I received a letter in the mail today. THe letter was not in my mailbox, because, even after submitting my change of address to the post office, they have still failed to forward my mail to my new address. Thus I had mail laying around the mail area. Point #1 We are not as secure as things should be. Anyone could have gotten my mail. Some kind of way valuable information could have been in the letter that could have been detrimental to me, had it gotten into the wrong hands.
When I noticed my name I picked up the letter and read it. It was a credit card denial letter. I was very curious why I was receiving this letter, because I had not applied for a credot card.
I contacted the credit card company, and they told me that all of the information that I was telling them was as it was on the form. There were only two differences. I did not stay at that address anymore, and the cell phone number given. The company representative that i was talking with was able to trace the name on the phone number.
Sad to say, but the person who applied for a credit card in my name, with my information was someone who i knew. Someone who i trusted. Just to think we depenf on security fro fraud, yet people close to use, could be one of the culprits. It;s not always tat greedy waitress who over charges you at a restaurants.. or that cashier who signs in her own tip.. fraud comes in many forms.
Point #1 Why was my mail just floating around, when i had requested for it to be sent to the correct address? I wonder how much more important information of mine has gone to the wrong address?
Point #2 Why was the credit card lady so open with me on the phone? How did she know that I wasn't the fradulent person?
Point #3 If things with identity were really secure why was it possible for someone to apply for a credit card in my name?
Point #4 Had it been approved, would this person have really made charges and I have no idea?
Point #5 Had I not seen the letter, how long would i have gone on thinking things were really secure.
It's not possible.. too many people have access to too much information. Even the lady at the credit card company who verified the number on the application, she could have been mentally recording my information so that she could use it to her advantage in the future. Who knows.
Just goes to show that things are not as nearly as secure as they should be or we think they are. The Social Security number should not hold so much power.
How secure are we? Not secure at all.
With this credit thing we either sink or we swim, there's no in between.
Is so scary to think about those thing because we are not really secure and that is scary.
Gaby
That reminds me of the time that I came home to check my mail, only to see that my mailbox was open(no one else's on my street was). That worries me because something important could've been taken or lost.
-C.S.