Community Chat

[bluecrab33]

I received a letter from Sprint yesterday stating that my credit application could not be approved because it wasn't complete. There was an 800 number to call if I wished to follow up and complete the application. I have never ever applied for credit with Sprint. I was fortunate to get an extremely helpful service rep when I called the 800 number. She confirmed that the application was in my name and address. The application also had my correct social security number on it. The application was made at a Best Buy store. The ONLY reason the application was not approved was because I had frozen my credit information with the three major credit bureaus and they could not check it.

I remember that Experian had a huge breach not that long ago, but who knows if that is how someone obtained my information. I know this happens every day, but for those of you on the fence about freezing your credit information it is something to think about. 

[Ladylaughsalot]

That happened to me a year ago - Citibank called me to ask if I had applied for a Citibank credit card. I told them I had not. They advised me to freeze my credit, and I did so right away. DH and I had just bought a new home, so we think the culprit got information through our closing process. 

[drizzellla]

That has happened to me and so I also applied a freeze on my credit. I wish I had also applied a freeze on my parents credit. Both were in a nursing home. So I knew they would not be using credit cards or opening new ones.

Some resourceful person opened a Dell Computer credit card in my Dad's name. The person had a wonderful time buying computers, digital cameras, monitors and laptops. I talked to Dell credit. I have no idea what they were looking at, when they approved the credit application. Birthday was off by more than 50 years, address was more than 30 miles away from one another, nothing on the credit application agreed but Dell approved it.

So please don't forget the seniors when applying credit freezes.

PS - I ended up being the lucky person that got over 8 years of  persistant collection calls on my landline and cell phone from collection agencies.

[godi]

You gotta be so careful today. I called Discover to inquire about something and that employee started a buying spree on my card!  Discover caught them and apologized to me and gave me free credit monitoring for a year. 

[bluecrab33]

I have no idea why I did not freeze the credit accounts for my husband when I did mine, but without a doubt I am doing it today.

I read about a gal who filled out a credit ap for a new apartment, and discovered when the landlord did a credit check that someone had opened a Sprint account in her name and that the account had been turned over to collections for a $600+ overdue balance.

I remember when the biggest security concern was having your credit card information stolen from the carbon copy of the charge that was thrown in the trash. Anybody else remember those "stamping" mechanisms when your card was placed in that contraption with a handle and the card information imprinted on three pieces of paper - one copy for you, one copy for the retailer and the carbon went into the trash. 

Of course I also remember the rotary dial phone and the days when my phone bill was one page. LOL

[NicksmomESQ]

DH & I got a letter from the IRS about 4 years ago. Is was at the start of tax season.They wanted us to call them ASAP to verify that we filed our joint return!! We hadn't  filed yet!! 

   I called the number & apparently someone got a hold of our SS #'s & filed a phoney return requesting a large refund & that it be mailed to a different address.We don't get refunds, we usually owe money.Thankfully, they caught it in time.

   After a stressful time of notifying banks,filing police reports & locking down our credit with the bureaus we were finally protected!! What a mess.

   Edited to add that now, each year the IRS sends us a pin# to put on our taxes when filed. Without the pin our tax return would be rejected.

[chrystaltree]

Everyone should have already frozen their credit but if they didn't this is a perfect example of why they should do it now.  I had a similar experience a few months ago.  Someone tried to open  credit card under my name, I also was given an 800 number to call and the matter was resolved.  I think we forget that our personal is out there; it's in all the old documents and applications that we used years ago.  Much of that paper is in basements and storerooms and  old filing cabinets and it's easy pickings for those who are looking for that type of information.  

[Ainhisg]

Good to know that freezing works!  When the big Experian fiasco happened, I froze my elderly mother's, my husband's, and my credit.  It will probably be a bear to open back up when my husband needs to buy a new vehicle, but we will see.

[Eileen in Virginia]

This happened to us in the mid-90's (we were pioneers). Check your existing accounts to make sure they didn't change your address. The only way we found out that our identities had been stolen was when 1 credit card company wrote to confirm that we'd moved from Northern Virginia to the Bronx (we hadn't). When DH called, he also got an extremely helpful customer service rep, who told him how to work with the credit bureaus and the security staff at other credit card companies. The thieves had our full SSN's, all credit card numbers and our birthdays. They acted so fast, it was very hard to get ahead of them. Although I was working at the time, I was lucky that it was a slow period so I was able to devote time to working with the authorities to stop the thieves. Eventually, the Secret Service and the Postal Inspection Service cracked this ring. We were fortunate in that we didn't have to pay for any of the debt they incurred in our name. 

[Cats3000]

If you called the 800 number on the letter, you may have left yourself open to the scam.

You NEVER call a number on ANYTHING you don't recognize, no matter how "official" it looks or sounds.  You should have called the regular 800 number for Sprint as shown on it's website.