someone is freaking me out

[Sherri]

For a while I have been getting calls about free promotions that I signed up for (which I didn't). But supposivly they had cards that were filled out with my name on it and all of my information.
I get calls about hospital beds, about garage door systems, you name it.
I got something in the mail about a doll that was ordered by someone filling out a card in the mail with my info.
Oh anthen there is the magazine subscriptions.
Well today I got a card that was returned to my address because the person didn't put the postage on it. It was going to a place called 4imprints. I don't know how to stop this. But more then that its creepy.
Any advice?

 

[Mermaid02]

I don't have any advice- but that is very unsettling.

 

[minnieandme]

Maybe someone you know is playing a trick on you and used your name and address.

 

[agnes!]

I suppose somebody really thinks that all this is funny, but I would get your credit reports from the major credit bureaus and put a fraud alert on all your accounts.

agnes!

 

[Chicago526]

I suppose somebody really thinks that all this is funny, but I would get your credit reports from the major credit bureaus and put a fraud alert on all your accounts.

agnes!

Please do this! One of the first clues that your identity has been stolen is funny stuff showing up in the mail. Better safe than sorry!

 

[Sherri]

Thanks everyone. I will pull my credit report.

 

[aztecgoods]

Yes i would also recommend putting a fraud alert on your credit report thingie, that way it will raise red flags if anyone is attempting to further steal your identity and info get credit cards in your name etc. etc.

 

[Pugdog007]

So on the one you received back - did you recognize the handwriting or can you tell if it looks like a child or an adult's writing?

Could someone you work with be pulling some kind of prank on you?

 

[SplshMtn99]

I remember reading / hearing once "ways to get back at old boyfriends".

Just about everything you listed was mentioned. You end up with the bills for the magazines...and the work of having to cancel everything.

Have you ticked someone off lately?

 

[horseshowmom]

I remember reading / hearing once "ways to get back at old boyfriends".

Just about everything you listed was mentioned. You end up with the bills for the magazines...and the work of having to cancel everything.

Have you ticked someone off lately?

That's what I was going to post. I heard about the magazine part of it a long time ago - where people fill out loads of cards and send them in so that the person is left with the mess of straightening it out.

I'd say you've got an enemy somewhere, and I'd definitely make the credit bureaus aware of it.

Good luck!

 

[Sherri]

So on the one you received back - did you recognize the handwriting or can you tell if it looks like a child or an adult's writing?

Could someone you work with be pulling some kind of prank on you?

My dh is a teacher to children who have been expelled from school, he works at a special kind of school. I have to look in the phone book to see if we are listed. It was weird, on this card they made up a job and a company for me. It just really creeps me out that someone would take the time to do this.
Makes me wonder why.

 

[Keli]

How old are your children?
My dd thought nothing of putting my information on any contests she entered when it said you had to be 18 or older to enter.

 

[horseshowmom]

My dh is a teacher to children who have been expelled from school, he works at a special kind of school. I have to look in the phone book to see if we are listed. It was weird, on this card they made up a job and a company for me. It just really creeps me out that someone would take the time to do this.
Makes me wonder why.

That's a possibility. My DH has been mad all week due to issues with some students (and his are only 4th graders). This particular bunch is one of the worst groups they've had in a long time as far as vulgar, nasty stuff.

At the beginning of the week several parents had to be called after DH and his fellow teacher found an exceptionally graphic letter that contained the lyrics of a rap song that the children were composing. He said it was sickening, and the children's parents were called (which resulted in them getting into trouble). In an effort to "get back" at DH and the other 4th grade teacher, they started spreading rumors about them having an affair (and let me tell you, they weren't leaving any details out). Of course, the parents were called again, and they got into trouble again.

The principal has had to have the lunchroom stop serving bananas in this school due to how the girls eat them while looking at the boys. Would you believe this is a K-5 school?

While it might not be the students, that's a good possibility. The only reason to question it might be why they're using your name instead of his.

 

[drgnfly30]

Last year one of my neighbors was mad at another... they subscribed to over 400 magazines using the the other neighbors information.... because of the $ amount, the neighbor who did it got arrested... court date is sometime next month....

 

[Adream]

Someone did this to us last year. My DH's business involves signs with his full name, so to look up our address in the phone book is easy. Well, someone filled in our info to mortgage companies. We got a couple of calls a night, I told the people what apparently took place regarding someone who thought they were funny.
They apologized and hung up promptly. Eventually the calls subsided. Definitely check your credit for your peace of mind.

I just don't get what some people consider 'funny.'

 

[agnes!]

Ohmigosh, really? They subscribed to so many magazines in someone else's name that the nasty-"phantom subscriber" got *arrested*?!? Sheesh, what a lot of work to put in just because you're mad at someone.

To the OP -
Keep EVERYTHING that comes to your house (like that card that got returned), and print out EVERY "odd" e-mail & put it all in a special file. Do not throw *anything* away. If you get odd salesmen's phone calls, ask them how they got your contact info & keep track of every single bloomin' phone call. If the behavior escalates, then you'll have a record of what has occurred previously. Do you have Caller ID? If not, get it. Do NOT answer any phone call from an an unrecognized person, let your answering system answer it.
My money is on the ticked-off students, but it could be anybody, just make a paper trail.

agnes!

 

[Heidict]

If this is someone that is angry with you or has a grudge or what ever, is there anyway to find out?

Will the police become involved or will they just right it off? Is there anyway to trace it back to who is doing it?

 

[Sherri]

That's a possibility. My DH has been mad all week due to issues with some students (and his are only 4th graders). This particular bunch is one of the worst groups they've had in a long time as far as vulgar, nasty stuff.

At the beginning of the week several parents had to be called after DH and his fellow teacher found an exceptionally graphic letter that contained the lyrics of a rap song that the children were composing. He said it was sickening, and the children's parents were called (which resulted in them getting into trouble). In an effort to "get back" at DH and the other 4th grade teacher, they started spreading rumors about them having an affair (and let me tell you, they weren't leaving any details out). Of course, the parents were called again, and they got into trouble again.

The principal has had to have the lunchroom stop serving bananas in this school due to how the girls eat them while looking at the boys. Would you believe this is a K-5 school?

While it might not be the students, that's a good possibility. The only reason to question it might be why they're using your name instead of his.

Well funny enough I asked dh about this a couple hours ago. How would his students know my name? One is a neighbor on the next street over. He could have told the others. OR it could have been when we ran into a couple of them at a basketball game he introduced me as his wife Sherri.
WOW! Your husband sounds like he has his hands full. Is every year this challanging for him? It sounds like some of them will be headed towards my husbands type of school if they continue on the path there on.

 

[horseshowmom]

Well funny enough I asked dh about this a couple hours ago. How would his students know my name? One is a neighbor on the next street over. He could have told the others. OR it could have been when we ran into a couple of them at a basketball game he introduced me as his wife Sherri.
WOW! Your husband sounds like he has his hands full. Is every year this challanging for him? It sounds like some of them will be headed towards my husbands type of school if they continue on the path there on.

No, honestly, it's not usually this bad, and he normally loves his job. He usually has "some" but nothing like this year. The principal said that when this group was in 2nd grade they had some of the same kind of issues come up. Out of about 60 kids, about a third of them are like this.

I used to be in the classroom too (Jr. High and High), and it seemed like every now and then you would just have a group that was worse than the others. I've heard other teachers comment on it too. We're nearly sure that several years ago a student that I had (who had some major problems) shot one of our dogs (due to some comments that he made afterwards). It shattered the bone in her back leg, and after trying a pin for several months, the leg had to be removed.

And to respond to your comment, they have had several students sent to Alternative School from this school (considering the age, sad but true). Oh, and you'll love this, when the principal contacted the parents about the second incident and told them that this behavior would not be tolerated, one of the parents asked her if that was a threat...

Teaching is NOT for the faint of heart...