Saturday, September 02, 2006
Fraud and dead bodiesBecause I don't have enough trauma in my life...
I recently (okay, yesterday) learned that someone has used my social security number, obtained a credit card--get this, with another name and my ss#--made fraudulent purchases, and not made the payments (there's a surprise)--and now it's gone to collections.
Because it is recorded by ss#, I'm the one responsible/screwed. I spent yesterday at the ss office, more than one police station--(because I live in the friggin woods of Missouri and this station, and that one don't do anything but traffic and domestic violence in this town or that--I had to go to the COUNTY police station in the next town over to file a report), and then hours on the phone with credit bureaus...and the concensus is...this happens all the time, most people pay the bill to clean up their credit.
Well, I'm a stubborn Taurus. It's not my bill, I'm not paying it. My husband is a stubborn Taurus, and he's with me on this. And, here's a shocker...we're insisting that the police investigate and prosecute.
The officer, nice guy named Ramage (rhymes with Damage), said, "Really, it isn't that much, (just a few thousand) and it's already on your credit. Getting it off without paying it is almost impossible, more trouble than it's worth."
I stood there thinking, "No. I'm sure you'd rather harrass people who are driving 5-10 miles over the speed limit than catch these identity thieves." And what's to stop it from being done again? Who knows how many other bills are being generated as we speak, ready to come my way?
Oh, and here's something else that is GREAT. We have new neighbors. I live in a hollow in the Ozarks, ten miles out of any big town. There are five houses on my country street. I can't have the cops come to my property so I can make my report because my new neighbors are drug dealers and I can't let them think I've said anything about their activities.
Yeah. We went from the most peaceful, wonderful place in the woods, where little children played barefoot in the dirt street, to locking our doors, and being afraid to look as we drive past their place. They were there, oh, a month before a dead body turned up down there. OD. Murder charges are going on since one guy wouldn't call an ambulance. (I should write mystery based on this real crime.)
Who lives like that?
I'm sorry--not me. I'm a white girl from the suburbs. I have to look up marijuana leaves on the internet to know what they look like.
And crystal? That's what bells and pretty glasses are made of, right?
My husband says I'm the only girl in the world that didn't drink, smoke, or try pot or ludes in the seventies. That is not to say I'm against a good margarita these days.
Or that I care what you do in your own home...as long as dead bodies don't show up. Ya know?
(Sorry, just had to rant a little.)
4 Comments:
OMG, this is terrible!!!! No, you should not have to pay. They said people just pay ( a few thousand??) to go ahead and just clear it up?
How hard can it be to track down the purchases?
That ticks me off.
By 
Rinda Elliott, at
10:57 AM
I was so ticked I hadn't read the rest. Crap. I would have serious issues with the neighbors.
It's totally different and not anywhere as bad as drugs, but I was having serious issues with neighbor's dogs. They barked all night, every night. I ended up getting the flu and couldn't get well and the doc said I needed to sleep.
I tried sleeping in different parts of the house and that didn't work. Then I think someone complained. I'm almost sure it was someone in my family-- like my mother. (g) I was worried about having a bad relationship with new neighbors, so I never complained. Believe me, I've lived in a neighborhood where I didn't get along with neighbors and it's not fun.
But they ended up putting these zapper things on two of the dogs. They would start to bark and then whine. Not much better and now I felt sorry for the dogs. But the dog they didn't do anything with is the worst offender. A border collie that barks at blowing leaves. Grrr...
Uh, I'm done. LOL! I am really sorry about your neighbors. Maybe all of the non-drug neighbors could get together and file a complaint.
By Rinda Elliott, at
11:04 AM
omg identity theft is a plague on society now. And unfornately your new neighbors sounds like my neighbors. I live in Al and my neighbors are awful. White trash on one side and meth dealers up the road on the other side.
Identity theft is bad enough, but that the police won't even help you? Is ridiculous.
I know what it's like to have neighbors like that. The cops told my dad once that about every 4th house around where I grew up is a grow op, but they seem to keep to themselves (we've never had any problems). However, when meth shows up it becomes a problem every time.
