An acquaintance was going thru the Big D this spring. He was pulling some shady schizz. I had suggested to her to run a credit report not only for herself, but on her kids as well, for a point of reference.

WELLWELL. Mister Hotshot has been using the kids' SSN's to get his goodies. What a moron, he has a union wage job. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />

So I run into her the other day; stuff is in the lawyer's hands, and she had flown Outside to see family in June. Comes back, and has a few interesting phone calls from the bank waiting for her.

Some more ID theft---the source??? A former coworker, who had gotten into the file where employee info is present. The employer was getting rooked as well.

Now before sayin' "Stupid Employer", this is a 70 y/o gal who has NEVER had trouble before. Needless to say, everyone has been put on notice. This is one of our old Mom-n-Pop businesses. We have since secured said drawer.

From the sounds of activity, this isn't the first time this individual has done this, so the investigation is going to be interesting.

Betcha 5 bucks her ol' man doesn't know what she's up to... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/zombie.gif" alt="" />

Yepyep-- pretty boring around here; the chums are comin' up the river...

Sounds like Mr Hotshot will too soon be very familair with the term 'garnishment'.

>>>*Probably lots of people would be surprised if they did some serious searching of themselves online.

Some types of ID theft involve other things besides credit card numbers.

We had a license renewal show up in our mail for at first glance I thought was my truck. A closer look showed it wasn't my truck, wrong plate. It had my name and address, but a fake driver's license number and other ID didn't match. How they got the tags I don't know. Someone did that to avoid having to do the emissions tests.

Then someone in Michigan had a credit card with my name, accessing my account. Yet the only one issued was in my pocket?? We tracked that down to a Safeway store temporary employee, part of a national ring. Got it stopped in one day, money refunded.

Another one is to get a checking account number, which of course is given out with each check written. Thieves simply use a computer and put that account number on a check with a different name and address.

Yep, banks will cash them without even slowing down, it was disconcerting to open our commercial statement and find checks written for Pizza deliveries on little personal checks, this being out commercial account with large business checks. Bye US bank for that one.

I finally went to my current bank and locked all of the accounts, nothing can be withdrawn without our signature in person.

Except checks. So the only answer is every morning and every evening I open and verify every account. And I require the bank to send us the cancelled checks so each one can be verified, but even that means they arrive far too late to help.

The only answer is to check and recheck every day, ID theft is big business and they are busy....*EB

I actually closed my checking account because of an ID theft and check fraud incident.

I only have a savings account now. Deposit my paychecks and carry cash. Cancelled the credit cards and only use an ATM card for gas.

No checking, no checks, no problem.

Figure if I can't pay cash for it I probobly don't need it.

My sister has had experience with bogus charges, didnt know how that happened. What we do know is that my grandmother who was in assissted living was getting ATM withdrawals about $200 a month and my grandmother never left the place. My dad figured it out as the second page of her statement which had the withdrawals was missing every time she recieved her mail at the home. One of the people taking care of her had found the PIN (which was right on the check book that my grandma always had on the table) and withdrew about $4000 over a couple years time all the while taking part of her mail so she wouldnt know. It made me sick to think of people preying on the elderly, I am glad she got caught and hopefully she will pay it all back (she already lost her license for working in a home or whatever and is now in court). Just a heads up to watch out for others and especially the elderly.

Actually, looking more like J-A-I-L---he's been passing checks, amongst other things....

Dayem it--**I'll** take his $30 job--I'm the one who had encouraged him to go into the apprenticeship. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />

What always fails me is WHY THE EFF do people with decent paying jobs feel like they need to get over and be nothing more than a EFFN crook??!!!???!!!?? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />

There's guys like that in my line of work. Probably why most people think mechanics are crooks.

Yeah, that's the downside; most folks don't realize the guys in the back don't get NEAR the cut the consumer is paying out front, and that you guys in the back have a scale on your pay rate.

I'm also willing to pay shop rate for an independent gearhead if they've got a decent warranty. I've yet to be disappointed.

I usually charge about $40 per hour for my side work (during those times I actually charge). That's still less than half what the shop I work for charges.

Almost everyone we interview for fraud here and end up firing says they felt like 'the company owed' them. Of course we do, thats what them checks every two weeks are for. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" />

Most of the fraudsters we find are people with 26-29 years in the railraod, and if you know anything about Railroad Retirement, 30 years is the 'golden number'. And its NOT like some of our contract people aren't making awesome money- they all get paid VERY well.