Okay, weird situation. This morning I wake up to find a itinerary confirmation in my email inbox. Obviously it's got my email correct and my full name (first and last) correct on the email. But the reservation is for a hotel in Virginia somewhere. The reservation was made on a website called Travelnow.com, of which I have never used before, so they couldn't have gotten my login and password...but they might have created a username and password using my email. It doesn't appear that there was an account created, though, just that they made a reservation and used my email. The credit card it lists on the reservation is not one that I or my wife hold...but that doesn't mean that it isn't a card that was created under my name, I suppose. When I go to Travelnow.com and try to pull up the itinerary from the email, it says that the email for that itinerary is different. So even if they used my email initially, they changed it. The reservation started yesterday and goes through Sunday. My initial thinking is that someone with the same name as me created a reservation using their own credit card and just mistyped their email (or told the hotel clerk and they typed it in their system wrong). But there is always the possibility that someone has very sloppily attempted to steal my identity and use it to book a room in Virginia for the weekend. It's a Holiday Inn, so it's not like they went crazy and got a really expensive room. I suppose I could call the hotel and ask to speak to the guy in the room...but if they are stealing my identity then they wouldn't tell me the truth anyway. I could ask the hotel about the credit card information to see if I can track down and see if it is in my name...but I doubt they would tell me anything about the card over the phone. If I call TravelNow.com they might be able to tell me something...but I'm not sure what. So help me out, folks. Has my identity been stolen? I suspect not...but how do I prove it?
Have fun in Virginia... I've had my debit/paypal account hacked b4 so I know how this feels, it suxx...
Something I forgot to mention. I also got an email from hotels.com where (presumably) this same person tried to create an account with my email. But in order for the account to become active someone would have to click the link in the email to verify it was their email. Since they couldn't do that, they moved on to TravelNow.com. Again, sloppy. Makes me think this was just a mistake and I have nothing to worry about...but it is hard not to worry when it comes to your identity.
FREE Emails like Yahoo and Hotmail have been cracked by hackers. So they're going to places like paypal and plugging in the hacked email and the hacked password. If your password is the same, then they have access. Make sure all of your passwords are different.
Raven, please look into this further. Call the customer support number for Travelnow.com, and maybe consult with a banker. They can run up bills on cards created for you and just devestate your credit. I work in the financial industry and we have to get certified yearly on customer identity protection. The theft of NPI (non-public personal information) is rampant. I've heard too many horror stories about what these people can do to you and your credit with only a limited amount of NPI, and I'd hate this to happen to you or anyone... especially if you could nip it in the bud now before anything major happens. Talk to someone trustworthy (like a banker) about this situation and see if they have any recommendations. Since I don't work with "customers" in my capacity I have limited knowledge of your recourse options. Just do yourself a favor, get you some piece of mind, and make 100% sure this is just a mistake.
I would get a copy of your credit report right now to see if there's anything on there you don't know about.
Agree, you can not just assume they are another person with your name.....they are probably up to something sinister. DD
There are three credit report agencies. You can receive a free credit report from each, once a year. See http://www.annualcreditreport.com/
Actually, I just got an email from my bank this morning saying that my account had been locked because my password had been entered 3 times incorrectly on the website. I haven't been on my account since last week, so I know it couldn't have been me, and I haven't been on a public computer since God knows when, so somebody out there has my username. I'm going to make a phone call to my bank this afternoon just to see what the possible ramifications are. I went ahead and changed my password just to be safe, but it still makes me feel very uncomfortable that someone tried to log-in to my financial stuff.
Agree with everyone else. You want to pursue this more aggressively. If it's nothing, you don't lose much besides a little time. If someone has stolen your identity though, and has just slipped up here, what you see might just be the tip of the iceberg -- and a chance to nab the guy before he does serious damage to your credit.
JV's right. I wouldn't wait to address the issue. I could compound quickly. Get on the horn with your bank(s) ASAP.
I've recently received SPAM emails from a legitimate address, meaning the spammers are masquerading the address and just pretending to be someone I know so they can get me to click on double-you double-you double-you dot buy more medicines like cialis or viagra dot come. I wonder how the SPAMMERs are doing this... either hacking the HoTMaiL addresses via some "free" toolbar, or just using peeps' addresses. At first I was like Then I :grin: Me neither?
I got something similar in my email (gmail) 2 days ago. I got a reservation cofirmation from a Toyota Dealership in Chicago. It had confrimation #, my first and last name, and date of appointment. It even listed a car make and model (2003 Toyota Corolla) and that the appoitment was for wheel alignment. Problems: I dont own a Toyota Corolla I dont live in NY, and Chicago would not be my first choice for car servicing. I never made any calls or any appointments. So I called the service center and told them I will not be able to make the appointment and I gave them the reasons why. They said the records show that someone called in to make the appointment. I asked them to call the person back and see if they can find out why they used my email address. Maybe I will follow this up with them. Now that I have read your case,I think this is just a newer and smarter spam version..... In retrospect, I should have gone to Chicago and walked out with the car. 2003 Corolla with missing brakes is just not worth the hassel, IMO.
I wouldn't just sit back and wait on this. Yes, it doesn't appear like it's anything too bad at this point, but if they were successful in getting to this point using some of your information, they may press on. I would contact the website, the hotel, an banker (or other financial advisor) that could give you advice, etc. It doesn't hurt to investigate this. You have nothing to lose (except time I suppose) and everything to gain if this is indeed an identity theft attempt.
Let me tell you something... it might also be that there is someone whose name is extremely close to yours, and his email might be very close to yours. As an example, there was this time about two years ago that I noticed I started receiving FAFSA application results and scholarship opportunities... and I wasn't even in school or trying to go. It turns out my email (let's say SwoLy-D@yahooemail.com) was extremely close to someone's with almost the same name... but I didn't know what the person's real email was. I kept getting emails saying "Your application was received, [example] SwoLy Defends"... when my name is actually SwoLy Defense. Weird. They stopped after one year. Probably the poor girl (I noticed they named her in the greetings) never knew if she was accepted to schools. I sent the emails twice to her university. I don't know if they took note. But I do understand that a credit card application is a lot "worse" or different than a school application on which someone could be be messing up spelling or email address.
Took everyone's advice and got my credit reports. Doesn't look like this was identity theft as there are no new inquiries any time soon. Did see some other stuff on there from over a year ago that I need to take care of. Thanks for the advice, everyone.
