Identify theft

Thank you Whiff for letting us know. These things are worrying.

Thank goodness they emailed you, now at least you are aware.
I worry that nothing digital is really safe.

A friend of mine got hacked 2 months ago it took her a month to get everything sorted out. We have become so used to using technology for daily life . Don't realise how much you have to do too make everything safe. Thankfully they didn't take anything out of bank accounts. But they had tried to purchase things in her name and using her email luckily she had already alerted the companies she used that she had been hacked .

Namsnanny

Thank goodness they emailed you, now at least you are aware.
I worry that nothing digital is really safe.

How right you are.

I was astounded recently to find a friend of mine has been hacked or scammed[cant remember quite which] about 4 times, one way and another.
Another couple of people in that group, once each.

Someone hacked into my phone account at the providers end nothing to do with me at all They ordered expensive stuff using their address but my name and account number It was a nightmare, needing the companies fraud department to be working on it for a couple of months to try and sort it all out and just when they thought it was all done it happened again
Eventually it all got sorted and I got a months free phone for all the trouble but even their fraud dept couldn’t work out how it had been done
They said they are constantly having to try and get over new scams

My friend threw out some important docs, name, address, DOB 😩 can someone open a catalogue account with these details? I alway shred everything, even junk mail with my details

Mt61 I would ask CA . But I would imagine they would need bank details. Because of the way catalogue payments are made . Plus they would need if you applied on line photos of birth certificate, proof of address say council tax bill and another bill to back it up.

I know when I applied for my disabled bus pass even though I had got a senior bus pass they needed proof of address ,my PIP decision letter and a picture of me to be attached to the electronic form .

I’m reading this thread with interest, as I’ve been asked to send a copy of my birth certificate by email. I feel uneasy about it and wondered what others would think.

That sounds wrong to me Crocus5 - not that I know much about this subject.

Crocus don't send it . Phone the person or company who has asked for it . I did that before attaching my proof so I knew what they wanted it for ,also that they destroyed the proof I sent after they sent my new pass.

Just heard back from Reddit they say I set up the account myself and choose my username.

I have made it crystal clear I wouldn't been seen dead on Reddit and that they have a couple of days to remove my details .

Pointed out identity theft is illegal .

The wording of the email was as if I was some idiot who didn't know what she was doing . 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

It could be that someone made a mistake with their email address. Mine is my surname then my first name as the other way had already been used, however without thinking I have signed up to things putting it the other way round, the person that has that email address would have received emails from that company.

Crocus5

I’m reading this thread with interest, as I’ve been asked to send a copy of my birth certificate by email. I feel uneasy about it and wondered what others would think.

Absolutely NOT! It's a scammer.

These days, lawyers and banks moving large sums of clients money from A to B (conveyance, Wills, opening bank account) etc, must seek detailed proofs of ID to defeat money laundering.

But my own lawyer who has known me for years, warned me ON NO ACCOUNT to ever email any ID to her (bank details, passport, etc). as scammers often target solicitors email accounts. Same with my bank. Whatever documents they legitimately need to see, I take there in person.

Thank you all who advised against it. I knew in my own mind that I would not do it, but wanted to see what others felt.BUT UNBELIEVABLY the request came from a solicitor’s office (conveyancing). I took the personal documents by hand. It left me wondering though, that there must be people who are not able, for various reasons, to do this and would have to send them electronically.

My email address is simply my name @provider, and I often get emails from firms where someone has used my address to open accounts. I usually just reply, asking them to remove my address from their records. What I don’t understand is why these ladies don’t ever wonder why they never hear from companies they have bought from.
This week, a Canadian with my name has signed up to Match.com, and I have tried to unsubscribe, to no avail.
I got this one this morning

Hi Daddima

Greetings from Shophelp! It's Rosie supporting you.

We appreciate your notice that someone has accidentally inputted your address for their order. We will try to contact the customer and fix this issue right away.

Sorry for any inconvenience that caused to you.

Best regards,

Rosie
Shophelp Customer Service Representative

I can’t get rid of another lady’s doggy supplies purchases!

I do hang on to them all for a few weeks, why, I have no idea!

Crocus5

I’m reading this thread with interest, as I’ve been asked to send a copy of my birth certificate by email. I feel uneasy about it and wondered what others would think.

Crocus5
If you absolutely can’t get an important document any other way than electronically you can use end to end encryption through Google messenger.

Well the saga with Reddit continues. I asked them when the account using my details was set up 17th December 2020. Five years 🤬.

But they have shot themselves in the foot because I was in hospital all that day and didn't have my phone with me and no one has access to my phone it was at home . Plus I wasn't capable of doing anything that day let alone open up an account on Reddit.

They sent a form to fill out using my account details. But pointed out I did not set up an account so can't and will not fill in the form . See what happens next .

My mind boggles what the fraud has written on Reddit .

Success Reddit is irreversibly deleting the account .

Well done Whiff. Your perseverance paid off in the end.

Good for you whiff.