Who has been a victim of identity theft?
How did you find out?
What did you do to resolve it?

Here's my incident.

Last year around 11/2016 I just happened to randomly check my credit report via either the credit karma app or just a random annual credit report check on my part. Anyway, I see there is a account in collection along with some random name on my credit report. Well jeez. I end up calling up the credit agency and putting fraud blocks for 90 days and disputing the account. I also called the collection agency and relayed the same information about how the name the bill was associated with wasn't me even though it was attached to my SS# and Address. Well, within 30 days this got corrected and removed from my report but not after I had a couple credit issues to a credit card and my score get hit because of it.

Fast forward to this past weekend and the same dang thing shows up again and this I found by getting an email from credit karma but didn't open it until Saturday so I couldn't call anyone at the time. Anyway, now I'm having to do the same nonsense all over again. It's a NEW collection agency on it. The name popped back up on my credit report so I had to get that removed again. This time though I did create an identity theft report at identitytheft.gov and apparently that is a bit official since it's associated with the government so I can submit that to the credit agency and collection agency. It's just another hassle and another hit on my report to have to fix.

November is like Christmas for identity thieves.

Today, I received a pair of ladies' socks in the mail via China post from "niu zhaoheng, binhelu, nanyangshi, wolongqu, Henan" / "China 47000". My name and address is exact, though they included a phone number which is not correct...

I obviously didn't order this, and I don't see any unusual activity in my credit card statements.

Has anyone ever received random mail like this before?

Oh, glad they arrived! Thought I may have got the wrong address.

I did some research and I believe I'm a "victim" of "brushing". Apparently, it's a business practice (illegal in the U.S and China) in China intended to build recognition by paying someone to behave like an actual customer placing an online order, and leaving glowing reviews for the product. The business recruit people who have, or can, obtain people's information online (meaning my name and address, at the very least...ugh) to send them a package containing cheap items (such as socks or hair ties) in place of the item they fake bought.

It doesn't seem particularly serious, since it's just a shady way to generate traffic for online sales, but it also means my (and others who have received these packages) personal information is out there somewhere and could eventually be used in more obstructive ways...

I've taken precaution by disabling my cards and everything, but I wonder how (and where) my information could have possibly found its way online.

Ok, I've never heard of it before. I don't really understand it either, even after you explained it. So the gain is for the new recruit to show his manager that he's making loads of sales, right?

What cards did you disable? credit cards? I think that's a step much. There's no way your bank were the ones to sell your information. More likely something you signed up for and didn't read the small print. Contact lists gets sold and shared ALL THE TIME, and not just in China or between Chinese professionals. It's global.

Your case seems harmless. You got a free pair of socks and your address is on a list somewhere. What's the worst that can happen?

I'm a cash guy for the most part. I think maybe once it happened to me, but my bank was great and notified me, refunded everything and just needed to get a new card.

Cash is so 1990s. Get with the game, granddad.

I guess I should update. My nasty hell was caused by a data entry error. I ended up getting a hold of the original biller and got through a rep to some fraud lady. She deduced that my info got attached to a customer who I guess couldn’t pay this bill because it was going to me. Lady said she’d send a letter about this but never did. My credit report disputes were both verified but it still cost me points on the credit score anyway. Now I signed up for life lock. Maybe that will help prevent this random nonsense in the future hopefully.