Criminal Records checks/identity theft/credit card fraud

[my5cents]

Have you been the victim of Identity Theft ? How did it go for you ?

In the Canadian Criminal Justice System the term for this is "Personation" (yes, personation, not impersonation)

I recently was and through the school of hard knocks, I learned what not to do and what I should have done.

I also learned that the system is VERY FLAWED from start to finish.

A lot of people think there is basically one type of identity theft and just shred all you old documents before you dispose of them and if you lose some ID report it and watch for computer scams and you'll be fine.

There are way more ways.

In my case it was after a common law relationship, split up. Two and a half years later my former common law applied for five credit cards in my name. She obtained two. Quickly ran them up to their limit.

I had no idea about this, she had provide the credit card companies with a different address and phone number.

About a year and a half after that, I requested a credit report, as the experts say you should, just to check on things. I discovered that 5 credit card companies that I had never dealt with had made inquires with the credit agency and that two had issued cards that were now "in collection" with balances nearing $10,000 each.

OK, so you know that "you" have bad debts with two credit card companies and they can't find you. This wasn't a case of me needing to borrow money and being turned down because of these debts (that's one of the usual ways people find out) I just happened to do the right thing and do a check of my credit. A big eye opener.

Initially I had no idea who had done this. As instructed by the credit agency (Equifax) I sent them a "Dispute" report. By return mail all I got was, "we have contacted both creditors and they feel it was you and you owe the money, if you don't agree, contact them directly".

and that, ladies and gentlemen is were the story starts.

Worthy of discussion ?

[Captain Awesome]

It looks like while it's nasty it should have been an easy fix as you weren't the one who opened them.

Did you file a police report?

[my5cents]

Yes (easy fix) that's what I thought.

Yes, I reported to the police. Even that is complicated and a bit ironic.

For starters consider what the (alleged) crime(s) are :

-> Fraud
-> Personation

Really the Personation is a "necessary evil" to enable the Fraud. Sorta like charging a bank robber with Pointing a
Gun and Bank Robbery. Technically there are two crimes. But really to defraud the credit card companies you need to use someone's name.

So, which jurisdiction do you report it to ? The fraud took place by way of on line applications. On the date of the applications I lived in Summerland. The purchases and (mostly) cash advances on the cards were done in Lake County and Kelowna.

So, yes I reported the incident. One of the first questions I knew the police would ask when I reported was "What are the details of the application for the credit ?" Initially the CC companies wouldn't tell me. "We don't release that information".

How the hell am I going to report YOUR fraud (the credit card companies were defrauded, not me) if I don't know the details to relay to the police ?

All the while, I'm trying to get enough information to report the credit card companies fraud, along with my personation, I'm now getting calls from collection agencies.

Yes I find out about this Personation/Fraud, I call the CC companies, who prior to my call don't know how to contact me. I give them my details, helping as much as I can, and they sick collection agencies on me.

Each time I get a call from a collector I explain the circumstances and the first thing out of the collector's mouth is "why would the CC company assign us this file if what you say is true ?" and I say "I don't know"

I'd call the CC company to complain and they'd say, "Oh sorry, when we have an account in arrears like this, if we don't input (something) every two months, the system automatically electronically assigns a collector. I'll enter a stop."

I spent hundreds of hours talking to CC company people, collectors etc. I'd point out that my credit, prior to five apparent attempts to obtain credit cards (there were five CC companies asking for my credit info) and the issuance of two cards was perfect. I have one real CC in my name, always paid in full each month. I have one mortgage with the same bank as the CC and that's it. Not a penny more. Not even a late payment, ever. They agree, but a month or two later another collector calls.

I point out "look at my record, does this look like someone who would all of a sudden try to get 5 cards and get 2 and then run them up ?" "Do people who get CC and run them up in a week and disappear, call a couple of years later and tell you where they live, there phone numbers etc and just say it wasn't them ?

and the irony,,,, you know those letters you get "You have been pre-approved for a credit card......" The same company that is calling the collectors all the while I'm waiting for the RCMP to do their thing, is sending me applications for credit.

The CC people are so out of touch with reality that after finally telling me enough info that I can report the Fraud and Personation (it never made sense that I had to report the CC Fraud for the CC companies) on, lets say a Monday, that Thursday they called asking if the RCMP had charged anyone yet.

After a year and a half, with still periodic calls from collectors, I researched the matter and found that I could send the CC company a registered letter advising them that in the future all contact must be by letter. It seems like an aggressive act by someone who was a victim, but the collector calls just didn't stop. The collector would call, I'd call the CC company, they'd apologize, I wouldn't get a call for a several months, then another call.

The collector, who is used to dealing with all the dead beats of the world, wouldn't be the nicest to me, and off course didn't believe a word I'd say.

The one issue that nobody seems to care about is that these CC companies allow people to apply for credit on line, no copies of documents, no face to face, zip. The CC company then send the info to Equifax and TransUnion, the two credit agencies in Canada. If the information seems to match they issue credit on the strength of on line information and the fact it matched.

If you want your credit information from Equifax or TransUnion you will need to mail them a copy of photo government ID and a utility bill or such with your current address that is less than three months old.

They are giving out my (or your) details to one of their paying commercial clients on the strength of an online application with no backup, far less proof than they would require from you or I to get our own information.

Oh, the RCMP "investigation". The constable in Summerland, moved on. The file was re-assigned to a constable in Kelowna (they never called me, when I inquired I was told). That constable in Kelowna left and it was re-assigned to another constable in Kelowna. He worked his *bleep* off, but by then they had had the file for a year and a half and when he finish, crown wouldn't charge.

In actual fact, the victim(s) in this were me and the RCMP.

By the lacks way the CC companies grant credit on incomplete information, created my problem. The CC company in conjunction with the credit agencies that should never have release any of my information on such poor quality information obtained on line by the CC company.

Why should the RCMP be saddled with investigating the CC Fraud when the CC companies give credit so freely ?

[my5cents]

A newly added link to an commercial site on Castanet. "We've partnered with the RCMP to provide instantaneous criminal record checks nationwide....."

https://www.mycrc.ca/?gclid=EAIaIQobChM ... gIwpvD_BwE

What the heck ??

[BC Landlord]

It's been around ever since. This is the one I use on prospective tenants, sometimes. It costs $40 per search.

https://www.tenantverification.ca/fees.html

They do have to consent though. But if they don't, their application meets the shredder.

[mexi cali]

With consent, I can run a CRC on anyone. Nothing new here.

ETA: and a credit check.

[my5cents]

The government is releasing criminal records so they can be sold by a private company ?

Perhaps we should have, the "Acme Traffic Ticket Co." they can police the highways, like the RCMP aren't.

Quite a situation. "We (the RCMP) provide slow inconvenient service for criminal record checks, so we now sell our information to a private company (quickly, and conveniently) so they can re-sell it to customers.

What's next. "Hi you've reached the South Okanagan 911 police dispatch line, because of a high volume we can't take your call at this time, please call back tomorrow, or if you wish good service press "1" to be connected to Acme Police Dispatch, for a fee of $25 they will dispatch police to your location."

What's next "None Lethal Wellness Checks Incorporated". They will check on your loved one and guarantee not to kill them, or your money back.

[Even Steven]

It's very old news.

Welcome to the 2000s, gramps.

[my5cents]

With consent, I can run a CRC on anyone. Nothing new here.

ETA: and a credit check.

Interesting you mentioned Credit Checks. That's an industry that is completely out of control, operating under the guise of protecting people.

A company who has an account with either Trans Union or Equifax can send in a credit check request by simply saying they have the subject's permission. They can get that "permission" via an on line application with absolutely no proof of any connection to the actual person. The information supplied by the company doing the check on the subject will be used by Trans Union or Equifax to modify the subject's information, address, phone, etc etc. If the subject discovers the fraud Trans Union or Equifax, first won't change anything without full verification by the physical submission of documents. IF they accept the subject's information it will changed back but the phony information will remain on the subject account for, in some cases, over a decade.

[Babba_not_Gump]

This is nothing new.
I do a criminal check and a credit check on all potential tenants. Its called CYA.
Criminal and civil records have been available on the BC government website for years.

[Babba_not_Gump]

A newly added link to an commercial site on Castanet. "We've partnered with the RCMP to provide instantaneous criminal record checks nationwide....."

https://www.mycrc.ca/?gclid=EAIaIQobChM ... gIwpvD_BwE

What the heck ??

Why pay a private company when it's free through the provincial government?
I should have added this above, but pretty well every province has this information available.

[BC Landlord]

A company who has an account with either Trans Union or Equifax can send in a credit check request by simply saying they have the subject's permission.

The way it works with the TVS for credit checks, I do need to have an applicant's signed letter of consent (electronic or paper). I do not need to show it to them when ordering a search, but If I get audited (they actually do it periodically), I would be in a serious trouble without it.

[BC Landlord]

Why pay a private company when it's free through the provincial government?
I should have added this above, but pretty well every province has this information available.

That is correct. Generally, criminal records (e.g. judgements) are public records. If you don't want anyone to know about your criminal history, ... don't do crime! Simple as that.
However, unless they changed it lately, it's cumbersome and laborious to sift through them yourself. Their search tool sucks. That's why people rather pay. And it's not that much money. $30-40 could save you a lot of trouble. And if you have a group discount (i.e. landlords association) it's about $15-20 per search. I pay $10 for a credit check

[BC Landlord]

Credit reporting companies need to go. Or, at the very least-be heavily regulated and controlled by the feds.

No, they don't. The very moment I am no longer being able to do credit checks on prospective tenants, I am out of this business. That's pretty much the only tool remaining in my toolbox to properly screen them. References, employment, bla bla, it's all BS. They fake it all. But, they can't fake Equifax and TransUnion, and it's really telling about their fiscal responsibility.
And btw, it's already regulated. Any misuse of such information is subject to heavy fines, possibly jail time.

[my5cents]

The way it works with the TVS for credit checks, I do need to have an applicant's signed letter of consent (electronic or paper). I do not need to show it to them when ordering a search, but If I get audited (they actually do it periodically), I would be in a serious trouble without it.

Let's say someone with access to your personal information, makes an on line application for credit. So to not alert you, they use a different "new" home address and "new" phone number. The credit granter, is legit, but all they have is contact by the person via the internet, no copies of documents, just fill in the blank on electronic forms.

On the strength of the on line application they conduct credit checks on you with Equifax and Trans Union.

They grant this unknown person credit in your name. The card is run up to the max and never a payment. The company phones and sends "you" demands, of course to the "new" address and "new" phone number. Never hearing from "you". They report to Equifax and TransUnion the default in payments. All that bad info, is now registered to you.

The credit granter (credit card company) gives up trying to find you and assigns the bad debt to a debt collector. The debt collectors also check you credit info with Equifax and TransUnion.

So now your credit record with both agencies, show the application for credit (applications affect your credit), they show a bad debt on the credit card (which obviously affects your credit), there are inquiries on your account from numerous debt collectors (for all to see, who check your credit, which affects your credit).

You discover the fraud, you advise Equifax and TransUnion. You tell them that the "new" address and phone number are fake, after you've supplied them with documentary proof (unlike the electronic proof they accepted from the credit card company) they then show your correct address and phone number as you new information, but the fake address and phone number remain. Also the credit checks by the credit card company and the enquiries by the collection agencies remain.

None of this includes the hell you go through with the credit card company, who negligently, recklessly, granted credit to someone placing an on line credit application in your name.