Help with identity theft!

SparrowHawk

Hi All,

I've recently been the victim of a little CC fraud. I've informed my CC company & they in turn contacted the site where my info was used.

That company has provided a list of IP addresses used, email address, username & password.

Is there any way that I can try & track down these people?

Any help, assistance , advice appreciated.


SH

DOLEMAN

I would be absolutely shocked if the IP address led you to the guys home. I would think it's gonna be a proxy or internet cafe...

How much was the fraud for? Why not just do a chargeback and get on with your life?

edanto

Did they order something to their home using that email account?

SparrowHawk

'cause this is the second time it's happened in a couple of months (with two different cards). All the IP addresses provided are from Ireland. And I might be paranoid, but I may (or may not) know this person, so I'd like to find out, if possible.

I am very aware regarding post/ PC security etc. yet, they could provide Name, address and work phone number.

Just curious is all...

SparrowHawk

Nope, ordered a service, deliverable over internet :-(

DOLEMAN

Oooo yes it could easily be someone you know.

I'm assuming you changed your card number when the last incident happened?

Do you share a house with other people?

What service did they order?

edanto

Have you used those details in a web cafe recently?

Perhaps your machine is infected with some kind of keylogger. Give it a good clean.

How far have you gotten with tracking the IP? Does it belong to an Irish ISP, and if so can you find anyone working there?

SparrowHawk

Credit card number was changed after the first incident. I live alone & I've never used an internet cafe.

AFAIK my PC is clean - IP addressess belong mainly to Eircom & NTL. After that, don't know where to go...

edanto

Try Spycop and Snoopfree, they'll look for a lot of keyloggers on your machine.

Has anyone else used your computer, even for a few minutes, in the past 6 months or a year?

When you listed above the details that you have, did you mean the uname and pwd for that email address? Anything interesting in there?

EDIT - just reread your post. It's probably the login details for the site they shopped on.

What Ruu said below about a secure connection seems most important, what's your setup?

DOLEMAN

SparrowHawk wrote:

I live alone... I might be paranoid... I've recently been the victim of a little CC fraud...the second time it's happened in a couple of months...

with some selective quotes your life sounds tragic!

Hope you get it sorted.

If you live in an apartment block, is your mailbox communal? Could someone be opening your letters, writing down the numbers, and then resealing...?

Ruu_Old

Is your internet connection secure? Have you got anti-virus, spyware and firewall software? What version of Windows are you running?

SparrowHawk

DOLEMAN wrote:

with some selective quotes your life sounds tragic!

Hope you get it sorted.

If you live in an apartment block, is your mailbox communal? Could someone be opening your letters, writing down the numbers, and then resealing...?

but wouldn't give the rigt impression - life is pretty good!!

The mailbox thing is a possibility....

SparrowHawk

I'm using AVG firewall & AV, running windows xp - updated.

AFAIK my PC is clean, but I'm checking again. Username & password was for the service account they signed up for

edanto

Do you have a wireless network at home, and how is it secured?

DOLEMAN

I would be more worried about traditional fraud methods (the scumbag in the local petrol station etc.) than your anti-virus software etc...

edanto

DOLEMAN wrote:

I would be more worried about traditional fraud methods (the scumbag in the local petrol station etc.) than your anti-virus software etc...

It's because the person knew all Sparrowhawk's personal details (work phone) and also partly because it sounds like someone techy (ordered a web service) that I think it's a software security problem. Just a hunch though.

SparrowHawk

I have a wireless network at home secured using WPA-Personal

sh_o

I presume you have reported it to the Authorities and not just to the Credit Card company?
Rather than you investigating it yourself, it may make sense to let the Gardai handle it?

Black Swan

Does the Gardai have a special Internet fraud unit?

MunsterCycling

Why aren't the CC company doing the investigating, they did refund you OP?

Just pass them the IPs and let them get on with it.

MC

Karoma

I'd imagine the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation would be the people who'd look into matters. However, I don't know if they'd bother with such a small case,tbh. How much was charged for the "web service"? What was this "web service"? Was it porn? Were you 'found out' by the missus?

Seriously, either provide more information here (current set-up,details of the issue, etc.) or stop now;and go to the Gardaí.

Zoned

Sparrowhawk,

I agree with Karona. More details required.

1st things 1st. Cancel your card again.
Go with a different CC company that can guarantee you refunds.
Or else use one of those 1 time CC number services. You get a number and it can only be used once.

Contact the web service and get some info from them. If they are honest they will cooperate.

If I was someone who committed CC fraud like this I would use a false IP address belonging to the country of person who I got it from. It will look more authentic and harder to trace....

Have you got any emails recently from your bank warning you of account violation....etc???

regards

Zoned

SparrowHawk

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the assistance.

The card has been cancelled, & by the looks of things the CC company will refund the amounts.

The guy signed up for a "meet people of a similiar nature" site. The CC company received all the account details from the site owners - which they passed on to me. I logged into the account & he says he's from the same area as me - which makes me think that I might know him.
Obviously when the account was created he had to have my address - but once he started creating a profile, he could have said he was from anywhere - but still used the same location.

He even posted several photos & a very "nice" video of himself, but nothing that can give a definite ID - unless I check out the local urinals !!

The website provided a log of all logins & IP adresses - all IP addresses are from Irish comapnies or from NTL in England (which might be from Ireland originally, because I think NTL run Irish traffic, through England first). Which again, makes me think he's local.

I hadn't really considered the cops, because I'll probably get the money back, & if the CC company can find out anything they will pass it on to the police - but they won't tell me (data protection, or something, I think).

I'm always careful using my CC, all the websites I'd use are all "reputable" & have a lot of people using CC.

I'm thinking that it's someone I know, or someone either going through my mail before I get it, or after I've thrown it in the rubbish - I've just bought a shredder!

If there is any further info that I could provide, let me know!

Any further help appreciated.


SH

SorGan

SparrowHawk wrote:

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the assistance.

The card has been cancelled, & by the looks of things the CC company will refund the amounts.

The guy signed up for a "meet people of a similiar nature" site. The CC company received all the account details from the site owners - which they passed on to me. I logged into the account & he says he's from the same area as me - which makes me think that I might know him.
Obviously when the account was created he had to have my address - but once he started creating a profile, he could have said he was from anywhere - but still used the same location.

He even posted several photos & a very "nice" video of himself, but nothing that can give a definite ID - unless I check out the local urinals !!


I hadn't really considered the cops, because I'll probably get the money back, & if the CC company can find out anything they will pass it on to the police - but they won't tell me (data protection, or something, I think).




SH

ask for his pictures for the gardas but print them, and post them everywhere, with the title scummer saught reward offered, then when you find his place..rob his front door, he'll never expect it...;)

Cuddlesworth

MunsterCycling wrote:

Why aren't the CC company doing the investigating, they did refund you OP?

Just pass them the IPs and let them get on with it.

MC

They dont unless its a lot of money involved, plus they will become wary if his card details keep getting nicked of him and not somebody else. I would go with the mail option.

JohnnieM

SparrowHawk wrote:

I have a wireless network at home secured using WPA-Personal

Wpa-psk with an extremely long key.. then your secure...random code generator on www.grc.com/passwords
If you use full key length 63 asci characters you'll never be hacked... some ap wont take asci in this case use alpha numeric..(cut & paste the pw)

Gavin

What are you waiting for ? This guy stole from you, and most likely steals from other people.

You have a valid case, you have reliable evidence, go to the Gardaí, get him busted & then you can tell us how he got the number in the first place.

Gav