Paypal Scam/ Credit Monitoring Question...

[brigmaman]

I know there has been some discussion here about Paypal scams, so I thought I'd ask this question for my Dad. Yesterday he got an emai that said it looked as though someone had used his account on Feb. 15th. There was a link that it said to click on to find out details. So unfortunately he clicked on the link, put in a ton of info then the screen closed. He never actually closed the page or clicked submit, so he doesn't know if someone has his info or not.
Long story short, the email did not come from Paypal. Now it is possible someone has his info.
Is there any way to monitor(sp?- not at home, no dictionary)his credit to make sure nothing is going on. I see that you can pay the credit bureaus to moniter it for you for about $5 a month.
Is there anything else he should be doing?

[mamahill]

Call the three bureaus and put fraud alerts on them. They will automatically send you his credit reports free of charge. Go through them, anything that looks fishy deserves a phone call. Anything that is obviously wrong deserves a call to your local police department (file a police report), and then notifying the credit bureaus as well as the vendor.

If everything looks fine, then I'd check back in 3-6 months. Also, I should point out that putting "Fraud Alerts" on your accounts will make it (virtually) impossible for your dad to get instant credit anywhere. But it also prevents others from getting it in his name (the vendor should call the phone number associated with the SSN). These initial Fraud Alerts only last 3-6 months, though, so if you would like to extend it 5-7 years, call back and request the extended alert. Requesting your credit report once a year after that would be fine, and is advisable to anyone, regardless of "run-ins." You'd be surprised at what information turns up (both correct, and not).

Let me know if you have any questions. Over a year ago DH and I were victims of Identity Theft. It sucked, but I learned a ton, and now occasionally talk to women's groups (and the occasional man;) ) about protecting identity, and how best to handle the situation. You should see my files - they're MASSIVE.

Best wishes.

[2004mamma]

I was basically going to tell you exactly what Sarah said. Here are the numbers of the three main credit bureaus:

Equifax
· Report fraud:
800-525-6285
· Order copy of report:
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Or call: 800-685-1111
· Dispute information in report:
P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374-0256
Or call the phone number provided in your credit report
· Opt out of pre-approved offers of credit:
800-219-1251 (California only)
Or write: Equifax Options, P.O. Box 740123, Atlanta GA 30374-0123


Experian
· Report fraud:
888-397-3742
By mail: Experian National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 9530
Allen, TX 75013
· Order copy of report:
Experian National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
Or call: 888-397-3742
· Dispute information in report:
Contact Experian at address and phone number provided on your credit report
· Opt out of pre-approved offers of credit:
Call 888-567-8688
Opt out of marketing lists:
Call 800-407-1088


TransUnion
· Report fraud:
800-680-7289
· Order copy of report:
P.O. Box 390
Springfield, PA 19064
Or call: 800-916-8800

I also got this off of a site on the internet about what to do if you have been a victim of identity fraud:

Identity Fraud:
WHAT IF IT HAPPENS TO ME? Identity theft is a multi-faceted problem that is unlikely to go away. If you should become a victim, you will need to take action quickly: Follow the following suggestions will get you started in the right direction.
· Notify the police, banks, and creditors immediately,
· Obtain a copy of your police report (as evidence of the fraud having been perpetrated),
· Cancel all existing credit cards, accounts, passwords and PINs, and replace them with entirely new ones,
· Call the credit bureaus and ask each to attach a fraud alert and victim's statement to your report,
· Ask creditors to call you prior to adding any new items to your report,
· Have all corrections forwarded to anyone who has received your credit report within the past two years. Ask for a free copy of your report after three months,
· Contact the post office if you suspect that an identity thief has filed a change of address form for your name, and is diverting your mail to another address,
· Alert all utility companies that someone has been using your identity fraudulently and inform the appropriate authorities that someone may be abusing your SIN and/or driver's license number,
· Take action to have any criminal or civil judgments against you that may have resulted from your identity thief's actions, permanently removed,
· Keep a log of all your contacts and make copies of all documents. You may also wish to contact a privacy or consumer advocacy group.

Hope this is not the case and that the fraud alerts are placed before anything happens.

Kristen

[brigmaman]

Thank you so much Sarah and Kristen! We really appreciate you both taking the time to help out! You're the best, hope I can return the favor some day!