Maria Bernal-Silva, a 30-year-old hospitality worker and independent filmmaker, was aware of identity theft but became an expert on the subject when her own identity was stolen. This San Francisco resident tells her story.
Tell us about the incident. When did it happen? How did you find out?
I was buying a sandwich at Safeway and my Wells Fargo Credit card was declined for $10. Embarrassed, I used my Amex instead and went home to check my Wells Fargo online accounts.
What were the monetary damages of having your ID stolen? What did the person use your money for?
When I checked my Wells Fargo Online account, it stated that my credit card is in a temporary hold/suspension and to call a number for more info. I called and they asked me if I made purchases at Office Depot and Big Lots for $1,200.00 (I can't remember the exact amounts). They asked me if I had my credit card in my possession. I said yes, I'm holding it right now. They said that the Big Lots purchase was just made in Sacramento and indicates that my card was present and swiped. Also, a Verizon and Comcast bill was being paid online by someone (same name on both charges) using my checking account online.
How often do you make purchases online? What sites do you use the most when buying things online?
Not very often at all…However, in an effort to become more efficient and less wasteful of paper, I actually had just started paying my bills online at the individual Web sites. I think that may have been a mistake because all of the Web sites ask for your credit card number or your bank routing number and having that information out in so many different places isn't the safest.
What were the steps that you took once you found out that your information was stolen?
I called the bank (customer service), cancelled the credit card, contacted the 3 credit bureaus (Equifax, Transunion, and Experian), and went to the police station to report as much information as I could.
How well did your bank and the police react to your situation?
The police were excited to get the bills paid using my account so they could investigate the identity there after. The bank asked me questions that made me feel like they didn't believe me at first and that I let someone use my credit cards or checking account to pay a bill and forgot. I know they have to be thorough and I suppose fraud happens a lot.
How was the entire situation resolved? Did you get the money you lost? Was the person caught?
I don't know if the person was caught, the police have given me a record number if I want to follow up more. My credit card was cleared of the charges as well as my checking account.
Do you have clues into how your information was stolen?
It's possible that my card was duplicated. I found out that there is such a thing as a machine that can duplicate credit cards if someone, say, a store clerk, has your card and a machine. It's also possible the sites that I had been paying my bills on were not secure. Also, mail might have been stolen from my house.
Do you have tips for people who worry about having their ID stolen over the Internet?
The best thing is to really be careful of doing work on unsecured sites or networks. Be sure that the Internet connection you are using is secure and password protected and that you are careful of phishing sites. Also, when purchasing things online or even in the store itself, use a credit card if possible, not your debit card, because credit is much easier to recover from during an identity theft situation than debit, which is Point of Sale and comes out of your accounts directly. Since the bank’s and credit card’s reviewing process can take some time (mine took maybe a week), one cannot afford to have their accounts wiped out for any period of time. Also, avoid paper billing due to mail theft and have your bank statements emailed to you or check statements on a secure network online only – for example, the bank's official Web site.
What you should know about identity theft:
According to Liana Lehua, a self-titled “Techonista” and producer of the tech podcast, “Girls Gone Geek,” identity theft can be prevented by doing things both online and offline. First, Lehua suggests the installation of security software that protects users from phishing, authenticates Web sites, protects personal information and scans email, like Norton Internet Security. Your security software should have daily updates so it can be aware of online schemes and locate criminals. As mentioned before, phishing is a common way for identity theft to occur and it’s a computing term that describes a process where a site poses as a legitimate source and asks users to provide sensitive information, resulting in ID fraud.
Lehua also advises people to shred financial documents, avoid clicking on unsolicited email and refrain from using obvious passwords.
Posted by Asiana Ponciano
