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 Post subject: Help
 Post Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 8:04 pm 
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This is not a computer problem, so was not sure where to put this question. GG and I purchased new windows for our old home last week to make it more presentable to the real estate market. I just received a phone call from the window company, "When are you going to pay us?" I said, "I paid them that evening when they were done installing the windows." He said, "I was afraid that you were going to say that!"

Evidently they may be having problems with one of their employees and he recommended my killing payment for that check which I did immediately, he said the company would absorb any fees.

My question never having been through anything like this before: Ok, so I killed the check, but the person now has a check with our names, address, and account number on it. Anything else I should do? Thanks for all advice, really.
Acadia

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 Post subject: Re: Help
 Post Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 8:56 pm 
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Location: The state of confusion; I just use Wyoming for mail.
I assume that the initial company was using a sub-contractor to actually put in the glass. If that is the case there are really two options.

1) Close your account and open an new. Of course this can be a pain if there are cards involved and/or auto payments attached to the account.

2) Request the sub-contractor info from the actual contractor and request your bank to deny any automatic payments/access from/to your account to/from the sub-contractor. Your bank may grumble about this but the can do this and there should be no charge.

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 Post subject: Re: Help
 Post Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 9:00 pm 
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Jay's option #1 is really the only secure option . :(

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 Post subject: Re: Help
 Post Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 10:39 pm 
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jaylach wrote:
I assume that the initial company was using a sub-contractor to actually put in the glass.

No, the company, one of the largest windows outfits around here, you see their ads on TV every evening, did everything themselves:

http://www.westshorewindow.com/

Acadia

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 Post subject: Re: Help
 Post Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 10:21 am 
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Might suggest reviewing this article from Brian Krebs blog to proactively prevent identity theft. My wife and I placed a security freeze on all four credit agencies and don't really worry about it anymore.
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/11/repo ... ty-freeze/

Hope your problem works itself out.


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 Post subject: Re: Help
 Post Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:18 pm 
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File a police report since you were the victim of theft. Everything that comes later starts with this. Maybe nothing will happen but if it does this will be needed.

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 Post subject: Re: Help
 Post Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:29 pm 
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Checks can be a dangerous thing no matter as I've learned. If I take a check that was paid to me, to the bank, it has to be made out exactly as my name is on the account. Reason, if it isn't and it comes back, the teller can held responsible. BUT, if I deposit it electronically, as I do, it can be made out to Mickey Mouse, and it will go thru. It is then up to the person who wrote the check to challenge.

Based on what you've said Acadia, I would agree, get a new account.

Pete


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 Post subject: Re: Help
 Post Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 10:55 am 
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That was a good suggestion about the security freeze. I did just that at all 4 credit bureaus. It was simple, free for me and reasonably quick. This way nobody that checks with these companies will open any account unless I place a temporary removal of the freeze. I like the security this gives at very little inconvenience.

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 Post subject: Re: Help
 Post Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 2:09 pm 
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Great suggestions here, my bank said a police report would be good if I sincerely thought the check was stolen. As far as a security freeze, that is something that I have never actually done but kept myself informed about them for years. Now that K and I have hopefully made our final large purchase in life, I no longer care about my fico score, although I do not believe freezes affect the score. Freezing might be good at this point, have to think on that one.

As for what is happening now: After I killed the check that evening, I called my bank the next day to ask for more advice. They said wiping out my account was an option, but the person said, wow you've got a lot going on in there. Yes, paying bills automatically is no problem, can change those, but we also have both of our pension checks and ss checks going into there, it would be a MAJOR pain since everyone requires letters in writing to make those changes, at least as I understand it.

But we did a couple of things. First, we killed my overdraft protection. That means that, if there really is a malicious person out there, they would only have access to what is in my checking account. No problem since in 30 years of using this bank we never needed the overdraft protection anyway, I just now really need to keep track of funds vs outstanding checks. Then, we moved almost all my funds from my checking account into my money market, so there would be little $ for them to take. She suggested that I monitor my account regularly online, no problem, I've done that several times a day for years, but that has now changed to at least a dozen times a day. I asked her, now with the changes especially my VERY regular monitoring, would I be covered for a malicious charge. She said yes, but only once, after that the bank would INSIST on a new account.

So the worst that can happen, if I understand things correctly, is that if something bad happened, we have to get a new account without losing any money.

Then I called the company responsible for all this, I talked to their head of human resources. He said that he completely trusts the guy that I handed the check to. I actually said this: "How do you know that, that he is trustworthy?" He said that they do a thorough security background check for all employees, that is true, they do have that reputation, then he said, "This employee has worked for us for years and this has never happened before." Well all that made me feel a little bit better, plus the person now knows they are under scrutiny but if they we truly malicious they could just pass our info over to a friend.

But the long and short of it is that I am feeling better now. Again, if I am understand everything, the worst that could happen is we are forced into a new account, major pain, but no lost of funds.

OK, now, just to lighten up a bit and for fun, we belong to LifeLock, any opinions. Yes, I already know that you can do some of what they do for free, but we are too lazy, plus they have inroads on checking things on the Internet that I do not or at least do not know how to.

Thanks again for all suggestions, and keep them coming if you see any error in my logic above.
Bill

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 Post subject: Re: Help
 Post Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 8:32 pm 
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I use two checking accounts. One to deposit my income into, and one for online purchases. I transfer money over to cover a purchase just before I make it.

I am thinking of expanding that usage for debit card purchases I make at stores and gas stations, considering skimmers found at retailers and gas stations these days. I am going to wait until I have a Windows 10 phone and see to what degree I can start using Windows Hello to sign into things rather than passwords. If I can tally up my groceries, open my phone using Iris recognition, sign onto bank with iris recognition, and transfer only the funds needed to cover the groceries right there in the checkout lane - that would be perfect! Then use debit card from the second account, of course.

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