[pnj]

A friend thinks she may have been a victim of someone stealing her identity or something.

Job recruiter calls from http://www.netpolarity.com/, mentions a great job. she goes about filling out some forms for a job, waiting, blah blah. then the recruiter says she needs her SS# so the hiring company (not the recruiting company, i guess) can verify something (I"m not sure what exactly but the 'hiring' company is a bank or something..).

Friend gives the info the recruiter wants and waits...

she tells me the story and I think, "wtf, that seems really odd, why doesn't the hiring company ask for the SS# when they interview or after hiring?".

Now she's in high paranoia mode and thinks she ****ed up.

she has been googling 'how to see if someone stole your SS#/identity/etc" but I think that's just making her more paraniod.

Those of you with some experience, could you offer some advice? (besides don't hand out SS#'s to strangers. )

 

[kazlx]

First thing first, since she may have already f'd up...I would be watching my credit report/accounts like a hawk. In this case, it may be worth it to pay for the service that monitors your credit and emails you if there are any accounts that get opened. The easiest thing to do with all of her info would be to open a credit card and use it in her name.

Oh and never give out your SS over the phone.

 

[jimmydean]

The good news is there are a lot of security type tings in place and if she belongs to a good lending institution then the damage can be averted (minus a hit to credit).

I keep hoping someone might steal my ID, it might actually improve my credit after the last divorce.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

I would be watching my credit report/accounts like a hawk.

Oh and never give out your SS over the phone.

^^This.

I have not had mine stolen, but I have investigated a bunch of shady stuff like this.

Might be worthwhile to alert SS admin and DOL, maybe chat with the local PD. Without knowing the exact circumstance, I can't say that the PD will be any help necessarily, but it would be a starting point along with at least consulting SS admin and DOL about a tag on her account.

 

[MTB_Rob_NC]

All the credit bureaus offer a credit monitoring service. The one I use from Experian is ~$12 a month. That will cover your credit. However she may want to look into a more indepth product such as Life Lock. Oh and if she has good Home Owner's insurance, she maybe able to buy insurance that will help unravel such a nightmare if it were to occur. I have such a policy ontop of my homeowners and its like $4 a month.

 

[bizutch]

I'd just add the rider on their homeowners insurance. Then the company does all the work for to repair it. In our state, most charge $25 year. If it ever happens to you, finding out it happened isn't the hard part, it's the legal work afterwords.

 

[pnj]

I'm passing all this stuff on, thanks.

FWIW, she doesn't own a house so no homowners insurance.

 

[bizutch]

Probably can add it to her renters insurance policy. Or I can look up the service company that handles it for us later if you need me to.