identity theft concerns - this sucks

[asscherisme]

We still have not gotten our W-2 forms from DH''s practice. The office manager informed everyone today they were mailed out in January and the postal service told her that she should inform employees that they may have been stolen and that staff should put alerts on their credit report to watch for fraud. And that they should watch accounts carefully. She contacted the police department and they said its not a criminal matter until identity theft occures but went on to add that stealing W-2 forms is the first step in identity theft and the risk is real. Especially since they will have SS numbers AND salaries. DH is a professional and out risk would be pretty high I''m guessing based no nmber.

How much does that suck! My second postal issue in a week . I posted about regustered mail time and I was freaking about a package to my aunt. I found out the package arrived yesterday (yeah) and now today one more thing to make ue upset with the USPS.

I don''t need this today. I''m having a bad day anyway already

You know those days when you just want to crawl back into bed but you can''t becuase you have too many responsibilities? Thats my day today.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 3/7/2007 4:35:06 PM
Author:asscherisme
We still have not gotten our W-2 forms from DH''s practice. The office manager informed everyone today they were mailed out in January and the postal service told her that she should inform employees that they may have been stolen and that staff should put alerts on their credit report to watch for fraud. And that they should watch accounts carefully. She contacted the police department and they said its not a criminal matter until identity theft occures but went on to add that stealing W-2 forms is the first step in identity theft and the risk is real. Especially since they will have SS numbers AND salaries. DH is a professional and out risk would be pretty high I''m guessing based no nmber.

How much does that suck! My second postal issue in a week . I posted about regustered mail time and I was freaking about a package to my aunt. I found out the package arrived yesterday (yeah) and now today one more thing to make ue upset with the USPS.

I don''t need this today. I''m having a bad day anyway already

You know those days when you just want to crawl back into bed but you can''t becuase you have too many responsibilities? Thats my day today.

Oh, goodness, that is very troubling news! But I think it''s a good sign if you haven''t seen anything happen yet. Having a SS number doesn''t necessarily allow someone access to your accounts with that alone. Surely they''d have to have more than that. But it could also be like Wink''s story, and they may simply be misplaced somewhere. It probably would be best for those to be handed directly to the employee rather than be mailed. I hope it turns up, though!

 

[starryeyed]

Hi asscherisme!

I can totally relate - this happened to me too once. My identity was not stolen that I know of, fortunately.

Stealing mail is a federal offense and the punishment can be pretty brutal, so I think someone would think a million times before stealing W-2''s. I''d be more inclined to think the payroll company is behind schedule or dropped the ball and is blaming the post office.

It can''t hurt to take preventative steps, but try not to stress too much. I even had someone else''s W-9 sent to me, for no apparent reason, by the same flaky company. Crazy right?

 

[fire&ice]

I think one should be proactive on this - but I wonder if those little buggers get jammed in the mail machines. We have not recieved our w-2 this year. We did not receive it 3 years ago. Nothing has happened thus far. Still makes us nervous though.

 

[AmberWaves]

Asscher, that is so frustrating. My fiance''s wedding band was stolen at UPS. The only reason I found out was because the guy who received my FI''s empty ring box and packing slip called me to tell me he found it in his TOILET that was delivered by UPS. Never even scanned.

It''s hard to trust these shippers nowadays, isn''t it? Good luck with your husband''s W2. That is utterly inexcusable.

 

[VegasAngel]

Totally frustrating. Did you do a fraud alert/freeze with the credit bureaus?

I no longer get my credit card/bank statements through the mail. everything is online now. My mailperson or the one who replaces him/her always gives our mail to someone else or we get somebody elses. Just a few days ago a neighbor brought over our trash bill

I got someones IRS papers a few weeks ago. A lot of times we dont get our magazines etc... There is another home in our community with the same house number/different street ours is Scenic Sunrise theirs is Scenic Summit so I get a lot of their mail. It's just too scary anymore. What makes it worse in my opinion are the community mailboxes. while it is more convienient for mailpersons it also leaves room for a lot of mistakes & mailtheft. If someone breaks into the box they have access to EVERYONES mail not just a single individual.

 

[FireGoddess]

DH''s practice should consider giving the employees with lost W2s 1 year of credit monitoring for free (or going after the post office to do it or something). Some computers were stolen from my HMO and all the affected individuals (I am one of them) were offered 1 year of free Equifax credit bureau monitoring. So far nothing has happened, but I get updates every month, or any time something changes on my report, and I get updated reports any time I want them.