Identity theft

Oh no, not another scam :dh:

If anyone has your real name & date of birth then they can legally get a copy of your birth certificate.

This opens the door to all manner of ID thefts.

Might I suggest that members with there own name change some aspect of it, maybe drop a few years ( I feel younger already :wink: ) or change a few days so that we can still send birthday greetings even if its slightly out of sync.

The scam that alerted this to me was someone nicking an id & then messaging everyone on their friends list saying they were stranded in spain & needed money to return home.

What would you do if you had a message like that from a friend ?

 

Some sensible advice there.

I make sure I always hide my identy, even I don't know who I am!

 

I'd reply askiing them to phone as if they were really a close friend they'd probably have our phone number. An alternative would be a Skype call - as we'd recognise the voice.

A few years back I had a tax demand from HMRC which turned out to be due to someone using my National Insurance Ref number. Got it sorted out without much hassle.

 

Changing your birthday on any online applications/forums you use is a good way to keep yourself safe. I've done this on Facebook and I have the security settings there set to their highest.

Somehow I have aged myself though

 

A couple of years ago I had £1,400 taken out of an on-line savings account. Obviously an "inside job" as the bank actually notified me before I noticed it, no problem getting it back. I've had a rogue £99 debit stuck on my credit card account this year, but I spotted it and the bank sorted it.

Identity theft and fraud is massive and the banks keep quiet about it. They can afford to, they make enough money from the mugs who borrow from them at silly rates.

 

What would you do if you had a message like that from a friend ?

One of my best friends works for one of the top credit card companies, dealing with fraud and ID theft. He obviously cannot give precise details but some of the scams going on are masterminded by very clever but very dishonest people and gangs of villains.

It is not just the money stolen from peoples accounts that causes hurt and inconvenience. There is the ripple effect on victims lives. It can be very far reaching to some, particularly the elderly and vulnerable. Very intrusive crime. One that is very tricky and complicated to deal with.

Chopper.

 

I've made similar arrangements with bank where the £1,400 was taken. I've e-mailed them and said that if I ever want to take money from it (which so far I never have) I'll contact them and not do it on-line.
Similarly with credit card transactions, I keep a mirror image of my credit card account on a rolling Excel spread sheet. This is also handy if I've bought something that goes wrong and I need to know the date of purchase. As my purchases are listed in about ten different columns, "house" "garden" "car" "meals" etc., it's fairly easy to find scrolling back. I can then dig out that particular month's receipts which I file. I also go on line and check it and my bank account a couple of times a week, just to make sure nothing "dodgy" is going on.

 

Have to say that your accounting system sounds complicated DR. If it works for you, great.

However, the only thing I really enjoy about modern technology is the way in which I cn gain access to information and enjoy forums such as GC and my custom bike forums. I also do basic work using programmes like Microsoft Publisher and Adobe Photoshop.

Things like spread sheets get too complicated and involved for my bomb damaged brain. I get frustrated with them and lose my temper. I keep my accounting as simple as it can be. I have one card to make any phone or internet purchases. I use cash money for everything else. My bank has sent me a load of gizmos to enable me to make use of internet banking. I haven't got a clue how to use any of it. I do not have a credit card and never will. Nor do I have an overdraft. If I do not have cash money, then I do not buy anything. Simples.

I have a new mobile phone. The last one fell out of my pocket and got damaged. The guy at the phone company was regaling me with the details of all the stuff this phone can do, I stopped him dead in his tracks when I asked him if I could make phone calls and send text messages!!! By all accounts this thing has a video camera on it, I have no idea if it has, where it is or how to use it. I had to get my teenage daughter to list all my numbers for me. Had to get her to set up my new TV and DVD player. I was stunned when she plugged my phone into the TV and brought up all the pictures and text messages on to my screen. I had no idea that could be done. I bought the TV because it has a great picture and a huge screen.

If there is a god, I hope he will protect neanderthals like me from technology. I can build a custom bike in my sleep. Strip and build a V _ Twin engine no problem at all. Ask me how to do something with a computer and I am lost. Hole in the wall machines still baffle me.

With all this technology it is no wonder folk make mistakes and leave themselves wide open to crime.

Chopper.:cnfs::cnfs::cnfs:

 

We only use a credit card for the fact that if the company goes bust and the item is over £100 then we can hopefully get all the money back from the credit card company.We alwys pay off the bill in full every month so have only ever paid interest on a couple of rare occassions when Mr Kandy has forgotten the date when the bill was due to be paid:(

Also we never keep large amounts of money sitting in current accounts prefering to keep any money we do have in savings in the building society or it is spent on adding value to our house in other ways for when the house prices do eventually go up and we want to downsize to a bungalow when we get to creaky to get up and down the stairs:D

 

Very wise.

I use Excel as I like to play with the "columns and colours."

But nothing is left on my computer. I have it on a second hard drive and back it up on a memory stick and even two floppies.