. Always found it odd traveling to the States and trying to use my chip, only to be informed that I have to swipe and sign.

Really sucks to hear about this and all of the hassle you have to go through.
 
Unfortunately this is the world we live in now. Convenience and technology have made it easier than ever to steal money and identities. As a CPA, it is fairly ordinary, particularly at this time of year to hear about clients with identity theft issues.

On a related note, I just received my first credit card with a chip in it yesterday. Hopefully that will help with some of the issues people are having.
 
I was included with the Anthem attack and they are giving 2 years of protection. At least here at work. Not gonna freeze anything yet.
 
tahoebum said:
After having our 3rd letter in 15 months yesterday from a company saying that our personal information was compromised by hackers my wife and I put a security freeze on our names with all 3 credit bureaus. The companies involved were Target, Home Depot, and Anthem/Blue Shield. The most recent attack hacked my entire families names, dates of birth, email addresses, social security numbers, health care ID's, employment history, and possibly income data. The letter we received from Anthem recommended we consider a credit freeze so that is what we've done. It's done online and only takes about 15 minutes. It's $10 one time fee for each credit bureau but it is the best way to prevent anyone from opening any kind of credit or loan in your name. The only hassle is you have to unlock your credit if you want to apply for any loan or credit but we are at the point in our life where we may never open another line of credit or loan.

I have a sense of security after doing this because I have a good friend who is going through the nightmare of identity theft and after 6 months his life is still not back to normal. I thought I'd share for those of you who might have had a security breach.
Click to expand...

My 13 year old received a letter addressed to her the other day in regards to the Anthem/Blue Shield breach. Neither me nor my wife have received the same letter addressed to either of us.
 
Sox Fan said:
My 13 year old received a letter addressed to her the other day in regards to the Anthem/Blue Shield breach. Neither me nor my wife have received the same letter addressed to either of us.
Click to expand...

You should get yours too. We were told every account for the last 10 years was hacked.
 
I think it is a good move if you don't have any plans for new accounts. I recently froze my credit and it is a nice tool to have available.
 
Lynne and I both received our letters and the 2 years of protection. I put a temporary freeze on my accounts about 2 weeks before I received the letter. I think the temporary freeze is for 90 days and is free at all 3 credit sites. I could lift them if I needed to use credit but other than using Discover for a large percentage of my bills (I pay it off every month and use Discover for the rewards) I use cash for most everything.
 
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