Regarding your SSN

[CajunDixie]

As OceanAnnie said

What exactly are you saying here? (bolded part)


I am sorry if not having my SSN makes your job a little more difficult. The less people who have my SSN, the better.

PS You do know that the account that they wrote off was not mine, it was the thief that stole my identity, right?

I know the account wasn't yours but what I'm saying is keep every bit of documentation you have showing the account was not yours. I've seen it on creditboards . com before that people get a incorrect item off their reports and the collection agency waits a couple years then sell it to another collection agency for pennies on the dollar.

Originally Posted by angwill
It sounds like CajunDixie may be one of the bad seeds who feel superior when she feels people are beneath her because they owe money so that makes her feel entitled to everyones personal info.

This is why the debt collector/agency doesn't write off the debt correctly when it is identity theft and it ends up being sold to another agency instead. It makes the bad seeds feel powerful over those they feel are beneath them. This is usually due to a lack of self confidence so they see no need to help others and would rather squash them lower than they see themselves in their own mind because it makes them feel better than and more powerful. They should be working on their own lack of self esteem in a healthy way. I saw a lot of those in collections but what goes around comes around in the end. If someone has suffered identity theft it is not fun to make it harder for them.

Apparently you need to learn to read and not assume things nor make up fiction. How am I a bad seed?? I work for an ambulance service not a collection agency. I'm the first one to help people set up payment plans as small as $10 on a debt of over $1,000. I bend over backwards to help our patients because I know medical emergencies are not cheap and not everyone has good insurance or even insurance at all. Ohhh and we don't charge interest either as long as I get some sort of payment monthly.

You do realize that everyone at the credit bureau can see your social security number because it's on your file? Plus if you deal with identity theft or a mixed file and you call the credit bureau, you have to verify it before they can proceed to correct your information?

There's no other way.

Never call a credit bureau. In doing so you have no proof later when they put the wrong info back in your report or opt not to bother changing it in the first place. Its best to in writing by regiestered return receipt mail request a credit bureau verify the information and to remove all incorrect info. At the same time again by registered return receipt mail instruct the collection agency to validate the account they have listed on your account. I don't remember the exact timeframes for this but you can refer to creditboards for this basic info.

Have you contacted Experian about the address? They will remove it if you let them know unless it's still linked to some item on the report. Keep in mind that the addresses listed come from the credit items.

Of course they may not help you if you don't provide your social security number. Their system is reliant on those at this time.

if you get a printed copy of your report rather than the online viewing there is a paper enclosed for corrections. Better in writing than phone.

Yup, I know that and provide it when investigating the ID theft and monitoring the credit report.
It is the collection agencies that I will not give it to.

I sent a registered letter with all of my info (including SSN) and have receipt of the fact that they got the letter back in April. My ID theft counselor said it takes several months to have this removed. I will give them 1 more month (4 is definitely several) and contact them again.

It is costly to send these letters with receipts. So far $30.00 for postage for this crap. Really irritating. And the thief pays nothing.

Thanks PlanoGirl!

It really shouldnt take months. Last I knew they had 45 days from when they received your letter to correct your information. You really should read all the newbie info on creditboards . com because 4 months is not acceptable per reporting laws.

Yep, still lazy. There are other ways to identify a person. You don't need their SSN. You don't even need it to send someone to collections.



That's because the lowest SSN is 001-01-0001, so by entering all zeros you won't be connected to anyone else.

For those that think giving the wrong SSN to a doctor, hospital, or insurance company is illegal; no it isn't. You are NOT required to give those companies your SSN, so by giving them a number different from your own, there is no legal ramification. Just don't give your employer, bank, or any government agency the wrong number.

You need to look up the meaning of lazy. The SS# is not used to identify the person in our account nor the collection agency accounts. It is used to to see if the person has a job or has filed bankruptcy. It is illegal for a collection agency to go after a person that has filed bankruptcy if the debt they are holding was included in the bankruptcy. It is also used to find the person, as quite a few of people that don't pay move from address to address to address.

 

[mhsjax]

I work in law enforcement. I have seen so many cases of fraud that started with office staff stealing ss#'s that I would NEVER give it to a medical office for any reason. They can have the last four digits and if that doesn't suffice then I do NOT want their services anyway. The law states that they can refuse service, but a doctor's office that is willing to lose a patient because they won't provide their ss# is either misinformed or has ulterior motives.

The statements about "I trust him with my body so I would trust him with my ss#" is very naive. I have seen excellent doctors who have no idea what their low paid office staff are doing on their end.

Um Excuse me, but I was once a "low paid " office staff. (boy how nasty). YOu know it's funny, because even though I was 'Low paid", those silly Dr's actually trusted me to cash their checks. I had been there for 8 years and I did all their banking, they set it up through the bank that I could cash their checks. It wasn't unusual for me to come back with about $20.000 in cash.

But hey I was just a
Low Paid office staff, I had nothing better to do. Geez, learn some manners.
,

 

[Planogirl]

Never call a credit bureau. In doing so you have no proof later when they put the wrong info back in your report or opt not to bother changing it in the first place. Its best to in writing by regiestered return receipt mail request a credit bureau verify the information and to remove all incorrect info. At the same time again by registered return receipt mail instruct the collection agency to validate the account they have listed on your account. I don't remember the exact timeframes for this but you can refer to creditboards for this basic info.

You think that a credit bureau just puts things on a credit report? For what purpose? Those things usually end up on a credit report through an automatic process not because a person "puts" them there.

I work for one of the credit bureaus and people call regularly and in great numbers. If you want to dispute fraud or a mixed file it's way better to deal with a person than a machine. Besides if you call you get someone in the U.S., at least where I am. If you mail it in or send it online it goes to someone in Chile if it's even seen by a person. Usually it just sails straight through the computer system and gets to the creditor directly. What they do at that point is unknown.

If you ask the creditor to validate then you may or may not get anything from them. They will claim they validated the item but the credit bureaus see nothing and chances are you might not either. People call constantly thinking that the credit bureaus receive something but usually no person at the credit bureaus is even aware that anything was disputed.

 

[Kathi OD]

You need to look up the meaning of lazy. The SS# is not used to identify the person in our account nor the collection agency accounts. It is used to to see if the person has a job or has filed bankruptcy. It is illegal for a collection agency to go after a person that has filed bankruptcy if the debt they are holding was included in the bankruptcy. It is also used to find the person, as quite a few of people that don't pay move from address to address to address.

I am well aware of the definitions (yes, there is more than one) of the word lazy. Maybe you are unaware of this one: "not willing to work or exert oneself." It is in this context that I originally used the word. Companies use a person's SSN because they are unwilling to do the work necessary to identify people in another way. The SSN makes it easy for them. Regardless of if the number is used in your account, you're still using it to identify a person for some reason. That identification can be done without using the SSN. Again, having the SSN just makes it easy, therefore causing less exertion for the office staff.

Why would a doctor's office need to know if someone is employed or not? There are millions of people who are unemployed and pay their bills on time, all. the. time.

Using a person's SSN to find out if they are employed, have moved, or have declared bankruptcy is not one of its intended uses. Therefore, the doctor doesn't need it. He (or his office staff) can expend the energy required to identify people in a alternative way...unless they are too lazy (or maybe cheap?).

 

[Muushka]

snip
Never call a credit bureau. In doing so you have no proof later when they put the wrong info back in your report or opt not to bother changing it in the first place. Its best to in writing by regiestered return receipt mail request a credit bureau verify the information and to remove all incorrect info. At the same time again by registered return receipt mail instruct the collection agency to validate the account they have listed on your account. I don't remember the exact timeframes for this but you can refer to creditboards for this basic info.



if you get a printed copy of your report rather than the online viewing there is a paper enclosed for corrections. Better in writing than phone.



It really shouldnt take months. Last I knew they had 45 days from when they received your letter to correct your information. You really should read all the newbie info on creditboards . com because 4 months is not acceptable per reporting laws.

snip

After reading what you wrote, yesterday I went on line at Experion's site. I had a report number, so I was able to dispute the thief's address on my SSN online. And an hour later, I received an email stating that the address had been removed!

I had spent $8 to send a registered letter and receipt and they never did it. But thank you for letting me know that the time frame was unreasonable.

I also called Cablevision asking for my letter clearing me. They never received the clearance from the collection agency (even though they said they had cleared me).

For those of you who freely give out your SSN, this is what you have to look forward to. And believe me, after going through this 4 times before, it is much easier than it was the previous times.

 

[Tink-aholic]

I wonder why some people have their identities stolen multiple times and others have not had it happen at all.

It would be interesting to study people who have had it done more than once and see if it has something to do with their own habits, where they work, where they live, where they shop, etc. That information could certainly help everyone prevent it.

 

[Muushka]

I wonder why some people have their identities stolen multiple times and others have not had it happen at all.

It would be interesting to study people who have had it done more than once and see if it has something to do with their own habits, where they work, where they live, where they shop, etc. That information could certainly help everyone prevent it.

Good question. In my case (and I am not sure if I made this clear or not) it is the SAME THIEF who stole my identity. She lives in Brooklyn (I could even give you her address). The police choose (I guess there really are more important things for them to do) not to go after her. Apparently when you apply for utilities type of things (which is her MO for me), they don't check credit like they should. I had my credit on temporary freeze and it did no good. But it is permanently frozen now, but it is my understanding that it may still get stolen.

I worked for the state where they use your SSN as your employee ID. Our timesheets had this info on them. Once it left my hands, I had no control over who saw it. The police believe that is where it happened. But who knows?
Since my problem they changed that policy. So speak up if you feel that your SSN may be compromised! It works!

 

[LaurLaur04]

Any PRIVATE office can deny you for any reasons they want to. They are not required to do anything for you. SSN's are needed to verify insurance (or the DOB, which is what we use, unless its a specific type of insurance) but also SSNs are nice to have so you can post non-payment on someones credit report.

 

[SILLYANDI]

Um Excuse me, but I was once a "low paid " office staff. (boy how nasty). YOu know it's funny, because even though I was 'Low paid", those silly Dr's actually trusted me to cash their checks. I had been there for 8 years and I did all their banking, they set it up through the bank that I could cash their checks. It wasn't unusual for me to come back with about $20.000 in cash.

But hey I was just a
Low Paid office staff, I had nothing better to do. Geez, learn some manners.
,

I apologize. That was not intended as a dig at ALL office staff members, more of a dig at the Doctors who are not paying well and working their staff to the bone. Thefts of these types USUALLY result from someone not feeling compensated fully by their employer. They feel they are working hard and not getting the pat on the back or the $ to show the boss appreciates their work. I know this because I have interviewed enough (hundreds) of employees who have said so in as many words after being arrested (very often I have felt sorry for them because they are making minimum wage and running the doctor's whole life for them, not just the business.)
What is "nasty" or rude about saying "low paid"? I think that someone making minimum wage or just about it and RUNNING a business is not fair. I NEVER stated that LOW PAID=THEIF or SECOND CLASS, YOU took that label for yourself. Tell me, when you were working there
did you think you were compensated as well as you deserved, honestly? If you were then you are one of the lucky few. Most doctors pay minimum wage or just above it and expect a whole lot for that low pay..
Some people take everything they read here as a personal bash. I guess I'm thinking since I didn't write that comment TO YOU it wasn't ABOUT YOU.

 

[SILLYANDI]

I wonder why some people have their identities stolen multiple times and others have not had it happen at all.

It would be interesting to study people who have had it done more than once and see if it has something to do with their own habits, where they work, where they live, where they shop, etc. That information could certainly help everyone prevent it.

Quite often a ss# is stolen from paperwork in your mailbox (utility bills or medical related mail is most targeted), office staff from ANY place of business that you have used your ss# with can be the source, and now most common is skimming info from your laptop while you are surfing the web on an unsecured wi fi connection (or easily hack-able secure server).
Credit cards with the "pay wave" feature can have the info lifted when you have the card in your wallet or purse and a theif has a reader within close proximity (10-20 ft so they can be sitting a few tables away at Starbucks).
Once your info has been taken it can be sold and resold on the internet several times. Different theives will have all of your info and can easily burn, say, bank account info or credit card info onto a new card with their name and photo on it in a matter of minutes. I'm pretty sure at the level of technology now my 10 year old could figure out how to do it in under an hour (you can buy readers, card encryption machinary and equipment legally very easily). The reason a person gets targeted over and over is because of thelack of communication between businesses, law enforcement, victims and credit beaureaus. The lag between the use of the info and the notification to the victim as well as the fact that your ss# isn't changed and more than one person is using it add to that. Once it's been compromised it seems like a never ending battle to "catch up" to the people using the info.

It's a huge problem. Law enforcement and Banks can't keep up. That may be why they are not going after the gal in Brooklyn. They are going after the established gangs and crime syndicates who are in it for millions, not to pay their $200 a month electric bill, and its sad.

 

[mhsjax]

I apologize. That was not intended as a dig at ALL office staff members, more of a dig at the Doctors who are not paying well and working their staff to the bone. Thefts of these types USUALLY result from someone not feeling compensated fully by their employer. They feel they are working hard and not getting the pat on the back or the $ to show the boss appreciates their work. I know this because I have interviewed enough (hundreds) of employees who have said so in as many words after being arrested (very often I have felt sorry for them because they are making minimum wage and running the doctor's whole life for them, not just the business.)
What is "nasty" or rude about saying "low paid"? I think that someone making minimum wage or just about it and RUNNING a business is not fair. I NEVER stated that LOW PAID=THEIF or SECOND CLASS, YOU took that label for yourself. Tell me, when you were working there
did you think you were compensated as well as you deserved, honestly? If you were then you are one of the lucky few. Most doctors pay minimum wage or just above it and expect a whole lot for that low pay..
Some people take everything they read here as a personal bash. I guess I'm thinking since I didn't write that comment TO YOU it wasn't ABOUT YOU.

Well first off, it sounded like you were stating that the "low paid" employees would be the ones stealing the SS#. I rally don' think that there was any other way to take it.

And actually yes I did feel that I was fairly well compensated, sure no where near what a Dr makes, but then again, I didn't make any medical decisions, I worked with OB?GYN's so not only the mother's health but the health of the baby were in his hands.

I can assure you that the last thing we cared about was getting anyones SS#. and Back when I was working there almost all insurance companies used socials. We were too busy doing our work, (4 Drs equal a lot of babies)to even entertain the idea of stealing someone's info.

Just a thought, what is everyone here going to do when they reach medicare age. Your medicare number is your SS# are you going to deny your Dr that info?

 

[Muushka]

Any PRIVATE office can deny you for any reasons they want to. They are not required to do anything for you. SSN's are needed to verify insurance (or the DOB, which is what we use, unless its a specific type of insurance) but also SSNs are nice to have so you can post non-payment on someones credit report.

Amazing. I have not given out my SSN at Doc offices for the past 8 years. And yet, they were somehow able to verify my insurance. And as far as collecting SSN from everybody on the off chance that they may not pay their bill because you want it to be nice? Sorry, I don't think so.

Well first off, it sounded like you were stating that the "low paid" employees would be the ones stealing the SS#. I rally don' think that there was any other way to take it.

And actually yes I did feel that I was fairly well compensated, sure no where near what a Dr makes, but then again, I didn't make any medical decisions, I worked with OB?GYN's so not only the mother's health but the health of the baby were in his hands.

I can assure you that the last thing we cared about was getting anyones SS#. and Back when I was working there almost all insurance companies used socials. We were too busy doing our work, (4 Drs equal a lot of babies)to even entertain the idea of stealing someone's info.

Just a thought, what is everyone here going to do when they reach medicare age. Your medicare number is your SS# are you going to deny your Dr that info?

That is a good question. Hopefully by then they won't be associating medicare with SSN. If medicare still exists that is.

 

[mhsjax]

Amazing. I have not given out my SSN at Doc offices for the past 8 years. And yet, they were somehow able to verify my insurance. And as far as collecting SSN from everybody on the off chance that they may not pay their bill because you want it to be nice? Sorry, I don't think so.



That is a good question. Hopefully by then they won't be associating medicare with SSN. If medicare still exists that is.

When I worked for my Dr's it was way more than 8 years ago, try about 15 or 16. I filed the insurance, got copies of all the card. Back then most of the ID card for Insurance that I dealt with had the SS# on it. So we didn't have to ask.
Good point about the medicare still existing. But I don't expect them to change the ID numbers on the card. If medicare is still around I am willing to bet that they will still use your SS#

 

[Muushka]

When I worked for my Dr's it was way more than 8 years ago, try about 15 or 16. I filed the insurance, got copies of all the card. Back then most of the ID card for Insurance that I dealt with had the SS# on it. So we didn't have to ask.
Good point about the medicare still existing. But I don't expect them to change the ID numbers on the card. If medicare is still around I am willing to bet that they will still use your SS#

I used to take ins info in the medical offices. While I can't remember if we got the SSN, I do remember that many had the SSN in them. I am glad those days are gone! But back then, we freely gave that information away. I imagine I probably asked for the SSN also. But today there is no excuse.

 

[mhsjax]

I used to take ins info in the medical offices. While I can't remember if we got the SSN, I do remember that many had the SSN in them. I am glad those days are gone! But back then, we freely gave that information away. I imagine I probably asked for the SSN also. But today there is no excuse.

I know that ours never had the SS#, It is gov't emp insurance. I did have a Drs office get real nasty because I couldn't remember my hubby's SS# and I argued with her about filing the insurance without it. She insisted they wouldn't file without it, so I gave it to her. That was a long time ago.

 

[princessmom29]

I personally don't get the paranoia about giving a medical office an SSN. If i trust them to treat me I trust them with my info. IF not, I will go elswhere. That goes for office stafff, nurses, dcotors ect. If a doctor's office is employing someone I don't trust, why should I trust that doctor's judgment about my health??

 

[princessmom29]

Amazing. I have not given out my SSN at Doc offices for the past 8 years. And yet, they were somehow able to verify my insurance. And as far as collecting SSN from everybody on the off chance that they may not pay their bill because you want it to be nice? Sorry, I don't think so.



That is a good question. Hopefully by then they won't be associating medicare with SSN. If medicare still exists that is.

I don't have a problem with doctors getting any info they need to collect from people who don't pay, and getting it from everyone. Otherwise I am going to end up paying for it in the long run. If they don't get their money they are just gonig to charge those of us who are actually paying more.

I think medicare with always be tied to SSN because it is tied to the SS system.

 

[Muushka]

Best of luck to you!