Identity thieves just scammed my mother in law

[AzNick]

They kept calling her today, claiming to be her bank.

They said they had the first 3 and the last 4 digits of her social security number, which they read to her, but that they were missing the 2 middle ones and she gave them to her on the phone.

Some databases keep the first 3, others the last 4 digits.

By combining two sources, they were able to get 7 out of 9 of the digits, along with the birth dates, and that's how they knew who to target.

We are now looking into how to freeze her credit.

This pisses me off, really. Who targets older folks like that?

These people have no morals.

[Cleita]

1. You might be surprised that really big businesses could be behind this

through a myriad of shields they use. They have no boundaries when it comes to making money. Look at what they have done to health care. Anything is game for profit.

[dysfunctional press]

9. a 'really big business' would most likely have her entire ss number in the first place.

or access to it.

[phasma ex machina]

2. Given electronic funds transfer it could literally be anyone in the whole world. nt

[elleng]

3. Report to local Feds. asap.

[thenooch]

4. 2 missing digits...

and they needed to call?

it's a 1/100 guess....

any program could solve that in <1sec...

[AzNick]

18. If they tried several fake SSNs in a row they'd raise an alarm

Someone looking for credit at a car dealership can't tell the sales guy "hey, it could take up to 100 attempts, let's try with xxx-00-xxxx first ok..."

[notesdev]

5. Older folks are a prime target

They tend to be less alert and easier to confuse. Scammers have a long history of targeting the elderly.

The fact of Social Security numbers being an involuntary, universal identification number is what makes this possible to do on an impersonal and industrial scale. It should be illegal to use or store a SS# for anything other than SS itself.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. Ss numbers, according to law, are NOT supposed to be used

for anything but Soc. Sec.
big business just ignored that and over time people got used to giving their number.
However, today, when asked, you can refuse to give it, politely, stating concern of identity theft, and most places back down, provide alternative ways to record what ever it is.
If that does not work, I "reluctantly" give them a fake number.

[snagglepuss]

6. What complete scum. Don't just freeze credit but make sure they don't

take out a mortgage in case your Mom owns property.

The most common forms of title fraud involve fraudsters using stolen identities or forged documents to transfer a registered owner’s title to himself or herself without the registered owner’s knowledge. The fraudster then obtains a mortgage on this property and once the funds are advanced on the mortgage, he or she disappears. This type of fraud is also sometimes referred to as “mortgage fraud.”

[aquart]

7. "Who targets older folks like that?"

Tell her to make sure she NEVER tells her broker when she's going into the hospital or on vacation. That's an excuse to churn your account and then claim you gave them the order.

Tell her to NEVER stay on the phone with anyone soliciting her. Don't make polite excuses. Don't say ANYTHING to them. HANG UP IMMEDIATELY. The longer they keep you on, the better the chance to make you do what they want. They count on loneliness.

Loneliness is fraud's biggest asset.

[Raine]

8. A "bank" calling on the Sunday of a holiday

weekend is the tip-off but for a retired person it's easy to lose track of what day it is (actually it can be for anyone) and these rotten crooks know it. I hope you can get it straightened out before real harm done, wishing you the best. Those who take advantage of seniors are the scum of the earth. x(

[dysfunctional press]

10. "who targets older folks like that?"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

you're joking right?

the elderly are PRIME pickins for many many many criminal and even not-so-criminal-but-they-should-be types and enterprises.
my 80+ year old aunt aunt traded in her 35-year old mustang, in pristine shape and less than 20k miles on it for a ford escort a few years back...the dealership gave her less than $500 for the trade-in. my dad almost started crying when he found out.

[1]

11. "These people have no morals." that is exactly correct...

thieves have no morals. they are thieves. they want to take your money. they want to fuck you over. they don't care.

that is why we must instruct our parents, our siblings, our children, our friends...

never ever give out any personal information. when they knock on the door. over the phone. on the internet. don't do it. never ever.

don't do it...

[Sherman A1]

12. There is more and more of this going on

one scam after another and we all need to be careful.

Some retailers have been hit by a rash of bad checks of various sorts along with credit card/gift card frauds to go along with the usual uptick in shoplifting.

We all need to be especially on our guard and watch our own credit card and bank statements.

[defendandprotect]

13. Congress has been permitting all of these scams to run on . . . they can stop it --!!

And we should get the Social Security numbers out of our files --

No one needs a Social Security number -- except government and IRS --

Your department store ?

Who really needs it?

[Odin2005]

16. It's supposed to be illegal for anyone outside the gov. to ask for your SS number.

But it's completely ignored.

[defendandprotect]

19. The GOP used to say it was a fascist idea and the numbers would be used ...

then they came to power and used them!

[bobburgster]

15. Amazes me how many try to get your SS #.

All sorts of stores, doctors offices, prospective employers, public utilities....I never give it out...ever!

[pipi_k]

17. I don't know about other states, but here in Mass...

we no longer have to have our SS number printed on our drivers license. There was a time when it was done, and if you paid by check in a store the cashier would ask for your license and write it down somewhere on the check...which, scarily enough, also had all your other information...name, address, and sometimes phone number. Not to mention date of birth on your license. Oh, what a fertile ground for scammers there!


anyway, one time Mr Pip was using a check to pay for something in a hardware store and handed over his license which contains all the usual info minus the SS number which was a random number assigned by the DMV. The clerk just about DEMANDED that he also state his SS number, saying she would not accept his check otherwise. Mr Pip said he would not give his SS number, citing the law, and also said that he would walk out and leave his purchases if the cashier persisted in her demand for his SS number. She didn't.


Like you said, there are people out there who just do not have the right to our SS number info...

[bobburgster]

22. Wow, I did not know some states had it on the license.

Talk about opening doors for identity theft.

[defendandprotect]

20. As far as corporations are concerned you're a zip code and SS number !!

[prolesunited]

21. First, call the police and file a report immediately

Then, contact all three credit bureaus and put a fraud alert on her account. Also, calls the bank.

She needs the police report to submit to all of the agencies.

You need to do this ASAP. It's amazing how quickly they work. Be proactive. Don't wait until something as happened as it's much more of a hassle to undo than to stop them in their tracks. You don't need to pay any company money. You can do this yourself in about an hour.

This site will lead you through the action steps:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/compromised.html