Electronic signature capture devices are not designed to allow someone to accurately sign them. So why not switch from using my signature to an easy to draw secret symbol? [more inside]
posted on Jul 22, 2008 - 21 answers

How dangerous is throwing out old financial records, really? Don't want to pay to shred, and lots of peoples' trash is mixed with mine... [more inside]
posted on Jun 15, 2008 - 41 answers

What's the best way to go about reporting a case of harassment from creditors for debts I don't owe? [more inside]
posted on Jun 11, 2008 - 6 answers

Greetings. I am a journalist writing a story about people who use the Internet to mess with other people. I am concerned that some of my subjects (they are volatile, vindicative people who can dig up SS#s) will be angry with the story when it appears, and will try to use the Internet to mess with me. Specifically, I'm concerned that they will attempt to steal my identity and destroy my credit rating. So: What credit protection or credit watch service do you recommend? What other precautions should I take?
posted on Jun 10, 2008 - 10 answers

Is my boyfriend the victim of identity theft? [more inside]
posted on Jun 8, 2008 - 7 answers

Someone stole the ADP envelopes from my work by somehow calling ADP and asking to change the address. Apparently all the perpetrator needed was the name and address of our company. What do we do now? [more inside]
posted on May 30, 2008 - 16 answers

UK Data Protection: The borough council has 'mislaid' personal information. What would you do? [more inside]
posted on May 14, 2008 - 5 answers

Should I be concerned about the strange phone call I received today? Was it a creditor (looking for someone else) or a scam? [more inside]
posted on Mar 17, 2008 - 17 answers

Can gas station attendants access my credit card number when I pay at the pump? Similarly, can any normal cashier/bagger/checker/etc. at a store with a self-swipe console charge my account after I have left? [more inside]
posted on Jan 21, 2008 - 13 answers

Banks, stores and other businesses can't be trusted with personal (and especially financial) data. Nearly every week, a hacker breaks into a website or steal a laptop with 100,000 social security numbers. Since the US has inadequate data protection safeguards (compared to the EU), could forming a corporation or trust help me? [more inside]
posted on Jan 8, 2008 - 10 answers

The financial problems of someone who shared my name and former address are showing up on my credit report! How do I even begin to go about disputing this, should the credit agency's investigation not go in my favor? [more inside]
posted on Dec 2, 2007 - 7 answers

I have accidentally come into possession of someone's private data. Now what? [more inside]
posted on Nov 27, 2007 - 22 answers

Where are the zip codes with the highest/lowest home prices, and how do compare in terms of reported cases of identity theft? [more inside]
posted on Nov 2, 2007 - 5 answers

The f*cking idiots at CanadaPost have 'lost' my passport application, along with an brand-new official birth certificate (not a copy, and this just cost me $60) and a signed photocopy of my drivers license, and all the personal details in my application. Basically, a handy identity-theft kit has probably been stolen, perhaps with the help of a CanadaPost employee. I bought guaranteed, registered delivery to the passport office in Gatineau. CanadaPost's response is to offer to pay me back my shipping cost. [more inside]
posted on Sep 24, 2007 - 22 answers

Now what? I disputed a debt as a case of mistaken identity, but I'm still hearing from the credit agency! [more inside]
posted on Sep 16, 2007 - 10 answers

I am having problems with a debt collection agency who are being mean to me after an identity theft incident. Does anybody have any good advice? [more inside]
posted on Jun 23, 2007 - 18 answers

I lost my birth certificate in downtown Portland, Oregon. I live in Oakland, CA. My credit is shot, so I don't think I have to worry about that, but what should I worry about, and what can I do about it?
posted on Jun 21, 2007 - 3 answers

How likely/difficult would it be to steal identity information from an e-mail attachment, like a Word document or an Excel file? [more inside]
posted on Jun 14, 2007 - 8 answers

How did someone steal my Debit card number, fabricate a fake card, then get my PIN? + How can I catch them? [more inside]
posted on May 23, 2007 - 22 answers

Members of my family conspired to create a false identity for a sibling years ago--mine! How can I ensure that this ID is no longer being used? [more inside]
posted on May 16, 2007 - 11 answers

I just got a statement in the mail from my health insurance company for some lab tests that I'm *pretty* sure I didn't go in for, not having had to go to the doctor or get any tests done since I got said insurance (at least that I can recall). Now what? [more inside]
posted on Apr 28, 2007 - 5 answers

I recently found out that I've been a victim of mortgage fraud. In short, someone stole my identity and took out a ~400k mortgage on a house in MA, in my name and with my credit. Has anyone out there been through this? What can I expect going forward? [more inside]
posted on Jan 5, 2007 - 16 answers

A warrant is going to be issued for my arrest in an hour-and-a-half for passing off bad checks I didn't write. That is, someone has my old checks from a bank account I closed over almost a year ago, and they're now using them. What the hell do I do? [more inside]
posted on Dec 22, 2006 - 47 answers

Merry Christmas, Your personal laptop's been stolen at work. Now... how do you handle replacing it? But wait... there's [more inside]
posted on Dec 15, 2006 - 14 answers

Someone's signing up for internet accounts using my Yahoo email address. Help! [more inside]
posted on Oct 16, 2006 - 23 answers

What kind of personal information should I never give out and what are exceptions? [more inside]
posted on Aug 31, 2006 - 12 answers

I am Canadian, living in Canada. If I thought some of my personal information was stolen (SIN, address, birth date etc), what would be my most prudent course of action to avoid identity theft?
posted on Aug 24, 2006 - 2 answers

I spotted this housing post on Craigslist, and when I clicked on the link posted inside it, it sent me straight into the inbox of my Yahoo mail account. Was this a phishing attempt? [more inside]
posted on May 25, 2006 - 12 answers

When you sign for your credit card, do they save the digital signature? (A little more to it, too) [more inside]
posted on May 20, 2006 - 21 answers

I've fallen for a phishing attempt. Based on what they may have, what do I do now? [more inside]
posted on Mar 30, 2006 - 17 answers

Lost mail and potential identity theft: what to do? [more inside]
posted on Jan 25, 2006 - 6 answers

I sent my (original) passport, divorce papers and a form with all my identifying information to the social security office. Too bad FedEx delivered it to some random house. What do I do now? [more inside]
posted on Jan 23, 2006 - 13 answers

I just found out my new CA driver's license was lost in the mail. If someone else has it, what are my risks in regards to identity theft, etc?
posted on Jan 3, 2006 - 3 answers

Credit card number and address was stolen. $2200 of camera/DVD equipment was bought. Stranger: it's been shipped to my address. Tomorrow. What would you do? [more inside]
posted on Dec 12, 2005 - 42 answers

Are identity theft protection services worth the $$$? I'm referring specifically to services like TrueCredit and PrivacyGuard, but I know that several large US banks (i.e. Wells Fargo, Washington Mutual) also offer them as well.
posted on Aug 31, 2005 - 6 answers

Following a link to foxstore.com revealed another person's address, phone, and credit card information. [more inside]
posted on Aug 19, 2005 - 5 answers

My employer requires me to have a credit card for travel. The card is issued by Bank Of America. I had to provide my social security number and much personal data to get this 'official Government Travel' card. Recently BOA lost a whole bunch of data. Should I be concerned? [more inside]
posted on Mar 3, 2005 - 4 answers

In light of the recent scamming of ChoicePoint, I want to know if my information has been compromised. [more inside]
posted on Mar 3, 2005 - 2 answers

How accessible should the archives of one's blog be? In terms of privacy and security, are there certain things that should not be able to be Googled? [more inside]
posted on Feb 28, 2005 - 11 answers

I had to cut up my credit card today because I definitely was not the person who charged sixty bucks for gas in Israel. What should be I be doing now to ensure that there are no other negative repercussions, in regards to identity theft and anything else that I may be overlooking. (MI)
posted on Feb 4, 2005 - 15 answers