Deafening Silence. That would be the response I've received from the FCC as well as the local sheriff's department about my Caller ID Spoofing incident. I've expressed to both organizations the fact that some sort of crime seems to be going on, and that someone seems to be attempting to either use my identity or steal it (and most likely I'm not the only one). I have the exact time, the number called, and the fake originating number. Supposedly, identity theft is a huge problem that our officials are trying to stamp out.
Here is what I've found out with a couple of near-miss identity theft scenarios I've had in the past. If you suspect that you've had your ID stolen, but you haven't already personally tracked the scumbag down and have him in cuffs and tied up naked in the trunk of your car (there's plenty of air back there...), then basically, all the authorities will do is give you the generic list of id theft tips. Essentially, these are the solutions that have been recommended since the '80's, with a couple of 'online' tips thrown in.
1--"If you feel that you've had your Identity stolen, then you should report that the the three credit reporting agencies."
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
Oh, make sure that you ask them for your free credit check. That will be a big honking stack of papers what will come in the mail. It will have info about all of the old, strange accounts that you've had in your life. Hopefully, there are no new accounts.
2--Call all your cards. Check the account balances/charges. Close accounts that are being used illegally. If you found a new account in #1, call them first. Pray that they will be understanding of the fact that your id has been stolen. In fact, while you are at it, call a couple of the legitimate new accounts. Maybe you can get your car paid off out of this deal.
3--File a complaint with local authorities. They need to tell you that there is nothing they can do. It's therapeutic, as the first step is always acceptance. It's also important to start leaving a paper trail in the off-chance that they should bump into someone using your card at Dunkin Doughnuts. Also, if you have some disputing to do with a credit company, it's good to have something on file. That way, you can pretend that you have a hope. Make sure that they get all of your vitals--name, SSN, etc. so that they can leave it on their desk in an open file or something.
4--Keep a bunch of paperwork of your own. Write some stuff on some old dirty napkins, start a random file containing brief snippets from the conversations that are involved in this process. This file should have hastily scrawled notes about all the phone calls you place whilst trying to find out what's going on with your newly upside down life. The writing will most likely be illegible, as the adrenalin rushing through your body prevents clear thought. The stationery will likely be toilet paper, since you've crapped your pants and are still cleaning up the mess while making the calls.
Some more stuff that won't help, but might make you feel better:
5--Change your passwords. Pick a new one that's really tough to remember and then write it on a Post-It on your monitor. Make sure that you write "password" on the paper so you won't forget what it is and throw it away.
6--If you lost your wallet, call the DMV. Ask for a new license. Hope you don't have to fly for a while...pray that INS doesn't deport you while you're getting this stuff straightened out. Call the Social Security Administration. Ask them for a new fake number. Call the Department of Homeland Security and let them know that they will need to add you back onto the known terrorist list. Call the movie theater. Ask them if their refrigerator is running. That's always good fun.
7--Wash and Wax your car. The repo guy will be over shortly to pick it up. It just wouldn't look right to have your car towed away dirty. The whole neighborhood would be saying "can't they afford to wash their car?"
8--Mostly, just stay calm, cool and collected. It's no big deal. Just your life that's been taken. People change names and go underground all the time. It might just be a blessing in disguise. You can ditch that weird name your parents gave you (Og) and pick a newer, cooler name, like Sky, Voodoo, or Stinky. You can turn over a new leaf. The world is your oyster (whatever that means).
Look forward to retiring about 10 years later now...your 401k just got cashed in (and now you owe a tax penalty on it).
At least I can rest assured in the knowledge that this mysterious caller had almost all of my information wrong, and didn't get any more info.
Your ID is your responsibility. Might as well just fake it :)
--Og
--no wait, my name's Voodoo
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