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Need help! Attempted Identity Theft


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Lady_Satine
Title: Head of Lexian R&D
Joined: Oct 15 2005
Location: Metro area, Georgia
PostPosted: Oct 21 2011 05:10 am Reply with quote Back to top

I applied for a job at Goodwill and was elated to hear I'd received a letter in the mail from them so soon after applying. However, having just opened it up; it turns out I somehow owe them 106.73 due to a check allegedly written by me back on August 5th for $76.73 (there's a $30 service charge unless I make the payment within 5 business days). Some red flags to this include:
* The enclosed photocopy of the check indicates that it was written on August 9th.
* Any attempt at pulling up the specific check in my records comes up nothing.
* I've never written a check, let alone one bearing the old bank's name.
* The signature is completely different than my own.
* The check is from my old address.
* The letter is dated on the 10th, yet I just now received it 10 days later (where it states that if I fail to pay within 10 business days from then, the dishonored check and all other info relating to the incident will be turned over to the sheriff.)

So how do I go about dealing with this identity theft? While the check's written parts are fake, the check itself comes from an old checkbook I've been assured was burnt up.


"Life is a waste of time. Time is a waste of life. Get wasted all the time, and you'll have the time of your life!"
 
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SoldierHawk
Moderator
Title: Warrior-Poet
Joined: Jan 15 2009
Location: San Diego, CA
PostPosted: Oct 21 2011 06:20 am Reply with quote Back to top

If I were in your shoes, I'd take the whole thing to my bank. It's in their interest to help you solve it, hopefully. I had my credit card number stolen a while back, and my bank was extremely helpful and made sure it was resolved quite painlessly. With all the evidence you have here, I hope it's much the same for you.

Also, you need to check all of you bank accounts for activity you didn't do, and--if at all possible--pull at least one free credit report.


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William Shakespeare wrote:
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

 
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Lady_Satine
Title: Head of Lexian R&D
Joined: Oct 15 2005
Location: Metro area, Georgia
PostPosted: Oct 21 2011 07:32 am Reply with quote Back to top

Yeah, I'm heading to my bank as soon as they open to have a person look this over.


"Life is a waste of time. Time is a waste of life. Get wasted all the time, and you'll have the time of your life!"
 
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Atma
Title: Dragoon
Joined: Apr 29 2010
Location: Cincinnati, OH
PostPosted: Oct 21 2011 11:07 am Reply with quote Back to top

I had a roommate steal checks from me once and cash them.

What I had to do was contact my bank, which then told me to contact my local police department to report the fraud. Once that was completed, they provided me with a copy of a police report, which I took to my local branch bank.

The bank really made it easy after that, they gave me the money back that was taken out of my account and put a stop on all other checks included in that book.

Also as a percaution, I contacted all 3 major credit agencies, got a copy of my credit report which showed a credit card out that I didn't have. I had to have it flagged and send a copy of the police report to them to dispute it.

Afterwords, then had the 3 credit agencies flag my name/social to make sure that anytime something new was attempted to be opened, I had to be contacted first to verify it.

Hope that helps.
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Lady_Satine
Title: Head of Lexian R&D
Joined: Oct 15 2005
Location: Metro area, Georgia
PostPosted: Oct 21 2011 11:33 am Reply with quote Back to top

Atma wrote:
Hope that helps.

Very helpful and I'm glad to see I'm rational enough to handle all of this with my level of awareness (I've been up since 8:56 p.m. to work and opened the letter when I got home around 4:30 a.m.)

Bank has been contacted, I was directed to the police station where I made an identity theft report (with an impending forgery report once I get the video tape from the store) complete with a case number. Then I went by the store I believed the check was written to (the check just says Goodwill) and was thankful to learn I was correct. I had a good talk with the manager who said she had been notified about the check as well. After getting some info that I needed to call their corporate office she told me she could probably get me the video footage from the day in question and would call me Monday or Tuesday after giving her my number and even my e-mail to be certain. After coming home, I called the corporate office who, after giving them my case number, told me they'd likely just need the police report faxed over and possibly an afadavit confirming I'm not the one who made that purchase.

I'll remember to take the report by bank after faxing a copy to Goodwill's corporate office. I don't think I'll be able to get any of this money since it wasn't actually taken out of my accounts (it was a long closed account), though it'd be nice. I'm sort of hoping they're willing to hire me as part of an apology for the whole mess once it's resolved. I plan on contacting the credit agencies as soon as I have the police report(s) in hand so I can dispute any claim(s) ASAP. The idea of requiring notification prior to opening anything new sounds like a great plan as well.


"Life is a waste of time. Time is a waste of life. Get wasted all the time, and you'll have the time of your life!"
 
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SoldierHawk
Moderator
Title: Warrior-Poet
Joined: Jan 15 2009
Location: San Diego, CA
PostPosted: Oct 21 2011 01:18 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Hell of a way to start a new job Laughing

I'm glad this is all being resolved. Although there are a lot of hoops, banks et al do try to make this process as painless as possible, it seems.


militarysignatures.com

William Shakespeare wrote:
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

 
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Douche McCallister
Moderator
Title: DOO-SHAY
Joined: Jan 26 2007
Location: Private Areas
PostPosted: Oct 21 2011 11:57 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Why doesn't Goodwill require identification for checks? Everywhere I go requires a Drivers License.


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