A sophisticated theft of identity

[enquirer]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

... yet everytime I go to the hospital they keep asking to swipe my credit card. I just tell then that I don't carry this with me as really and truely there is no need for them to have this information ...

Self important jobsworths reading from a script, I'm afraid.

I 100% agree with CC the Indian Call centres and other places ...

Some while ago, a journalist checked out this very issue. He went to India and sat in a cafe just down the road from a big call centre. Within the hour, he had purchased the details of thousands of UK bank customers. It was after the article was published that several banks announced they were switching back to the UK.

[Guest]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

HI
We recently adopted a cat, well it addopted us really(like they do).

Thought i had better get some insurance as i am well aware of how vets rip you off.

Got a list of the cheapst options off the net and commenced to fill in the applicatoin.
It asked my date of birth, then where i lived (fair enough), then my total housold income, my employment, after about a page of this i deleted the application.

But i nearly didnt, the way they can aquire your details is so insidious you really do have to be on your guard.

Peter

[TUTTSI]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

Peter,

I opted with Capital One to have online statements - what a mistake.

It was okay for first month, then the following month when I put in the password it started asking questions like DOB, mothers maiden name....... I smelt a rat and called Capital One and sadly got through to an Indian call centre. I told them what happened and they said they have never experienced that before from other customers. After a few choice words I told them that I was going back to statements in the post as it appears I had got through to a rogue site. The problem with that Indian call centre was they could not careless that my identity could have been compromised and I feel that the Data Protection act does not cover us in India. As Enquirer said on an earlier post this data can be bought very easily in India and who is monitoring them.

Good job I never gave my personal details as soon as I saw the questions I knew it was not right and was a scam site that I had been redirected to.

You have to be on your guard 24/7 with all the scams that are about. If it does not sound right it probably is'nt.

Peter what name did you call your cat?

HI
We recently adopted a cat, well it addopted us really(like they do).

Thought i had better get some insurance as i am well aware of how vets rip you off.

Got a list of the cheapst options off the net and commenced to fill in the applicatoin.
It asked my date of birth, then where i lived (fair enough), then my total housold income, my employment, after about a page of this i deleted the application.

But i nearly didnt, the way they can aquire your details is so insidious you really do have to be on your guard.

Peter

[Guest]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

Hi

Does it matter what you call a cat, it comes to you if it wants to or if it is hungry, and ignores you the rest of the time, we call it ginger( basically to annoy it because it is black and white)

Peter

[TUTTSI]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

No it does not Peter for cats to have a name, but sometimes it is nice to have a name. We are cat lovers and would always give them a nice name to suit their personalities. I am sure the cat does not know it is Black and White and the relevance of a name like ginger lol.

Hi

Does it matter what you call a cat, it comes to you if it wants to or if it is hungry and ignores you the rest of the time, we call it ginger( basically to annoy it because it is black and white)

Peter

[Guest]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

[quote=TUTTSI;241462]No it does not Peter for cats to have a name, but sometimes it is nice to have a name. We are cat lovers and would always give them a nice name to suit their personalities. I am sure the cat does not know it is Black and White and the relevance of a name like ginger lol.[/quote]


Not so sure, i caught using my laptop last week, think it was trying to order somthng from littlwoods or it may have been another catalogoue

Peter

[Monzter]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

I've had potential problems with someone trying to steal my identity in the past. I say potential because I am permanently skint and they'd have to be darn quick to get the money before I do lol.

Having said that twice now my bank believes that someone has cloned my card or taken my details from somewhere. I have a basic bog standard account and you cannot even pay for items in a shop with my card, I don't have internet banking or any of the features most accounts have. They have contacted me twice as attempts to make transfers from my account to another have been made by a particular method that my account does not accommodate. With it being my account I obviously know that the transfer can't be made.....................
At least the bank were on the ball, like I said though they'd need to be pretty quick to beat me to it lol.

I use a pre pay credit card to make online purchases. I know how much whatever it is will cost, or for food shopping set myself a limit, put that amount on at a paypoint and buy it immediately. So the card sits with a balance of about £1 the majority of the time.

I try to deal in cash as much as I can, take it out of the cash machine and pay for what I can by cash and the rest I use the pre pay credit card. I have pre pay gas and electric, phone and internet and I pay things like water and CTax etc either using a card at a paypoint or using my pre pay card.

It started off by necessity with not being allowed those things having a shocking credit rating and now after that it's by choice.

[enquirer]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

... and now after that it's by choice.

Good for you!

[bluebottle]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

BREACHES OF DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998

Please be aware that, as of 6 April 2010, the Information Commissioner has the power to impose a Financial Penalty Notice (FPN) on any data controller/user who breaches the Data Protection Act 1998. The maximum amount the Commissioner can impose in an FPN is £500k.

For further details, visit the website of the Information Commissioners Office.

Hope this is useful for those having problems with data protection issues.

[bluebottle]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

Having read through most of the posts, it is clearly evident that CRAs and other financial businesses are sticking two fingers up to their customers and the DPA 1998.

In addition to my post about the FPN the ICO can hand out, you can also download a complaint form from the ICO's website to report CRAs and others who have control over your personal data and who seem to have a cavalier attitude to its security and what they can do with it.

My advice is to complain, complain, complain. The more complaints the ICO receives about breaches of the DPA, the better. Remember, a complaint in isolation will not achieve much, but many complaints about the same data users does. And whilst a small operator may not receive a £500k FPN, the bigger fish will. And a £500k FPN to an insurance company that makes multi-million pound profits is going to hit them where it hurts.

Go for it! There is strength in numbers!

[TUTTSI]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

Another case of sophisticated theft of identity was told to me at the weekend as this happened very recently to some friends of ours. This one was set as follows.

Someone orders an expensive £500+ mixer from Kays catalogue, sets up an account in someones name and has all their personal details etc like DOB. They also set up an email address in that persons name for the order. When they get the delivery time they wait nearby the house drive up and greet the delivery driver, sign for the goods and then they are on their way.

They must have watched what time these people were not normally home and arranged a delivery time so that they could meet the goods being delivered.

[Jonty45]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

Another case of sophisticated theft of identity was told to me at the weekend as this happened very recently to some friends of ours. This one was set as follows.

Someone orders an expensive £500+ mixer from Kays catalogue, sets up an account in someones name and has all their personal details etc like DOB. They also set up an email address in that persons name for the order. When they get the delivery time they wait nearby the house drive up and greet the delivery driver, sign for the goods and then they are on their way.

They must have watched what time these people were not normally home and arranged a delivery time so that they could meet the goods being delivered.

To get that amount of detail it suggests a less than rigorous protection of personal information! Or am I being unfair?

:doggieyes:

[TUTTSI]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

I dont think it is that difficult these days to get hold of DOB etc. It seems that these sophisticated forms of theft are definately on the uprise. All I can say is I know these people that this happened to and they are extremey cautious people beinmg in the Financial Services themselves they would know how to protect themselves.

To get that amount of detail it suggests a less than rigorous protection of personal information! Or am I being unfair?

:doggieyes:

[bluebottle]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

Unfortunately, even those who work in financial services are not immune from identity theft.

[andyb000!]

Re: A sophisticated theft of identity

I dont think it is that difficult these days to get hold of DOB etc.

Not sure if it's still the case but some years ago I asked to look at a Register of Electors at my local post office.

I was surprised to see dates of birth appearing next to the names of those who would be turning 18 years of age during the next few months - these were listed at the addresses at which they were living - so it would only need for someone to make a note...

I presume dates of birth are available to anyone interested in geneology? Marriage records I guess will show maiden names. Looking at the 'Happy Birthdays' on the public announcements page in the local press may also provide clues.

Can someone say for sure if dates of birth are a matter of public record or not?

A