Identity Theft... Again

It's happened again - the second time 2 years... my "identity" has been stolen.

The first time, a credit card account was opened in my name by someone in another city. The person maxed out the card and didn't pay the bill. I only discovered this when I happened to open an account at the same financial institution several months later. If I hadn't opened that account, I might only have discovered my poor credit rating when trying to borrow money.

I am still amazed that it happened.

Credit bureaus have access to so much information - did a red flag not alert them to potential fraud when when I suddenly had a new address and social insurance number?

Apparently not. All the fraudsters needed was my name and my date of birth! The credit bureaus then changed my address to the one provided by the fraudster. I later had to send them "proof" that I was still living at my old address. (I wonder if they had to provide proof that I had moved.)

This second time, the scenario was a little different: I got a phone call from someone claiming to be from the fraud department of my credit card company. They wanted to discuss fraudulent activity on my account.

Can I call you back? I asked, certain that this was a hoax.

I quickly called the number on the back of my credit card to report the call. Had their fraud department called me?

Yes, they had. Call them right back.

When I did, the fraud investigator informed me that, although they couldn't give me details, a data base with my credit card information had been "compromised" - so I would need to get a new card.

Cut up that credit card right now, he said. But first I need to know your birth date and the pin number on the back of the card. I readily told him my birth date, but hesitated about the pin number.

I feel very vulnerable revealing it to you, I said.

Well, you just told me your birth date, he snapped back. That's just as dangerous! NEVER give out your birth date!

When I think of all the documents that have my date of birth on them - and how readily I have been conditioned to provide that infomation - I shouldn't be surprised that identity theft is so prevalent.

The RCMP's fraud webste at www.phonebusters.com states there were 7778 complaints in 2006, the year my first identity theft happened.

Now I have to keep reminding myself that my birth date is valuable information: I have to guard it with care.