COUGH,
COUGH, WEIGHT LOSS, FEVER ARE AMONG THE SYMPTOMS.
>>> SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS FOR
SALE ON THE DARK WEB.
IT IS WHERE ONE MINNESOTAN
STOLE AN IDENTITY AND ENDED UP,
EVEN THOUGH SHE THOUGHT SHE DID
EVERY THING RIGHT.
VICTIMS ARE TOLD OVER AND OVER
TO CONTACT THE CREDIT BUREAU.
>> BUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE
SCAMMERS TRICK THE VERY PEOPLE
THAT TO PROTECT YOU.
AND BEST OF REPORTER LOU RAGUSE
SHOWS US WHAT HAPPENS.
>> CALLS.
>> CALLS.
>> CALLS. THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN CALLS.
>> IT IS A NIGHTMARE.
>> CAPITAL ONE WHICH WAS
MINARD'S.
MINARD'S.
MINARD'S. >> WE ALL FEAR IT.
>> CHASE, BANK OF AMERICA.
>> IDENTITY THEFT AND FOR
MONEY, IT IS ALL TOO REAL.
>> I DON'T WANT EVERYONE TO
HAVE TO GO TO THE AGGRAVATION I
WENT THERE.
WENT THERE. >> THIS IS A CASE THAT CAN
PROVE YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING
RIGHT AND STILL GET SCAMMED.
>> IT STARTED TWO YEARS AGO
WHEN MARNIE GOT WORD.
>> THIS IS THE EMAIL I GOT.
>> 20 NEW CHARGE ACCOUNTS HAVE
BEEN OPENED IN HER NAME.
>> TURNED OUT NONE OF THEM WERE
MINE.
MINE.
MINE. HACKERS BROKE INTO EQUIFAX AND
STOLE FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
>> COMPUTER FORENSICS EXPERT
MARK SAYS THAT MUCH OF IT IS
STILL FOR SALE.
>> YOUR DATE OF BIRTH, YOUR
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.
>> THAT IS KNOWN AS THE DARK
WEB, THE SECRET SIDE OF THE
INTERNET.
INTERNET.
INTERNET. >> I KNOW EVERYTHING FINANCIAL
ABOUT YOU.
ABOUT YOU. >> FOR YEARS WE HAVE HEARD
EXPERTS SAY TO PROTECT
YOURSELF, DO TWO THINGS.
SET UP A FREEZE THE CREDIT
BUREAUS TO BLOCK NEW ACCOUNTS.
SET UP MONITORING TO ALERT YOU
ABOUT ANYTHING NEW AND
SUSPICIOUS.
SUSPICIOUS. >> I PUT FRIEZES ON ALL THREE
CREDIT BUREAUS.
CREDIT BUREAUS. >> MARNIE SAID THAT IS WHAT SHE
DID.
DID.
DID. >>
DID. >> THIS LOOK.
>> THAT WAS MY NAME AND SOCIAL
SECURITY NUMBER.
SECURITY NUMBER. IT IS A FORGED SIGNATURE.
>> THIS IS A COPY OF THE
COUNTERFEIT SOCIAL SECURITY
CARD IN MARNIE'S NAME.
THAT SCAMMERS USED IT TO TRICK
THE CREDIT BUREAU UNTIL LIFTING
HER FREEZE.
HER FREEZE. OPENING THE DOOR TO NEW
FRAUDULENT ACCOUNTS.
FRAUDULENT ACCOUNTS. >> THEY TRICKED THE CREDIT
BUREAU.
BUREAU.
BUREAU. >> I WAS STUNNED.
I THOUGHT I DID EVERYTHING
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
RIGHT. >>
RIGHT. >> THAT IS NOT ALL.
TO PROTECT YOURSELF, SHE PAID
TO HAVE THE POPULAR SERVICE
LIFELOCK MONITOR HER CREDIT.
BUT JUST LISTEN.
>> YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR A
SCAMMER PRETENDING TO BE MARNIE
CALLING LIFELOCK.
CALLING LIFELOCK. >> I WAS TRYING TO ACCESS MY
ACCOUNT OVER THE PHONE.
>> 70 PRETENDING TO BE ME.
>> EVEN OF THE SCAMMER DIDN'T
KNOW MARNIE'S SPECIAL PASSWORD.
>> CONTINUE TERRIFIED YOUR
VERBAL PASSCODE?
VERBAL PASSCODE? >> USING THE STOLEN
INFORMATION, THE SCAMMER WAS
ABLE TO ANSWER SECURITY
QUESTIONS AND TRADE THE
PASSWORD.
PASSWORD.
PASSWORD. >> THEY GIVE ME ACCESS TO YOUR
ACCOUNT.
ACCOUNT.
ACCOUNT. LET'S UPDATE THAT VERBAL
PASSWORD.
PASSWORD.
PASSWORD. >> THEY ARE LETTING HER CHANGE
THE VERBAL PASSWORD TO
SOMETHING ELSE.
SOMETHING ELSE. >> IF YOU'RE THINKING IT CAN
GET WORSE, THE SCAMMERS ARE
ABOUT TO USE THAT NEW PASSWORD
TO CANCEL HER ENTIRE LIFELOCK
ACCOUNT.
ACCOUNT.
ACCOUNT. >> I JUST WANT TO CANCEL THE
MEMBERSHIP.
MEMBERSHIP. >> TO KEEP MARNIE FROM GETTING
AN EMAIL NOTICE, THEY CHANGE
HER EMAIL ADDRESS TWO.
>> CAN YOU UPDATE MY EMAIL
ADDRESS?
ADDRESS?
ADDRESS? >> OF COURSE.
>> SHE UPDATED MY EMAIL ADDRESS
TO A FRAUDULENT EMAIL ADDRESS
SO I WOULDN'T GET NOTIFIED.
>> THIS WAS A UNIQUE AND
EXTREME.
EXTREME.
EXTREME. >> OFFICER ABRAMOVICH OF THE
POLICE, HELPED HER GET THE TWO.
>> I LISTENED TO THEM WITH
MONEY.
MONEY.
MONEY. IT
MONEY. IT WAS A SHOCK.
>> NEWHOPE INVESTIGATED AS MUCH
IS A LOCAL DEPARTMENT COULD.
RECORDS SHOW THEY EVEN REFERRED
AND ADDRESSED THE SCAMMERS USED
TO POLICE IN CHICAGO.
BUT AS IT STANDS NOW, IT
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE WILL BE
ANY ARRESTS.
ANY ARRESTS. >> WE RELY ON OUR PARTNERS.
WE RELY ON OUR PARTNERS AT THE
STATE LEVEL AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
BECAUSE THESE CRIMES ARE
COMPLEX.
COMPLEX.
COMPLEX. >> WHAT IS YOUR REACTION
KNOWING THE THIEVES WILL GO
SCOT-FREE?
SCOT-FREE? >> IT IS REALLY FRUSTRATING.
IT IS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK.
IT IS SO PREVALENT.
I THINK YOU PROBABLY DON'T EVEN
KNOW WHICH DIRECTIONS TO START.
>> MARNIE SAYS SHE SPENT NEARLY
60 HOURS ON PHONE CALLS,
CANCELING PHONY ACCOUNTS.
EVEN THOUGH SHE HASN'T HAD TO
PAY FOR THE FALSE CHARGES, HER
MIGHT, HER NIGHTMARE MIGHT NOT
BE OVER.
BE OVER.
BE OVER. >> ALL I NEED IS A FIRST NAME,
AS NAME AND STATE?
>> BACK ON THE DARK WEB, WE
DISCOVER THESE SELLING SOCIAL
SECURITY NUMBERS.
SECURITY NUMBERS. INCLUDING MARNIE'S.
INCLUDING MARNIE'S. >> SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER COST
SIX DOLLARS.
SIX DOLLARS. A BARGAIN AT TWICE THE PRICE.
>> IN A STATEMENT, LIFELOCK
TOLD US THEY DON'T COMMENT ON
SPECIFIC CASES BUT THAT THEY
HAVE THE STRINGENT PROCEDURES
IN PLACE TO PREVENT AND ADDRESS
UNAUTHORIZED ACCOUNTS.
UNAUTHORIZED ACCOUNTS. >> IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION
ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF OR
IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF ID
THEFT, WE POSTED TIPS ON
KARE11.COM.
KARE11.COM. >> IT MAKES ME FRUSTRATED
WATCHING IT.
WATCHING IT. I CAN'T IMAGINE THE TIME AND
FRUSTRATION.