[Thor]

Hi all,
I live in a simple world, but this week the bigger picture became evident.

My little story is just to keep someone else from having this happen to them.
I pay my bills with checks in the mail, and post them in my rural mailbox. Last friday, someone stole a check from my mailbox and used it to buy a tv at the local Walmart. I didn't know this could be done, but apparently it can.

I do use on line banking to check on my account and to keep track of the debit card stuff, but didn't ever expect to find anything odd. The check number I had in my checkbook and the amount it was debited for were way off. I called the bank, and from then til now, I have had to go sign a formal paper at my bank, go to Walmart and tell them and have them research it, file a police report, and close my checking account and open another one. That is very complicated these days with new debit cards, signatures, and all of the extra paperwork my small town bank has to do these days to keep up with the big banks.

Anyway, just a warning. The police told me to never mail any checks unless you drop them off at the post office. I wish I had heeded that advice sooner. I just lost a whole day of work, and business, and now I'll have to order new checks and replace that check that was stolen to the State Sales tax division.

My money is safe however. The bank was very helpful as was Walmart.
Walmart will have to take the loss, because they accepted a fraudulant check. I will be curious to see if their video surveylance cameras can solve the crime.
Thor

[Ashbys]

Thor,
I will make an additional suggestion. Report the tampering with the post office. They have greater power then the local or the state police. The tampering with mail is a federal offense and the will investigate.

I know a guy was went out and destroyed a few mail boxes a security cammera caught him on tape , he spent 11 months 25 days in the county jail because the post office pressed the charge .

[Anthony Filetti]

...one other suggestion is to monitor your credit report. I subscribe to one of the big three companies product which costs about $100 a year but alerts me within 24 hours of any changes to my credit report...real handy thing to have!

[jillsy]

ugh, sorry to read this Thor. It was good of you to post as a reminder to us all. Hope they catch the loser!

My brother accidently left his credit card at Sears and guess who used it for a day of spending? The cashier who sold him his stuff! They caught her and he's definitely pressing charges. Sears fired her on the spot too. Don't know how much trouble she'll get in though, she's a minor.

[Tom H]

Sorry to hear this Thor. I guess we all need to be more carvefull these days. I live rural too, and we have a mailbox out on the road. We've never lost a check to a thief, but prescription drugs are another story. Since it's so much cheaper to order the prescriptions from mailorder (plus you can get a 90 day supply) that's what we do. Our mail lady does now honk whenever she leaves a package, so we know. It's a good thing I am mostly at home.
I don't know what others do.. Thanks for the reminder. Tom H

[Eddy Smiles]

Thor... Good advice. Unfortunately ID thefts are only going to increase and unsuspecting folks like yourself and the rest of us are going to have to pay the price. Business in order to save on processing costs are pushing everyone to buy, bank and pay bills on line where for a savy theif there are few safeguards. And have you noticed at the stores lately? A growing number of them don't even want to handle your credit card. You swipe it through the machine and in many instances you no longer have to sign for the purchase.

We don't bank or buy anything on line and although this at times severely limits our banking and purchasing options we feel a little more secure knowing that if a credit card or number is stolen then any purchases on line would be contrary to our normal usage and stick out like a sore thumb. As for our cards we don't sign them but instead write across the back in large letters "Not Valid Without I.D." We also refuse to accept a debit card as we personally know someone whose card was stolen and their bank account cleaned out. And finally, much to the objection of the bank we have eliminated all overdraft provisions on our checking account so that in the event someone gets a hold of our check account and routing numbers they can not use them to clean both the checking and the savings account out.

As a reminder, everyone is entitle to one free credit report from each of the three credit bureau's a year. It's well worth the time that it takes to request one to ensure that everything is okay. And remember, as long as you're not planning any major purchases in the near future you can put a freeze on your credit history which will prevent un-wanted marketing enquiries from credit card companies and unauthroized credit card applications.

We're all subject to I.D. theft but there are many, many things that we can do to help prevent it.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I had heard they are required to give you a free credit report each year, if you space them out, you can get one every 4 months..why pay for it? Also, anyone know the names of the big 3 off hand?

[susieq]

One of the big three credit reports is Experion...(sp?) You can google them.

Back in 2003 we had to make an emergency run up to Atlanta because my father was having a stent put in at Emory University Hospital there. We got a nice room in a nice hotel....the WinGate Inn not far from the hospital. Spent several nights there. It was only $55 a night, they had internet, continental breakfast, the whole works and I really enjoyed our stay there. I used my credit card to pay for our stay. When we got home and got the credit card bill, there were all kinds of charges on it that we didn't make, to the tune of $600.

We got busy right away, calling the credit card company, the vendors where the charges were made through and then the hotel. Believe it or not, the most trouble we had was from the hotel. They were indignant that I would accuse one of their employees of stealing my credit card number. My husband spoke to the manager of the hotel and he was more worried that we wanted them to compensate us, than he was worried about having crooks working for him. We did't want anything from them. All we wanted to do was warn them that they had a problem. They were rude and denied the whole thing. I contacted corporate headquarters after that and let them know about the situation. I will never stay at a Wingate Hotel again.....ever.

I know it was the hotel clerk because I rarely use my card. My husband uses his most of the time. All of the charges were for things in that area of the country.

I have taken to paying all of our monthly bills on line. We rarely write a check anymore. We had our checks printed with just our first inititials and last names. No first names anymore. Our debit cards have our photos on them. Bank of America started doing that several years ago. I think all debit and credit cards should have photos and pin numbers required to use them too.

You really have to be on your toes these days to protect yourself.
susieq

[wade clark]

Thor,
Sorry to hear such news.
I'll bet you've seen the thief's face before, a neighbor or a neighbors' kid.
Do file a complaint with the Office, and press charges when they catch them...I bet they will, because they've most likely targeted several mailboxes.
If the crook was a little more savvy, it could have been a lot worse!
Wish you the best!
Wade

[Eddy Smiles]

Hi-Ho... TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax

SusieQ... Generally Wingate Hotels are top of the line but unfortunately like most of corporate America they are franchised so the honesty and integrity of the hotel is directly proportional to the honesty and integrity of the guy that owns it. We had a kid in our karate school whose folks owned and operated a local Wingate. I don't think that you could ask for a more honest, service minded operation. My wife and I stayed at the hotel a number of times while doing renovations on our home and we referred everyone that asked about hotel accomodations in town to that Wingate. Unfortunately, our friends sold the operation and the new owners are not half as business minded as the old owners. The business has slowed down and amenities have been reduced. I don't think that I would stay there anymore myself.