Identity theft protection

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PJT

Silver
Jan 8, 2002
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Guess this country has not caught up with the idea of identity theft :pirate:protection.

Wonder how should one legally address the matter to companies issuing online facturas (bills) via email for services having your full cedula or passport number as part of your customer billing description that also includes your name and address on the document?

What recourse do we have to prevent them from doing it?

Any suggestions?


Regards,

PJT
 
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windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
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A good question. I had such protection in the US but when they found out I was not living there, it was canceled. My identity was compromised/stolen twice in the US while I lived in the DR so that was why I signed up for such a service.

I know of no such protection here. The source of most of the fraud here here is at the credit card processing centers. Even Dominican issued credit cards are being compromised now. Happened twice to us and now I consider all credit cards useless in the DR because you cannot win against the mentality of the people here when you have a problem.

Best answer I can give is to talk to the local banks to see what options they have for alerting you when someone attempts to access accounts or use credit/debit cards.
 
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Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
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Yes, our Dominican CC was also used fraudulently for 29k (pesos) in Slovenia. As far as I knew we had a LOCAL, PESOS CC, but apparently all Visa cards can be used internationally, according to the guy a banco popular.

Worst part is that the investigation might take 4 months and in the meantime I have to pay the 29000 pesos. I'm almost considering using an international card where when there is fraud the bank gives back the money right away and then investigates.
 
P

PJT

Silver
Jan 8, 2002
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Exposing indentity

PJT's post is more about the risks of personal billing information that companies seem unaware or have a don't care attitude about transmitting and placing the client in jeapody of identity theft.

There has been plenty of information circulated about credit card and debit card indentity theft and prevention, but hardly none of the same about the trades exposing your identity history at risk via paper, electronic sales, and billing processes.


Regards,

PJT
 
D

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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protecting identity is a foreign concept here. just look at the quote from the article about that stupid brat who made calls about a bomb on a plane:
(...) la abuela del menor, cuyo no mbre se omite por razones legales, Mar?a Altagracia Espinosa Feliz y su hermana Ana Luisa Espinosa Espino (...)
i see it all the time, the name of the minor is omitted but names of the family, often both parents are not.

to dominicans cedula is meaningless. go to any public office and hear how people give their data to be entered into the system shouting out loud the info, including cedula, passport and credit card number.
 
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windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
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Mauricio said:
Yes, our Dominican CC was also used fraudulently for 29k (pesos) in Slovenia. As far as I knew we had a LOCAL, PESOS CC, but apparently all Visa cards can be used internationally, according to the guy a banco popular.

Worst part is that the investigation might take 4 months and in the meantime I have to pay the 29000 pesos. I'm almost considering using an international card where when there is fraud the bank gives back the money right away and then investigates.
Click to expand...

They failed to refund our money and we were out of the country when the fraudulent charges were made in Santiago, DR at places we have never been, so be careful on this. They concluded we actually made the charges, which would have been impossible.

Fraud on international cards happens so often you will spend the rest of your life dealing with it if you use them here.
 
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charlise

Bronze
Nov 1, 2012
751
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I've been using my Canadian Capital One Mastercard here since my arrival (2.5 yrs ago) and never had any problem with fraud or else... I guess I am the luckiest girl ever !!!

But I presume that if a problem occurs, I won't have any trouble dealing with a Canadian credit card company.... I hope !!
 
M

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
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windeguy said:
They failed to refund our money and we were out of the country when the fraudulent charges were made in Santiago, DR at places we have never been, so be careful on this. They concluded we actually made the charges, which would have been impossible.

Fraud on international cards happens so often you will spend the rest of your life dealing with it if you use them here.
Click to expand...
Amazingly, after they told us the day before yesterday it would take 30-120 days, today the whole 29k was already refunded. I might just switch to cash, but then chances are you're being robbed of 10-12000 pesos on your way to the supermarket.
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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charlise said:
I've been using my Canadian Capital One Mastercard here since my arrival (2.5 yrs ago) and never had any problem with fraud or else... I guess I am the luckiest girl ever !!!
Click to expand...
Yes, you are.

In 6.5 years living here I've had debit & credit cards compromised numerous times.

I just do not use them much here anymore.
 
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william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
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on my rare visits to the bank, I flop my cedula on the counter.....
nooo, they want my passport number which I invariably never have.

They look it up and give it to me -- then I give it to them..... its a system !!

I have now memorized my Passport number......
They don't want the document - just the number.

Nothing is normal.....

Cue the Young Frankenstein movie...... Abby---- Abby Normal
 
I

IslandDreaming

Gold
May 5, 2007
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Derfish said:
I usually give hem mine verbally, NO, too many numbers I am invariably told, so they look it up and hand it to me in writing and it is what I had told them!!
Der Fish
Click to expand...

Fish, you are probably the only person in the world immune from identity theft :D
 
bronzeallspice

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
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PJT, per the OP you say that companies are sending you (per email) bills with your personal info? When they ask you if you have a email address just say no. Have them send you the bills at your home address.

There is no getting around it. Your cedula or passport number is required on all documents in the DR.
 
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PJT

Silver
Jan 8, 2002
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PJT is not fine with either way

bronzeallspice said:
On your mailbox on the front porch? Unless he has problems with someone stealing his mail he should be fine.
Click to expand...

PJT is not fine with either way.

The companies such as phone or cable have resorted to emailing bills with your pertinent information that includes full address and cedula number which can be electronically spied upon. All they should transmit is your client number and maybe the last 3 digits of your cedula. When you pay your bill at office, they can gather your history in their data base through the client number.

It is just a rub that they put you at risk for indentity theft by electronically transmitting unnecessary information.


Regards,

PJT
 
bronzeallspice

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
PJT said:
PJT is not fine with either way.

The companies such as phone or cable have resorted to emailing bills with your pertinent information that includes full address and cedula number which can be electronically spied upon. All they should transmit is your client number and maybe the last 3 digits of your cedula. When you pay your bill at office, they can gather your history in their data base through the client number.

It is just a rub that they put you at risk for indentity theft by electronically transmitting unnecessary information.


Regards,

PJT
Click to expand...

Try calling them (or go in person) and expressing your concerns and see what they say.
 
P

PJT

Silver
Jan 8, 2002
3,564
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83
bronzeallspice said:
Try calling them (or go in person) and expressing your concerns and see what they say.
Click to expand...

This is PJT's intent. Yet, would like some guidence from Fabio Guzman to present a good case to maneuver the companies to a position where they have little or no choice but to opt to omit the pertinent information from their billing documents.

There is so much opportunity in this country for the corrupt to steal your information we need to take reasonable measures to prevent it from happening. The companies publishing your identification data on billing documents is unreasonable and unnecessary.


Regards,

PJT
 
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