# How the f\*ck did they get all of my hubby's CC#s and not mine?? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 22, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133 "2003-01-22T02:40:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/1 "2003-01-22T02:40:21Z")
Okay, in a recent thread, I mentioned someone had used my hubby’s credit card info. They have since tried (and failed, thankfully) to use the _other_ cards issued in his name. But, nothing in our joint name–a credit card, the bank accounts, etc–have been touched. (Yet…and we’re in the process of switching all account numbers.) It seems a logical progression that this is linked to mail theft from October of this past year. BUT…what was stolen were the bill payments for ONE of the compromised credit cards and then utilities: water, cable, and phone. None of those utility bills have any credit card info on hand, and all of them are in MY name, not hubby’s. It’s quite obvious whoever this is has access to ALL of hubby’s credit card numbers. And they’re no beginner; apparently, they’re manufacturing cards of their own in hubby’s own name! (The third compromised card’s fraud department had reached that conclusion.) They’re just failing because some of the non-number info is incorrect. I’m just wondering how the **HELL** they got all this for ALL the cards! How could they possibly have done this when NONE of the bills _sent_ to us are missing, no other payments have been missed, we throw NO receipts away, none of these cards are used on the Net, etc. How on Earth did they get all this dirt on hubby–and not me, esp. since my name was on more of that stolen mail than his??? ---
**Author:** ![gus28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6de8d8/32.png) [@gus28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gus28)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/2 "2003-01-22T04:05:23Z")
No offense, but I hope this isn’t explained. No need to post on a public message board on how to do this. (My credit is bad enough as it is) ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/3 "2003-01-22T04:07:03Z")
See [http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/](http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/) ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/4 "2003-01-22T05:06:07Z")
**gus** , I completely understand. Please, if anyone has ideas on HTF they did this, please _ **email me** _ at the address linked here. Tonight we went to the bank to change our checking account and ATM card numbers…and found out that just _yesterday_ Mr. Thief Bastard had used a copy–he actually _made his own card_–to withdraw cash in PERSON at a local bank. It was such a small transaction–probably just testing the account, the teller said–that it went unnoticed. We can’t even protest the transactions yet because they are processed completely yet; they post tonight. But tomorrow it’ll all be taken care of–we’ll get that money back–and the accounts are all closed. So take THAT! Mr. Rat Bastard is out of numbers, at least now. GRRR! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/5 "2003-01-22T05:39:39Z")
Does the info. in the link above give any clue? ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/6 "2003-01-22T05:58:44Z")
Not as to how they got the info–I’ve never heard of the hacked health site. But it does have good information as far as what to do from here. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/7 "2003-01-22T14:29:47Z")
Okay…big question. We’re wondering if somehow they have hubby’s SSN. If they _do_…would they be able to access the new account #s? (We’re unsure if they have that–some of the CC account info they’re attempting is wrong, and when they called Nextel and tried to order, the SSN they gave wasn’t hubby’s. But–well, nothing would surprise us now.) At this point, it’s only a big hassle. There’s been no loss to us, and thankfully no damage to our credit. We’re going to order credit reports every month to monitor the situation. Does anyone know how long a fraud alert stays on your credit report? Months, years? ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/8 "2003-01-22T15:57:33Z")
There’s info. on the Net under “identity theft” and “fraud alert.” Some info. explains how getting a fraud alert could make it difficult for you to use your own credit. See [http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,56623,00.html](http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,56623,00.html) [http://www.experian.com/ask\_max/fraud\_identity\_theft.html](http://www.experian.com/ask_max/fraud_identity_theft.html) ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/9 "2003-01-22T17:53:34Z")
I have to disagree with **gus28**. The criminals already know how to do this. By knowing how they get this information in the first place, we can better protect ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/10 "2003-01-22T21:20:52Z")
I don’t think it’s related to your mail theft. In the news recently, a guy was busted accesing credit information and selling it. He worked for a credit reporting agency, and hence had all the accounts of those he stold. Maybe your hubby got hit, but joint and your info was not. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-f-ck-did-they-get-all-of-my-hubbys-cc-s-and-not-mine/150133/11 "2003-01-23T12:31:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NurseCarmen \* > \*\*I don’t think it’s related to your mail theft. In the news recently, a guy was busted accesing credit information and selling it. He worked for a credit reporting agency, and hence had all the accounts of those he stold. Maybe your hubby got hit, but joint and your info was not. \*\* Current news about this: [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,76341,00.html](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,76341,00.html) > [@](#): > > “What we’re seeing increasingly is identity theft because some insider steals information and sells it,” Beales said. “It’s a significant law enforcement problem and a significant business education problem.”