Please help me with fraud alert

Discussion in 'Credit Talk' started by monika15, Oct 27, 2001.

  1. monika15

    monika15 New Member

    Hi Everybody,

    Iâ??ve been lurk ing on the board for a couple of months now and Iâ??d like to thank all of you for the great input. You really helped me become much more knowledgeable about credit.

    Right now I need some help, Iâ??d like to know how much does it take the fraud alert to kick in? I put it on yesterday and I really donâ??t know if that is going to prevent someone from opening any kind of account in my name or it needs some time to kick in.

    What happened to me is a classic case and Iâ??m not even sure if itâ??s a case at all but Iâ??m already loosing sleep over it. A couple of days ago Iâ??ve received a call from someone stating that she was from my credit card company (Direct Merchants Bank) and told me that they wanted to give me more credit and lower APR. She really knew my personal staff and acted like someone whoâ??s really working for them, asked questions like: was I working for more than 30 hours a week, do I want credit protection to be activated etc., than she asked my date of birth and my motherâ??s maiden name.

    The reason I didnâ??t get suspicious is because I know that some company really do it this way (Providian). Anyhow, later on I called DMB and told them I donâ??t want credit increase since I donâ??t want to have too much available credit. They told me that their file didnâ??t indicate that anyone called me from that company and anyhow Iâ??m going to receive credit line increase from time to time without asking me anything.

    So I got really scared because that person has all of my personal info and Iâ??m not sure who she was. I wanted to trace the incoming call back but Verizon told me that they cannot give me the number. I donâ??t know how easy to assume someone elseâ??s identity but I got really scared and called the credit bureaus and put the fraud alert on my file.

    Please give me some advice on this. I tried to search the board but I didnâ??t find the answer.
     
  2. bbauer

    bbauer Banned

    I've never had any experience along this line, so all I know about the fraud alerts is what I have seen others post about it here on creditnet over the last few months, but it seems to me that you have done about all that you can do if you have put the fraud alert on all 3 credit bureaus.

    Hope nothing bad happens to you.
     
  3. leo728

    leo728 Well-Known Member

    Don't scare her bill, DMB does make quite a lot of cold calls. I get them every now and then.

    if you want a piece of mind. subscribe to the credit report monitoring services of equifax, credit expert and pull reports of tu with worthknowing.com

    That way you will be able to monitor all inquiries that are put onto your reports.
     
  4. breeze

    breeze Well-Known Member

    This was probably an unscrupulous telemarketer giving you a perverted sales pitch for the credit protection policy.

    DMB offers this to their cardholders by using a third party telemarketing company, and if you called DMB directly and asked about it, they would not know what you were talking about, but, if I am right, you will get the policy certificate in the mail in a couple of weeks.

    DMB and all credit card companies telemarket like crazy, and the telemarketers will tell you they are calling from the credit card company. If you don't want your credit line completely used up with worthless memberships and extra insurance, it's best not to take the calls, because, like this one, the reps can be very devious.
     
  5. bbauer

    bbauer Banned

    Leo:

    Excuse me, I sure don't want to get anymore fights going here, god only knows we have had more than enough of that idiotic trash going on here the last couple of days to gag a dog off a gut wagon. (lol)

    but I'd appreciate it if you would tell me how it is that I might possibly be scaring her. It sure wasn't my intention and I don't want to do that, so your reply might help me to keep from scaring anyone in the future too.
     
  6. freeze

    freeze Active Member

    I would agree w/ Breeze. It was probably one of their vendors.
     
  7. MartysGirl

    MartysGirl Well-Known Member

    Hi

    If you put the alert on your file then it would take place immediately. Not that the Fraud Alert is on... it will take a few months (depending on the CRA) before it comes off. If you want it off you have to write to them demanding the release of it. just to be safe you may want to leave it on there until you know for sure that no one is using your info. One of the down sides a Fraud Alert... you can not have any of the credit monitoring services.. :-(

    But... I agree with Breeze.. DMB does that sort of thing ALL of the time..!!!
     
  8. monika15

    monika15 New Member

    Thank you guys for replying my post. It really helps to know there are people who are willing to help or just say something nice. I became a member today but from now Iâ??m going to be active and help others if I can.
     
  9. breeze

    breeze Well-Known Member

    Welcome to the board!! We are like a big family. Spats here and there, sometimes you get ignored in the frnezy, but over all very loving and supportive. And crazy.

    Speaking of crazy wait til she meets nave and DaveLV. If they ever show up again. :(
     
  10. leo728

    leo728 Well-Known Member

    Bill, time out. It was only a tease, I thought we understood each other... I have not been part of any flames. Sorry for the misunderstanding. We o.k.?

    the part I was refering to was " I hope nothing bad happens to you" heheheh not to comforting.

    But really it was only a tease nothing else.
     
  11. bbauer

    bbauer Banned

    That's cool, Leo.

    I just don't want to be offending or scaring people if I can keep from it.

    That kind of thing just ain't kosher.
     

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