My social security number is apparently not so secure

[Tiberius Jim]

I'm a former employee of Sprint and I used to have to deal with the fraud guys a lot. Important tip: do not wait for these guys to get back to you. Keep on top of them if you want anything done.

It's sad but true: at Sprint only the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

EDIT: As a side note, I'm surprised this chick needed your SSN at all. I would pull up accounts for people who were obviously illegal immigrants all the time and they always had 9999 as the last four of their SSN. It's not company policy by any means, but it's common practice.

Thanks for the heads-up. Monday will be the one-week mark from when I originally called them, so I'll definitely hit them up to make sure they've been checking into this. They said I would receive a letter but I really don't want to wit for snail mail, unless they factored that into the 7-day estimate.

File charges for identity theft and fraud. Prosecute and then sue for civil damages. Given the name, proximity to the border, and the use of another's SSN, this looks like it could be an illegal alien who may have randomly picked your SSN out of the air when she was asked for it. So call the INS too and tell them what has happened and give them her address.

I've contacted my local PD and was basically told that I need all of Sprint's info until they can begin an investigation. I do have an officer to contact when I do have that info, so that's at least a step in the right direction. Basically I'm just waiting for Sprint.

 

[DeafPoet]

I'm a former employee of Sprint and I used to have to deal with the fraud guys a lot. Important tip: do not wait for these guys to get back to you. Keep on top of them if you want anything done.

It's sad but true: at Sprint only the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

EDIT: As a side note, I'm surprised this chick needed your SSN at all. I would pull up accounts for people who were obviously illegal immigrants all the time and they always had 9999 as the last four of their SSN. It's not company policy by any means, but it's common practice.

Thanks for the heads-up. Monday will be the one-week mark from when I originally called them, so I'll definitely hit them up to make sure they've been checking into this. They said I would receive a letter but I really don't want to wit for snail mail, unless they factored that into the 7-day estimate.

They did not. Stay on top of them.

EDIT: Another thing just occurred to me. Did you speak to someone directly from Fraud or did you speak to a regular Customer Service person? Having been one of those regular folks, we'd often submit requests to Fraud on customers' behalf and then give them a 7 day turnaround time. 50% of the time nothing would come of the requests because the Agent filled out the Fraud form incorrectly or someone from Fraud was asleep at the switch.

If you need it, I think I've got my old phone list around here somewhere and I can get you their direct 800 number so you can speak directly to the people you need to with a minimum of fucking around.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

I called the actual Fraud hotline given to me by customer service. (1 888 788 0788)

I also tried to run the same application I ran when I found this all out to begin with, and it shows that the account has been suspended, which I suppose is a good sign. I hope the broad's phone stopped working and that she's dumb enough to call in about it.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

Update: Just got off the phone with the fraud dept. and they have closed the account and confirmed it as fraud. They've also sent me the letter with (I assume) all the info about what they found. Should take about a week to get that. If I want to open my own line I have to go to an actual Sprint store to do a "victim activation". Awesome.

 

[Trekker4747]

That's pretty crazy. I wonder if she just gave a fake SSN so she wouldn't have to give her own.

It's absolutely ridiculous that your SSN is required for purchases like this these days. Why exactly does a cell phone company need my social security number? I just don't get the reason.

They use the SSN to perform a credit check.

But I believe that it is illegal for a company selling you a product (unless it's insurance, etc.) to demand that you supply it, since a credit check can be performed based on name, DOB, and current address. When I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile, I refused to provide the SSN; they ran my credit check based on other data, saw my score north of 750, and set up service without a hitch.

Pretty much as I've always understood it.

Your SSN is just that. A social security number. The only people who *need* to have it is you, your employer and your local, state and national governments.

No one else needs it and you should avoid using it in all situations as much as possible.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

If it's in the same state, your states identity theft laws apply. Call your state or district attourneys office, call the police.

Dirtbags need jail.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

Well, I was finally able to get *myself* a Sprint account using my own SSN, and after having to thoroughly prove that I am actually who I say I am, I'm now a proud owner of a new BlackBerry Curve. Some of the security questions they ask were kind of scary...somehow they knew who my mom and sister are, and asked me to pick from multiple answers what their age ranges are. How do they know that stuff?? And a better question...why weren't they that thorough with the girl who used my numbers?

Speaking of her, I have yet to receive the paperwork from Sprint's fraud dept. but I am guessing that since she didn't also use my SSN to get a credit card or run up huge bills somewhere, this may have been A. a typo on someone's part or B. she's illegal in this country and just came up with a random number that happened to be mine. I'm guessing if she went through any sort of trouble to get my SSN she would have done a lot more than opened a cell phone account and paid the bill on time. I'm still going to follow up with the authorities, but I don't think I'm dealing with a hardened criminal here, just an idiot who hoped I wouldn't feel like opening a Sprint account one day.

 

[DeafPoet]

Well, I was finally able to get *myself* a Sprint account using my own SSN, and after having to thoroughly prove that I am actually who I say I am, I'm now a proud owner of a new BlackBerry Curve. Some of the security questions they ask were kind of scary...somehow they knew who my mom and sister are, and asked me to pick from multiple answers what their age ranges are. How do they know that stuff??

I used to get those questions a lot. The official answer is "We've gotten this information from third parties."

I don't know why that's the official answer. The real answer is less scary: "We got it from the credit bureaus."

Glad you got things fixed, Flux!

YET ANOTHER EDIT: I should point out too that your average call-centre monkey like I was can't just pull up your credit info. We open up a tool that gives us four multiple choice questions about your (sometimes distant) past and often the answer is "none of the above."

 

[Tiberius Jim]

Thanks! I'm loving the Curve so far. My Gmail goes straight to my phone, and the calendar and task functions are leagues ahead of my last phone, which was more geard towards entertainment. I've already downloaded the AIM, Myspace and Google Maps apps, and The Sprint TV will surely come in handy during some boring lectures this next quarter.

 

[DeafPoet]

Yeah the Curve is a sweet gizmo. If I had any use at all for a smartphone that would be the one I'd get.

Anyway, if you ever have any questions about your Sprint service and want the straight dope, PM me. I'm a Sprint Ninja and I'm no longer beholden to them. Cheers!

 

[Holdfast]

Well, I was finally able to get *myself* a Sprint account using my own SSN, and after having to thoroughly prove that I am actually who I say I am, I'm now a proud owner of a new BlackBerry Curve.

You finally made it! Congratulations!

 

[Tiberius Jim]

Thanks! Here's a shot of my new baby.

 

[Trekker4747]

Don't you go butt-dialing people, now!

 

[Tiberius Jim]

Hah, I won't. The guy in that commercial apparently never heard of the marvelous invention known as the keyboard lock.

 

[Trekker4747]

Hah, I won't. The guy in that commercial apparently never heard of the marvelous invention known as the keyboard lock.

That's the first thing I thought of when I saw the commercail.

Or a front pocket.