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It's still easy for anyone to become you at Experian

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Re: It's still easy for anyone to become you at Experian

#41

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

Lacerda69 wrote: post #27
pests wrote: post #22

How does Equifax or TransUnion handle the case where someone else creates the account before you do? You try to sign up correctly, then it emails the fake persons email for permission? How does that make any sense. "Hello scammer, John Doe would like to access his Equifax account. Do you want to give him permission?" I agree the Experian way is not good either, but how is the above handled?

Do you need to sign up for any of these services? Sounds horrible all around to me (not from the US)

> Do you need to sign up for any of these services? (not from the US)

They already have the well-shared data that determines much of your life. Signing up is so you can glimpse it too.

Re: It's still easy for anyone to become you at Experian

#42

Post by nick222226 »

jdsully wrote: post #26
bee_rider wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Although I think it is more accurate to call them a victim of something like slander by the credit agency, in that case. I mean, I’m not sure exactly what the laws are around slander, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some cutout for cases in which the person actually believed the lies they were repeating, but if an organization represents itself as an expert in people’s trustworthiness it obviously has a heighten…

Credit reporting agencies have immunity from slander claims unless you can prove malice.

Would them ignoring a few certified letters asking them to contact you to correct slanderous significant errors in your information be enough to show malice?

Re: It's still easy for anyone to become you at Experian

#43

Post by surfpel »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #37

I am still livid on a weekly basis when some strangers create an account for a service using my email address (non-maliciously, usually); I get a "verification" email; and I can only choose "YES, Please verify", or ignore at my peril. From tiny little mom-and-pop shops, to FAANG giants, nobody is giving me the opportunity to say "NO that's NOT me!". And though it's a "verification" email, typically account is usable…

Have you tried to reset the password and delete the account?

Re: It's still easy for anyone to become you at Experian

#44

Post by xyst »

surfpel wrote: post #43
NikolaNovak wrote: post #37

I am still livid on a weekly basis when some strangers create an account for a service using my email address (non-maliciously, usually); I get a "verification" email; and I can only choose "YES, Please verify", or ignore at my peril. From tiny little mom-and-pop shops, to FAANG giants, nobody is giving me the opportunity to say "NO that's NOT me!". And though it's a "verification" email, typically account is usable…

Have you tried to reset the password and delete the account?

Malicious compliance

Re: It's still easy for anyone to become you at Experian

#45

Post by throwaway54_56 »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #37

I am still livid on a weekly basis when some strangers create an account for a service using my email address (non-maliciously, usually); I get a "verification" email; and I can only choose "YES, Please verify", or ignore at my peril. From tiny little mom-and-pop shops, to FAANG giants, nobody is giving me the opportunity to say "NO that's NOT me!". And though it's a "verification" email, typically account is usable…

I get these every so often and I'm curious what you mean my ignore at your own peril. My approach has been to ignore it and assume they will realize their mistake and reregister.

Re: It's still easy for anyone to become you at Experian

#46

Post by barkerja »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #37

I am still livid on a weekly basis when some strangers create an account for a service using my email address (non-maliciously, usually); I get a "verification" email; and I can only choose "YES, Please verify", or ignore at my peril. From tiny little mom-and-pop shops, to FAANG giants, nobody is giving me the opportunity to say "NO that's NOT me!". And though it's a "verification" email, typically account is usable…

Given it is your email that is being used, that should allow for you to take over the account(s)? I'd submit a password reset, change the password, then just allow the account to live a dormant life.

That of course doesn't make it any less annoying, but it would at least stop an actor from using an account that is associated to your email.

Re: It's still easy for anyone to become you at Experian

#47

Post by ge96 »

I've been getting mail that is a variation of my name, wondering if someone used my identity damn. I did put some lock thing on my credit so it's harder to open new accounts, forget what it's called.

I have stuff like credit wise, karma, etc... have not seen weird/unknown accounts so hopefully I'm good.

Re: It's still easy for anyone to become you at Experian

#48

Post by cirrus3 »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #37

I am still livid on a weekly basis when some strangers create an account for a service using my email address (non-maliciously, usually); I get a "verification" email; and I can only choose "YES, Please verify", or ignore at my peril. From tiny little mom-and-pop shops, to FAANG giants, nobody is giving me the opportunity to say "NO that's NOT me!". And though it's a "verification" email, typically account is usable…

Do you have an example of what your email address is? Is it like "john@gmail.com" or "mike@hotmail.com" or something? Seems pretty crazy that someone chooses it randomly every week. Have you considered getting your own domain for your email to make this probably go away? Obviously changing addresses is painful, but living your life with a common email seems worse.

Re: It's still easy for anyone to become you at Experian

#49

Post by eddd-ddde »

cirrus3 wrote: post #48
NikolaNovak wrote: post #37

I am still livid on a weekly basis when some strangers create an account for a service using my email address (non-maliciously, usually); I get a "verification" email; and I can only choose "YES, Please verify", or ignore at my peril. From tiny little mom-and-pop shops, to FAANG giants, nobody is giving me the opportunity to say "NO that's NOT me!". And though it's a "verification" email, typically account is usable…

Do you have an example of what your email address is? Is it like "john@gmail.com" or "mike@hotmail.com" or something? Seems pretty crazy that someone chooses it randomly every week. Have you considered getting your own domain for your email to make this probably go away? Obviously changing addresses is painful, but living your life with a common email seems worse.

I thought the same thing, in my whole life I have gotten exactly ZERO of this events.
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