BB FANS

I was wondering about identity theft. Our bank-card was cloned a month or so back.

We were amazingly lucky though (thank God) as I'd just taken the money out of that account the day before so it only cost us £10 and a little bit of inconvenience, in that we had to get the card replaced.

But it did start me thinking.

With identity theft, surely if they steal somebodys identity then it's because they want to apply for credit cards and stuff in that persons name. But how would they get away with that because they'd have to give an address to recieve the credit card so surely the police could just go to that address and arrest them?

I just know I'm missing something that is probably really obvious but it seems really odd that somebody could steal your identity because surely they would have to give an address and then the police could just go to that address and arrest them?

I'm probably missing something really obvious! lol but it just occurred to me and I wondered about it.

It's so easy to use a convenience address. Sometimes an empty house which the scammer manages to get keys for by pretending to want to look round with a view to buy. If they can get a key from the estate agent it's simple to have a copy made.

The same estate agent may have given them the alarm code too... May not be the same person who carries out the scam, they could use someone else to get keys and so on.

All they do is apply for stuff, making out they've just moved to that address, and a lot of companies simply fail to check.

As and when the property sells, and new people move in, the scammer moves on to another address. They don't actually live there, any bills that arrive after they've 'moved' are often returned by the new occupants. By that time the scammer has run to the limit of that card and vanished with little trace.

That's just one possibility, there are many others. I once worked for the debt recovery dept of a credit card company...

I also stumbled on another scam, where someone was actually using MY address - at the time I lived in a flat, there was a shared letterbox downstairs. Each person would lift the flap and take their own mail out, no lock as it was inside the door.

Several times I was there first and picked out anything for my flat number, but started to notice strange names appearing - not mine. Rather than put them back in the post as undelivered I opened a couple, as they felt they had something inside - credit cards!

I called the companies myself, explained where I'd worked before, and asked why cards were coming to my address in someone elses name - the fraud team got on the case and eventually tracked the applications back to one of the neighbours... They'd used my flat number in a different name, similar scam but they got caught.

Needless to say, anything else in a name other than my own was opened and companies contatcted - like three mail order catalogues, a loan company and so on! Yep, they'd been ordering goods, which had arrived, they said there was no-one in the flat (mine) but they'd take the stuff in until the occupant (NOT me) got in...

Right - you've all got the idea now - happy ordering and a Merry Christmas! Hmmm..., perhaps not!

That's very interesting Oldgit and it is certainly a reminder to keep our personal details personal! Especially over the internet!

I don't have a myspace page but if I ever get around to setting one up, I'll be sure not to use my full name on it!

What makes me particularly angry is that for all these people know, it could be a single parent with 3 children or an elderly person on a pension and I know how it messes with my finances when (due to a bank error or whatever) my salary doesn't go into the bank on the right day.

I've always just thrown my bank-statements and credit card bills straight into the bin, but reading all that I think I might invest in a paper shredder now!

The sort of people who do that sort of thing couldn't care less about who they may inconvenience or hurt along the way.



Yes, a good idea. I have had a shredder for 2 years now and wouldn't be without it. Mine also shreds credit cards which is good. You'll have to drop a hint for a Xmas present!