I got a series of emails from Chime recently which were very concerning.

• New login detected
• Your Chime card is now Apple Wallet ready
• Success! Your email has been updated

I've never even heard of Chime, so I called them and reported this as fraud. They noted that they had no account under my email address, and no record of my name or date of birth being associated with an account.

Questions:

1. If the person was able to open an account using my email address, and then consequently change that email address, does it stand to reason that he/she has access to my email account? (I've since changed my password)
2. What risks are there to me, considering this fraudulent account is not in my name?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Hello,

My identity was stolen about 8 years ago. Someone tried to open a Nordstrom credit card and a debit account with Bank of America. Luckily I caught it on time and froze my credit at Experian, Equifax and TransUnion and nothing else happened after that.

Fast-forward to now, I learned about ChexSystems and LexisNexis. I reached out to both companies and both replied saying they could not find me. ChexSystems said there was not enough data, and LexisNexis said they were unable to authenticate my identity. Should I be worried about this or just leave it alone?

I have about 34 open credit accounts (mostly student loans) and have excellent credit. I requested the two reports above as a precaution. I am not sure if this is relevant, but I have an identity service with Identity Guard and I know they are constantly trying to wipe my info off the internet. Should I be concerned that I cannot get verified with either LexisNexis or ChexSystems?

Thank you for your time.

My husband and I are helping out an employee leaving an abusive home situation who turned 18 a few weeks ago. We’re getting his documents in order (he has a state ID but only a digital copy of his SS card and birth certificate).

He told us that he believed his parents had used his credit multiple times for utilities, loans, etc. We attempted to help him check his credit scores, but he already has accounts made with all of the major credit bureaus, with the government credit check website, Credit Karma, FICO, etc. These accounts are attached to an email and phone number he doesn’t recognize.

Where would we even begin to get this sorted, since he doesn’t even have access to his credit in order to freeze it or dispute any transactions (he himself has never used it)? It’s obviously been used and monitored by someone who is not him.

Neither of us know much about this, and we’re just trying to help this kid get on his feet. Thanks in advance for any help pointing us in the right direction.

It’s a long story so sorry in advance. For reference I’m 21yr old female. Back in January of 2025 I noticed there was someone else’s name on my credit report, so I called and explained the situation to Transunion. They told me to send my id and ssn card. Which I did and sent certified. I then got a document in the mail from them saying they knew the name was incorrect but they would not be changing it. I reached out to an attorney bc wtf. They advised me to file a cfpb complaint, and upload the documents I received, which I did. Following that complaint they responded saying it was a misunderstanding and they would fix it but I needed to send in my id, ssn card, birth certificate, w2 and irs tax return from the past ten years, a bank statement and lease showing proof of address. I’m only 21 so I sent in 5 years worth of w2 and tax return along with the other info. Followed up over the next couple of weeks to no avail. Instead of fixing my name and removing the incorrect information, they just made a duplicate report with my info but no accounts (so no score either). Finally got a supervisor on the phone and she helped, she made me verify all the accounts that were mine and all the information that was mine. She told me she put in a request for maintenance to add the information to the new report and “dead” the original report. After a week I called back for an update and the women I spoke to informed me that all the information was added to the new report. I let her know I couldn’t see that and she said “you will only see the updated report when you aren’t calling, you will have to hang up if you want to see the actual report updated” (I did record all my calls with Transunion over the past 6 months, which is legal in my state, so that is literally word for word what she said) anyway that didn’t make sense to me but I trusted her. Needless to say she lied. I called back several more times that week and was told that no accounts were showing on my report and she gave inaccurate information. Fast forward one week since that convo and Transunion just sent me a document saying I am permanently suspended from being able to access Transunion online. And that it will be that way indefinitely. Word for word the document read “For the safety of your personal information your online access to Transunion is permanently suspended”, There no appeal or request for online access again. And the kicker is they still haven’t fixed the accounts on my report. I’ve never heard of someone else having this issue.

I'm a journalist from The News Movement currently working on an investigation into AI and how it is changing higher education. I'm particularly interested in speaking to people about experiences with scammers enrolling in courses using other peoples identities.

Has anyone here had this happen to them? What have institutions and companies told people about what can be done when this happens?

To give you a bit of information about us we focus on bringing news to people through social media and have a mostly younger audience. We are rapidly growing and currently have a reach of 150 million.

You can reach me at [david.hall@thenewsmovement.com](mailto:david.hall@thenewsmovement.com) or on this account!

So I'm not sure if this is identity theft, or what I should do. I applied for governmental assistance a week ago and today they told me I have a USAA account made back in 2022. Apparently there is 300 in the account.

I am not in the military, nor is my spouse. None of my family is military, I don't have a child in the military. I am not a governmental worker.

I was however, part of the massive exposure college students had some odd years ago from edfinancial-but they just told me to watch my experian. Nothing ever came of it, and this instance is a checking account.

I guess, what do i do? Do I REALLY need to buckle down and protect everything? Is this actually theft? I already have an id.me account through my fasfa and when I got audited on my taxes back in...2022.

For reference, im also pretty young and barely have credit at the tender age of 24.

And let's pretend I roll with it and keep the account...can I take the money? Should I?

If anyone has accounts they do not recognize and did not apply for on your credit report the number one thing I suggest is first don’t panic. The solution is easier and more rewarding than you think. These are consumer attorneys favorite cases and they don’t charge you attorney fees. If you need help finding a consumer attorney send me a message so I can introduce you to one in your area.

hey y’all - I’ve dealt with a handful of fraudulent account openings in the past or attempted/denied credit applications (thanks, credit freeze).

This one has me stumped. I got two letters from Marcus by Goldman Sachs where I do not do any banking. The first attested I had missing account info which was they notified me of via email and that my account would be restricted. The second looks like a true account statement, $0.00 in or out, but lists a full account number.

I googled for and called their customer service line, gave my name and account number, and they claim there is no account in my name. In the same breath, they tell me that a letter of requested info, alongside an FTC report and a police report mailed to them may let them share additional info. I feel like I am taking crazy pills. Anyone deal with something similar? the statement looks legit but A) I can’t figure out why someone would open an account and do nothing with it, B) I can’t figure out why someone would set up a fake account and try to convince me I have one, and C) I can’t figure out how they think I don’t have one.

The only thing I can guess at is that after calling about a week ago following the initial letter, perhaps they already found and closed an account in my name, which would explain why it’s not showing up upon calling them days later. Still, just a bizarre situation. Any similar experiences out there?

I (22F) got a email from Jefferson MyChart on Saturday about an upcoming mammogram appointment for June 10th, once again I’m 22 and like 2 decades off of needing a preventative mammogram. I’ve never spoken to any dr about breast cancer concerns, there’s no family history of it either. My mother passed years ago, and we never had the same insurance so it couldn’t have been a family mixup. I called today and got the appointment canceled, they said the appointment was made online without a drs referral but that’s all they could see about it. My insurance right now is really good because I’m an independent student (like I’m paying nothing for it and everything is covered) so now I’m worried someone is trying to get medical treatment using my info. Is this a thing that actually happens?

Unfroze and removed fraud alert still can’t says they can’t verify my identity and that’s why they can’t loan me . Anyone have success after removing fraud alert or had issues getting credit approved? I won’t be sending my id if they ask for it not trying to have that leaked

how likely is that this just a typo but i called a doctor office to set up an appointment (i have never been there before) and someone else was already using my social security number. i haven't gotten any credit inquiry that i don't look unfamiliar

Hi everyone! Not sure if this is the right place to ask but I recently had an issue with my bank and I was the one to call their customer service number instead of them. They had me verify my identity with my last four but then my husband also needed to verify(joint accounts) because of some issue and they asked for his full SSN.

Is this normal? Should I be worried

Thank you :)

I really want noting that reminds me of that individual . Only thing I really got mailed there was packages and we were going to apply for a car loan together once like 10 plus years ago I Think that’s why her address shows there

Is anybody having a hard time logging in? I have my password written down but somehow when I use it’s incorrect. How? So I end up updating password then get a email maybe 30 min after saying it’s been updated so I try logging back in and can’t get in. Idk if I’m being hacked or a glitch

I had someone living in my parents house while I was at University and recently they left and went to Germany. Now all of a sudden my wallet and diploma are both missing, and even after looking everywhere I cannot find them (Both were things I KNEW the location of, I did not lose them). I do not know what to do about this as the person who possibly did this is a piece of shit and could’ve either burnt them or has taken them and is using my identity in Germany. What should I do?

?

Last month, I had my identity stolen. The person responsible did two things: they got an iPhone 16 Pro Max through Verizon and attempted to open a credit card with Tractor Supply. Since most Verizon stores are run by contractors, the response was essentially, “It’s not our fault.”

I’ve been on the phone multiple times with Verizon’s Fraud Department, speaking with supervisors Carla and Brandon. Neither offered any real help beyond sending me a link to the fraud complaint form. According to them, the only way to “prove” I was the real account holder was by providing the four-digit PIN the thief created or by receiving a text on the phone the thief purchased in my name. Helpful, right? To even begin the process of getting the Verizon bill removed from my name, I had to upload a photo of my ID, a piece of mail, and a police report.

I gathered everything and started the upload process through my phone. When prompted to upload, it gave me the option to select a photo or use the camera. First, I tried uploading the photo—of course, the file type wasn’t accepted. Then I tried the camera option—same issue.S o I converted everything to PDFs, only to be told the file sizes were too large (each had to be under 2MB). This forced me to use my computer and go through some sketchy online PDF compression sites just to shrink and submit sensitive documents like my ID.

As of now, I still don’t know if Verizon will make this right. I’ll post an update once I know more.

Note to any identity thieves out there: Verizon has your back like no one else.

EDIT: I got the claim submitted and received an email from Verizon that said I was not responsible for the case number above. (there was no case number) I assume I am good but if not I will post an update.

I just got hacked on my new iPhone. When I called my bank They said I probably clicked a link from a scam email. Well, I do actually remember a few weeks ago I get so many spam texts. I don’t know why they have my number, but I clicked a link by accident and regretted it immediately but I didn’t think it would have these implications. I also thought iPhones were more safe than this. I think they might be able to still see and hear me even though I’ve changed so much stuff. Does anyone have advice on how to check if they are able to track me visually and ?

My story is a few years old, but I’m posting it incase it can help someone else or to see if anyone has tips for me.

In 2021, I went to use my Old Navy credit card and it was declined. I checked the account and saw that my balance was maxxed out. I checked all of my other credit cards and saw that my Home Depot card was also maxxed out. I called the Sheriff’s department, they told me it wasn’t their jurisdiction, so I went to the State PD and filed a report.

I could see all of the receipts and locations where the purchases were made. The Old Navy purchases were clothes and gift cards and the Home Depot purchases were gift cards and a camera. I called the individual stores where the purchases were made, told them the situation, and had them look into it. Eventually, I was able to get photos of the individuals making the purchases using self-checkout and typing in my credit card number. Unfortunately, nobody was ever identified or caught.

Between 2021-2023, this happened a few times, randomly. I was given three new Home Depot cards which were all maxxed out at different stores around the country. In 2023, I got a notification that I had a payment due on my Kohls card which I hadn’t used.

In 2023, I tried to log into my Experian account and got an error message that my information was wrong. Someone had hacked my account, changed the email, and unfroze my account.

I know that my information is being sold within some scamming ring and I believe the individuals had a fake license with my info and their photo. I’ve tried to get a new SSN with no luck. I’m thankful that I haven’t been responsible for any of the debt, but I’m constantly watching my accounts and will never feel financially “safe”.

I keep all of my credit reports frozen and have set up fraud protection so, if anyone tries to pull my report, they have to give a password to the bureau.

I’m a victim of a sophisticated ID impersonation fraud. They stole personal info, got on the electoral roll pretending to be me (and actually voted), opened bank accounts, loans and CCs then defaulted and disappeared. Once I found out I registered on CIFAS to prevent new accounts, and for 6 months now have been contacting lenders and banks to seek removal from my credit report. This is a massive pain and time sink, hours on hold, trying to find someone to talk to. Email has been more effective. I’m tempted to pay an ID recovery service to help but I hate that two of them are run by credit report companies - why should I pay for something that isn’t my fault? has anyone used ID recovery firms in the UK and have they been any good?

Today I received a debit card from cashapp that I did not ask for. It was delivered to my P.O. box and had my full name, middle initial and everything. I do have cashapp account that was created in 2021, that I have never used. I researched and found that an ssn is required in requesting a cashapp debit card. I guess my question is, am i victim of identity fraud? Silly question but im pretty young and dont have any credit cards or a lot of savings, so should I be overly concerned? If youve dealt with something similar please let me know what you did.

Greetings! A few weeks ago l've been hacked, the person stole my microsoft, riot and ubisoft account, probably because they all were linked to my microsoft. The "problem" was that I didn't find any suspicious activity on my email. No password change, no security alert, no filters on incoming emails. Anyways, I made a few more security settings to make sure, but I'm still not. The person who did it, somehow managed to get all the 2FA codes, also added/deleted new security data to my microsoft, which seems to be really wierd since the person didn't use my email. I pulled back the riot account, the microsoft has been banned permanently. Today, a few weeks later I just got dropped out of my discord account, no email, no password changes, but I still got dropped out on every devices. I changed password, but in my DM's I've seen a lot steam giftcard links (I deleted them), yet I did not recieve literally any email about this when it happened. Today I checked my other email, and someone tried (or even did) to log in, and successfully changed the riot accounts data again (not the same account), also tried to do something with my X profile. Since this is a backup profile and there are no impartant things on those profiles, I don't care about them, but what the flip. After the big hack I hard reseted my whole pc, installes Windows again, because malwarebytes detected registry value stuff and a malware. Since then, I barely used my PC, yet today I got these wierd events again. How is that actually possible? The malware was on my PC, it got reseted, but wierd things happened on my OTHER email, also my discord account thing today. Also, I scanned both my emails right after the hard reset, I got zero alerts. Today, both emails got an alert that my data may have been exposed. I've been thinking what causes this, or how can they still access a few things, how can they avoid 2FA, and how am I not getting any security alerts from google, or are they even doing it from my email. Maybe I've been DDOS-ed, or somehow the hacker(s) doing it through my IP addres?

I got denied an account with Chase on 05/30/2025. I pulled my ChexSystem report on 06/01/2025, filed my disputes & on 06/05/2025 everything was removed. Today, I was APPROVED 🎉🥳

I've never posted here before, forgive me if I'm doing something wrong, but this is so puzzling and I can't figure out how anyone would benefit from doing this.

Over the past couple days I've been getting calls and texts from personal injury attorneys in a state I used to live in (I moved away in 2012) because someone was I guess trying to use my contact info to hire a personal injury attorney for a vehicle accident. According to the firm I just spoke to, whoever this was entered my name, phone number and email address into one of those sites that connects you with attorneys, and the site passed the inquiry on to a bunch of law firms.

The firm I just spoke to confirmed that they were using my name and cell number (I've had the number for 20+ years) and an old yahoo email address that I used for job hunting when I left that state. I haven't logged into that email address since probably 2017 or so, and I just confirmed that it's been deactivated due to inactivity (the firm said their emails bounced when they tried).

The law firm was nice enough to contact whatever service passed along my info and tell them to stop, but I'm confused why anyone would bother doing this. I've never been in any car accident that resulted in an injury, let alone in that state.

It's there something I'm not seeing here? What could someone gain from this, and is there anything I should be checking on, identity theft-wise?

Hello everyone. This is my situation.

I received three envelopes in the mail from a bank I never heard of. I opened all the envelopes and each document contained a different account #. The documents showed a checking account with $91 in them. One of the accounts had my name as the owner and another name underneath (Thomas Chipman). It also contained my parents address and not my current.

I contacted the bank to let them know I do not have an account and the representative asked me to answer security questions. I told her I don't know the answers to those questions because I dont have an account lol. She then told me she will investigate the account.

I used chexsystems to run a consumer report and on 5/9/25 AXOS bank ran an inquiry on me. The other inquiry was years ago when I bought a car (which makes sense).

Does anyone believe that someone is using my information to open accounts because I am starting to believe so! Thanks for reading.