# possible identity theft?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-identity-theft/152135>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [February 1, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-identity-theft/152135 "2003-02-01T18:28:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-identity-theft/152135/1 "2003-02-01T18:28:44Z")

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I go online to check my bank balance this morning and I find a charge ($939.00) that I did not make made on the internet with my debit card (which I have with me offshore), I called the place where the charge was made and the e-commerce dude will not be in until monday, I called my bank and they say “wait until you talk to the dude” so here I sit, waiting, this sucks, it’s like waiting outside of the principals office in school, I won’t bounce any checks but I’m damn near broke now.

WHAT DO I DO?

unclviny

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**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-identity-theft/152135/2 "2003-02-01T19:36:04Z")

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I can’t believe they said wait for the IT guy. Whoever did this could clean out your account. Call the bank again and get someone responsible on the phone.

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**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-identity-theft/152135/3 "2003-02-01T22:20:58Z")

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I agree with Stol. Call someone NOW.

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**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-identity-theft/152135/4 "2003-02-02T01:39:34Z")

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Another chiming in: call your bank, and DO NOT LET THEM GIVE YOU THE RUNAROUND! If they try to do so, sic the BBB and your state’s Attourney General upon them. (_eyes spelling, and fehs: hopefully that’s somewhat correct_)

If they give you shit, switch banks. Don’t hesitate to tell them exactly why you are leaving them. Your money, identity, and peace of mind are at stake here.

* * *

\<\< A mainframe: The biggest PC peripheral available. \>\>

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**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-identity-theft/152135/5 "2003-02-02T01:55:00Z")

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It’s not identity theft\*. They stole the account number and expiration date.  
Call the bank and report it. Get a fraud case started.

\*Identity theft being defined as ‘personal information (such as social security number) stolen and used to fraudulently acquire credit.’ Sorry, it’s a pet peeve of mine that all credit card fraud gets lumped under ID theft. There’s a million types of fraud.

hardygrrl, fraud analyst