I've got the motherfucker's address.

[Droopy]

I learned last week that I am a victim of identity theft. I've taken the appropriate steps to protect myself since then. The thief appears to be just after the money that my good credit score will afford him/her. She/he tried to open a new credit card account over the weekend in my name which the company stopped due to the fraud alert on my credit report.

I went to the local police a filed a report with them last week. They said that they needed a copy of the fraudulent charges that were made to the stolen credit card number. It is on the way. I called the credit card company for the report and while I was at it I learned the address to which the thief changed mine to for that account. That will be reported to the police also.

The local authorities have informed me that they will not be able to do much but send the information in the report to the F.B.I. if it is shown that the fraud has been committed across state lines. That has turned out to be the case.

I want to hop on a plane so bad. I understand that the address may not actually be where the thief lives, but there has to be one of his or her friends or a relatives that lives there.

[Wcross]

1. To avoid this in the future...

http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/learn_more/003484indiv.html

Freeze your credit report. I did it for under 25 bucks.

[Droopy]

2. I've hired an identity theft deterrent company

and I have placed fraud alerts on my credit with the credit reporting companies. That is working well for me so far. Nobody can open an account in my name without me being notified. The fraud alerts are good for 90 days and after that period of time I may decide to freeze my credit. I appreciate the link.

[DarkTirade]

3. I hope they catch the bastard.

Anyone who's willing to risk ruining someone else's life just for a little cash is no better than a back alley mugger, IMO.

[Droopy]

4. Me, too

There are also a number of other things that the thief could do with my identity, but so far he/she seems just to be interested in cash. They've already hit up one of my credit card companies for $13,000.

[flamingyouth]

5. I feel for you.

I froze my credit recently after someone opened an E*Trade account in my name. How did I know this? Uh, they used my address to open the account, oddly. Luckily, so far so good, but what a PITA trying to straighten all this crap out. :mad:

[darkstar]

6. Man...sorry to hear that

Nobody deserves that, but certainly not DU's Droopy.

Hang tough through this, friend.

[GardeningGal]

7. How did you find out you're a victim of identity theft?

I try to monitor my accounts every few days for unauthorized activity, but don't know what else I should be watching.

[Droopy]

12. I went to rent a car with one of my credit cards

the transaction was declined and I didn't understand why. I had a pretty high limit on that card and I pay the balance off every month. So I called the credit card company and they had declined the transaction because they suspected fraud on the account. They were right. Over $13,000 had been charged to the account in the previous three weeks.

[femmocrat]

8. Did you find out how they got your personal information in the first place?

How did they get your credit card number?

Sorry, Droopy. What a pain.

[Droopy]

10. I don't know

But I do know that I did not receive the last statement for the credit card number that was stolen. It might have something to do with that. The thieves also appear to have other personal information about me that they have used to try to open a new account.

Not long ago, the state of Ohio had a lot of personal information stolen about Ohio taxpayers from them. I was not notified that I could be affected, but that also might be a culprit.

[femmocrat]

13. Wow, that is really scary.

I wish you luck in sorting this all out.

[BlueIris]

9. If it makes you feel any better, identity theft is now severely punished in a lot of places.

[Droopy]

11. That makes me feel very vengeful.

Now the bastards just need to be caught.