Community Chat

[SharkE]

I keep getting email saying "thank you for your recent order from Saks"

(yeah, right LOL) anyway, also, got one from Staples. Goes on like

Re: your recent order, in answer to your inquiry, acting like YOU have done

something relative to their business and to "go here" to verify something or the other. I turned in to my ISP told them to open it for me to make sure it was a fake. They said probably contained virus or a timed virus that some time in the future would wipe out your pc.

I knew Saks was a fake, but, Staples I do business with in 'real time', so, was curious, but, these types of emails are making the rounds right now

[novamc1]

A neighbor told me last night that she received a letter delivered by USPS from Hewlett Packard saying HP was  "sorry they could not deliver the five computers she had ordered, because she had frozen her credit and the order could not be approved".

She soon found out that the perpetrator of this scam had all of her vital personal information and had attempted to use  it to buy computers.

Guess that indicates the value of a credit freeze.

It probably would pay to contact any retailer that sends notices like that, because it could mean someone has opened some type of credit account using your identity.

[SharkE]

WOW !

[happycat]

Thanks for the heads up @SharkE

[SharkE]

People not familiar with the ways of the world, elderly,  might be taken in.

Nothing worse then having to pay to restore your computer due to some idiot spreading havoc.   Makes me fume !

[Eileen in Virginia]

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@novamc1 wrote:

A neighbor told me last night that she received a letter delivered by USPS from Hewlett Packard saying HP was  "sorry they could not deliver the five computers she had ordered, because she had frozen her credit and the order could not be approved".

She soon found out that the perpetrator of this scam had all of her vital personal information and had attempted to use  it to buy computers.

Guess that indicates the value of a credit freeze.

It probably would pay to contact any retailer that sends notices like that, because it could mean someone has opened some type of credit account using your identity.

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If your neighbor hasn’t already done so, she needs to make sure they haven’t tried to open new credit cards in her name. They can do this if they’ve got her personal information. She can check through the 3 credit bureaus. If they’ve tried to open new accounts, she can set up a password that would be required to open new accounts or make major purchases.

[novamc1]

@Eileen in Virginia

The neighbor I was mentioning above is well familiar with all necessary steps to take care of problems like this.  Her identity has been stolen before.  That's why she set up the credit freezes with all credit bureaus in the first place.  That's how HP knew not to send the computers anywhere.

[glb613]

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@novamc1 wrote:

@Eileen in Virginia

The neighbor I was mentioning above is well familiar with all necessary steps to take care of problems like this.  Her identity has been stolen before.  That's why she set up the credit freezes with all credit bureaus in the first place.  That's how HP knew not to send the computers anywhere.

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What is she doing to get her identity stolen twice? 

[novamc1]

@glb613

As I said, she had already initiated credit freezes with all credit bureaus to prevent any further abuse of her identity.  That's how she didn't wind up on the financial hook for five computers she didn't order.

My credit card number has been stolen and abused before.  My identity and personal information has been spread far and wide, no doubt, by data breaches which have been happening everywhere in recent years.

As a former federal government employee, I can thank the federal Ofice of Personnel Management for losing the complete personal information on EVERYONE who has ever worked for the feds.  I can also thank Experian for a breach of data that affected just about everyone in the U.S.

This is old news, and the neighbor's experience is not unique.

[fthunt]

Computer delivered to my door - several years ago UPS wanted me to sign for it - no - I didn't order a computer.  Apparently thorough some transaction I did - thief got my VISA card number but "forgot" to change - or couldn't at the last minute -  change the ship to address.  Bank killed my cc# and issued a new one.