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July 21, 2006
Travel Scams & Other Forms of ID Theft
I've gotten three phone calls trying to get me to confirm travel vouchers that I allegedly signed up for over the internet. Let's be clear: I would never do such a thing. Further, I told the first person that I didn't sign up and that I wanted to be removed from the list. I still received "ticket vouchers" in the mail for Florida. This morning, I received a call from "Mario" to discuss the travel to Williamsburg, Virginia that I signed up for. I told him I was a victim of identity theft and asked him to not call me again. I should have found out what bogus company he "worked for" before hanging up.
Two days ago, I received a package in the mail from Columbia House. It says I signed up for a DVD Club, and included a dvd that I already own. It listed 800-262-2001 as the number to call with questions. I have spent at least a half hour trying to get through the automated system (on various call attempts) to speak to a human being. There is no way to do so. There is also no option for cancelling membership. I tried their web contact form. If you choose the Cancel Membership Subject line, it directs you to call the 800 number to speak to a Customer Service Representative.
I tried searching online for help from other consumers. The info I found on a forum was out of date.
Finally, I used the web contact form and the subject line "Membership Obligation." Here is the email I wrote:
My friend suggested that these incidents indicate that I am a victim of identity theft. I looked that up online two nights ago and found the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft website. From there, I contact Experian to place a 90 day warning on my credit. It was not clear that I could order a copy of my credit report via Experian's automated system.
Your phone number, 800-262-2001 has no option to speak with a human being. There is also no option for cancelling membership. I have spent at least a half hour trying to get through to a human being. Even your email system refuses to accept an email labelled Cancel Membership.I am very disturbed that someone signed me up for your program - I NEVER SIGNED UP AND DO NOT WANT A MEMBERSHIP.
To repeat, CANCEL THIS MEMBERSHIP WHICH I NEVER APPLIED FOR.
I expect email confirmation that you have cancelled this membership.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Minster
Today, after receiving that creepy call at 8:30am about travel to Virginia, I tried to find the Chicago Police Department's Fraud Division. From CPD, I opened the PDF on ID Theft published by the FTC.
From the pdf, I found the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline. (Mind you, this websearch started b/c I thought I'd be 21st century and not call 311 to find my local police department.) 877-438-4338. The extremely unhelpful person that I finally reached on the other line after sifting through more automated crap said that nothing could be done without a copy of my credit report as proof of ID theft. I said, so you're telling me the federal government has no way of helping me protect my identity until I contact a private credit reporting agency? He gave me the same number for Experian to request a copy of my credit report. (When I placed the warning on my file two nights ago, the automated system only told me that I would receive a written request for a copy in the mail; not that I could order it over the phone.) I refused the man-whose-English-wasn't-very-good's offer to file a FTC report, since he basically said it would be worthless without credit report information.
So I called back Experian and tried to order my credit report and credit score. Turns out the credit report is free if you suspect you're a victim of ID Theft, but you have to pay 7 bucks for the credit score (which one of my credit cards already tells me). But there was no option to cancel you request and return to the previous menu. So I had to hang up and go through the process again.
Supposedly, I'll be getting a copy of my Credit Report within 7-10 business days.
I can't believe this all is happening on top of everything else going on in my life...
Posted by cj at July 21, 2006 10:34 AM