Comments on: Dealing with Identity Theft http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:39:04 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: John Quiggin http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156360 John Quiggin Sun, 21 May 2006 03:40:44 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156360 Christopher, I thought I had read somewhere that the credit rating agencies had statutory protection against defamation actions resulting from bogus information. Do you have any knowledge of this? Christopher, I thought I had read somewhere that the credit rating agencies had statutory protection against defamation actions resulting from bogus information. Do you have any knowledge of this?

]]> By: Randolph Fritz http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156338 Randolph Fritz Sat, 20 May 2006 18:59:51 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156338 In general, when fraud is suspected, it is best to report it quickly with a certified letter. Don't talk to their people--you will never be given the opportunity to speak with the person you need. (Exceptions: small local banks and credit unions.) It is very hard for a business to deny a paper trail; they know it and will usually act on a reasonable request delivered in this manner. I suspect that polite letters from an attorney to the businesses involved would quickly resolve the matter; one has to decide if this is worth the money. In the long run, of course we need new laws; in the short run, these are probably the best courses open to us. In general, when fraud is suspected, it is best to report it quickly with a certified letter. Don’t talk to their people—you will never be given the opportunity to speak with the person you need. (Exceptions: small local banks and credit unions.) It is very hard for a business to deny a paper trail; they know it and will usually act on a reasonable request delivered in this manner. I suspect that polite letters from an attorney to the businesses involved would quickly resolve the matter; one has to decide if this is worth the money. In the long run, of course we need new laws; in the short run, these are probably the best courses open to us.

]]> By: mike http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156309 mike Sat, 20 May 2006 06:03:02 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156309 They hang up actually when they r not able to solve your problem further. Its an advantage to call when manager is there and don't be rude with them,after all they r there to help u. They attend poorly to the customers who are impolite with them. So decision is yours........ They hang up actually when they r not able to solve your problem further. Its an advantage to call when manager is there and don’t be rude with them,after all they r there to help u. They attend poorly to the customers who are impolite with them.
So decision is yours……..

]]> By: Christopher Ball http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156308 Christopher Ball Sat, 20 May 2006 04:47:48 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156308 What should the law be? Shipley's problem was that money was stolen from his account. Most identity theft cases involve someone running up debt in someone else's name. The hassle involves getting the record of the debt cleared from <i>your</i> name. In <a href="http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=472&invol=749" rel="nofollow">D&B v. Greenmoss</a>, the "liberal" justices dissented and argued that allowing <i>punitive</i> damages against credit reporting agencies without showing "actual malice" would undermine free speech protections. Should we make it easier to pursue libel suits? What should the law be? Shipley’s problem was that money was stolen from his account. Most identity theft cases involve someone running up debt in someone else’s name. The hassle involves getting the record of the debt cleared from your name.

In D&B v. Greenmoss, the “liberal” justices dissented and argued that allowing punitive damages against credit reporting agencies without showing “actual malice” would undermine free speech protections.

Should we make it easier to pursue libel suits?

]]> By: Martin Bento http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156286 Martin Bento Fri, 19 May 2006 19:18:33 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156286 The real solution for identity theft is anonymous transactions. In an electronic cash system where it does not matter who you are, but only whether you have an appropriate electronic key, there is no identity to steal. There is the matter of securing the key, of course, but that is a finite and well-defined technical matter that can be addressed head-on, whereas protecting identity requires hacks around the entire existing social system where identity is referenced and used in myriad ways, a possibly intractable problem. The real solution for identity theft is anonymous transactions. In an electronic cash system where it does not matter who you are, but only whether you have an appropriate electronic key, there is no identity to steal. There is the matter of securing the key, of course, but that is a finite and well-defined technical matter that can be addressed head-on, whereas protecting identity requires hacks around the entire existing social system where identity is referenced and used in myriad ways, a possibly intractable problem.

]]> By: alan http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156271 alan Fri, 19 May 2006 16:31:09 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156271 When I was dealing with this three or fours years ago, it was really terrible. A couple of companies were pretty good to work with and even returned my calls. Representatives for another company (coincidentally the one where the $5K leather sofas were charged with a no-identity-check account and a scribble), however, refused to even give me the direct number for their fraud department. Each time I called, I had to wade through a tier-one customer service representative who refused to give me his or her name and tried to convince me that everything was okay. Police procedures are a nightmare, too: If the fraudulent purchases aren't made locally, the local cops won't help. And the cops at the purchase location won't take a report because you don't live there. Our case was a rare criminal justice success: Months later we got a call that a woman had been arrested and charged with dozens of fraud counts. We dutifully sent off all our records (after confirming the identity of the San Antonio investigator!) and she was later convicted. When I was dealing with this three or fours years ago, it was really terrible. A couple of companies were pretty good to work with and even returned my calls. Representatives for another company (coincidentally the one where the $5K leather sofas were charged with a no-identity-check account and a scribble), however, refused to even give me the direct number for their fraud department. Each time I called, I had to wade through a tier-one customer service representative who refused to give me his or her name and tried to convince me that everything was okay. Police procedures are a nightmare, too: If the fraudulent purchases aren’t made locally, the local cops won’t help. And the cops at the purchase location won’t take a report because you don’t live there.

Our case was a rare criminal justice success: Months later we got a call that a woman had been arrested and charged with dozens of fraud counts. We dutifully sent off all our records (after confirming the identity of the San Antonio investigator!) and she was later convicted.

]]> By: Steve LaBonne http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156259 Steve LaBonne Fri, 19 May 2006 14:42:16 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156259 The law isn't broken- it's exactly the way the corporate lobbyists, who write the laws nowadays, want it. The law isn’t broken- it’s exactly the way the corporate lobbyists, who write the laws nowadays, want it.

]]> By: ohyeah http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156257 ohyeah Fri, 19 May 2006 14:10:03 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156257 Howie's got nothing on me. I begin all my calls by telling them that I rate *higher*! Howie’s got nothing on me.

I begin all my calls by telling them that I rate higher!

]]> By: Mrs. Coulter http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156250 Mrs. Coulter Fri, 19 May 2006 13:36:18 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156250 Be aware that e-Trade reps may deal with a difficult question (not necessarily a difficult customer) by putting you on hold for 45min to an hour. A speaker phone and lots of patience are essential for dealing with them. (Note that I will never voluntarily deal with e-Trade again, now that my account is totally closed.) Be aware that e-Trade reps may deal with a difficult question (not necessarily a difficult customer) by putting you on hold for 45min to an hour. A speaker phone and lots of patience are essential for dealing with them. (Note that I will never voluntarily deal with e-Trade again, now that my account is totally closed.)

]]> By: Jasper Milvain http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156233 Jasper Milvain Fri, 19 May 2006 10:44:48 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156233 At least a bare degree of politeness may be necessary if you want them not to hang up on you. At the call centre I once temped with (for a credit card company) you were allowed to dump abusive callers, "abusive" meaning shouting, swearing, or using racial epithets. Sometimes I'd just sit there praying for a swear word. At least a bare degree of politeness may be necessary if you want them not to hang up on you. At the call centre I once temped with (for a credit card company) you were allowed to dump abusive callers, “abusive” meaning shouting, swearing, or using racial epithets. Sometimes I’d just sit there praying for a swear word.

]]> By: Doug http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156226 Doug Fri, 19 May 2006 10:03:51 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156226 Come to think of it, identity theft of people with the power to change things might be a really useful prod. Anybody want to be Dick Cheney? Bill Frist? How about the whole board of Citibank? Or maybe Eliot Spitzer, he already knows how to come down on financial companies like a ton of bricks, and will be even better placed as gov of NY... Come to think of it, identity theft of people with the power to change things might be a really useful prod. Anybody want to be Dick Cheney? Bill Frist? How about the whole board of Citibank?

Or maybe Eliot Spitzer, he already knows how to come down on financial companies like a ton of bricks, and will be even better placed as gov of NY…

]]> By: Doug http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156224 Doug Fri, 19 May 2006 09:59:54 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156224 My dad may be the King of all Iratia: He once got a US airline to change his ticket by calling a board member out of the blue at home in the evening. If that board member is now one powerful corporate voice against phone numbers being for sale on the Internet, so much the better. (There was also a good reason for my dad's iratitude: He was scheduled to fly out of New Orleans on the day that Katrina was going to hit, and the airline was changing flights out of other cities for free, but not, at that point, out of New Orleans. You'd be irate too.) My dad may be the King of all Iratia: He once got a US airline to change his ticket by calling a board member out of the blue at home in the evening. If that board member is now one powerful corporate voice against phone numbers being for sale on the Internet, so much the better.

(There was also a good reason for my dad’s iratitude: He was scheduled to fly out of New Orleans on the day that Katrina was going to hit, and the airline was changing flights out of other cities for free, but not, at that point, out of New Orleans. You’d be irate too.)

]]> By: astroprof http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156203 astroprof Fri, 19 May 2006 04:30:59 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156203 The rule against hanging up on a customer was certainly true a decade ago at my HMO in New Jersey. I once spent half an hour of near silence with a customer "care" representative, waiting for her to give in and bump me upwards.... The rule against hanging up on a customer was certainly true a decade ago at my HMO in New Jersey. I once spent half an hour of near silence with a customer “care” representative, waiting for her to give in and bump me upwards….

]]> By: ellen http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-156202 ellen Fri, 19 May 2006 03:57:49 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/18/dealing-with-identity-theft/#comment-156202 Actually, they can hang up on you if they can't help you, once they've advised you that they're hanging up. If you can't get a resolution from the first line management, escalate to the next level. Call during the day when managers are there. And most importantly, be polite. When I was still a customer service agent I went out of my way not to help people who treated me badly. Poor customer service? Absolutely. But treating customer service staff like drooling imbeciles is poor behavior, too. Actually, they can hang up on you if they can’t help you, once they’ve advised you that they’re hanging up.

If you can’t get a resolution from the first line management, escalate to the next level. Call during the day when managers are there. And most importantly, be polite. When I was still a customer service agent I went out of my way not to help people who treated me badly. Poor customer service? Absolutely. But treating customer service staff like drooling imbeciles is poor behavior, too.

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