Identity Theft: A Normal Part of Life?

I'll never forget the first time I was blatantly robbed. Walking down a quiet residential street at twilight, I heard a motor cycle slowly approach. Its lights were off. Suddenly I felt a tug on the bag I was casually swinging at my side. My first thought was: My bag has accidentally caught the motorcycle's handle bars! But when the motorcycle quickly sped away, I realized that there had been nothing accidental about the loss of my bag.

I have experienced identity theft three times now - and each time, I feel as shocked and vulnerable as that time my purse was snatched.

I wrote a blog post about my other brush with identity theft - when someone applied for a credit card in my name - and left an unpaid debt behind. I am now amazed that this debt was associated with my credit rating. So much on the credit card application was not me: different address, maiden name, social insurance number, to name a few. Yet my credit rating was downgraded and I was in default. There are others with the same name. (Any google search will determine that.) Yet it took an uncomfortable week or so - and a lot of calls - to get everything sorted out again.)

My second brush with identity theft occurred when one of the stores I shop at had a security breach. My credit card company called to say that, to protect me, my card had been canceled but a new one would be issued.

Then a few weeks ago it happened again! Someone hacked my account at Apple - purchasing a music download which I was billed for. I discovered this when I received an email from Apple saying that changes had been made to my account: If I hadn't made these changes, I should change my password, which I promptly did. Nonetheless, a few hours later, I received a "receipt" for music purchased and downloaded. I quickly emailed the Itunes store to say that I had not made these purchases. Several hours later the money was refunded. But when I went onto my online account, I noticed that my answers to the security questions had been changed.

I was going to call this blog post: My Love-Hate Relationship With Apple... because the one thing I HATE about my ipod was that in order to use it (even to download free apps)  I had to provide Apple with credit card information. I tried to get around this - and, in fact, the most recent Apple rep I spoke to on the phone denies this is necessary. But I remember the frustrating week when I first got my ipod and was unsuccessfully trying to download free apps without it. I am again in a similar dilemma: In disabling anyone from purchasing from my account (a condition I agreed to) I now find I am unable to download free apps too, or make updates to free apps I do have. So I have to get that changed again!

The annoying thing about identity theft is the amount of time I've had to waste to clear up the problems and feel comfortable again. Most recently I spent half a day dealing with the problem when it first occurred. Then, a week later, a few more hours trying to get my security information "secure" again. Now trying to have my account set so that I can get free apps and updates.

I have also been told that Apple has disabled my credit card - but I would really like to be able to delete all record of it from their computer system. I've had a hard time doing that, too, but I think I've finally succeeded

(It would probably be wise to get credit card dedicated to internet purchases, so that if problems arose, one could simply cancel that card.)

I don't know if identity theft has become a normal part of everyday life for everyone these days -  but for me it definitely has! Fortunately I have always dealt with reputable companies - so they have been helpful in getting the problems sorted out. I would definitely avoid internet dealings with companies that have no reputation to protect.