2007-03-22 09:46:25 · 13 answers · asked by Happy Bee 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Credit
Yes they can...by placing carefully planned calls to your bank and pretending to be you calling to "verify" your information. No, your bank shouldn't give this info out without confirming your ID, but it does happen. Also, if you have your name and address, etc on your check, they could always find your house and go though your mail or garbage..or even break in. I know that many people put their drivers license number on their checks to, which can help them produce fake IDs in your name. And in at least one state that I know of, your SS # and DL # are the same. I have even seen checks with people's SS # listed on them. Pretty scary! It's easier than you think to get info about people these days, especially if you have an account number.
In response to some of the answers above:
Your account number HAS to be on the check, or else it wouldn't be a valid check. The numbers on the bottom of the check are the bank's routing number and your account number. So if someone steals your check, they have your account number.
So it is possible to steal your ID by stealing your checks, in a round about way. Most likely, the thief is just interested in stealing some money from you.
2007-03-23 15:00:48 · answer #1 · answered by Mommy2myangelMark 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. First a pro will gather information that comes in from the mail. If a bill comes in, sometimes it shows your four last digits of your account number-- it may be the last four of your social security at times. If you are a pro you will save that information until eventually you get all the pieces together. Little by little all this info will eventually be put to work. If they have a check of yours they will try to mach the numbers. It might take 8 hours to solve just one piece of the puzzle but when it's done believe me they will leave you with an empty account. I seen this with my own eyes. Especially when you have a friend who is living with you and he wants to get your credit, be careful he will pretend to be you and apply for a credit card. The credit card company will call your house and everything it's going to look true because they are calling your house and it seems legitimate. After all if this person is living with you he will make sure to go to the mail boy and only take that piece of mail he apply for. If as I said he is a pro he will do this for the longest without you knowing about it. Cause you won't see the account activity of that credit card that the pro apply for. His also continuously checking the mail for the statement of the credit card activity. How would you know?
2007-03-22 17:08:37 · answer #2 · answered by great_latinboy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they can. By doing this they can call your bank and access your bank account through automatic teller. They can randomly say the last 4 digits of the SS# repeatedly until they are successful. Odds are you could be followed so they can get more info on you, such as going through your garbabge, so they can get enough information about you to do some damage. They are pros and work in numbers.
2007-03-22 17:06:40 · answer #3 · answered by Jen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just from your Routing # and Account they can not get your SS#. However, if they are a professional they will use that information as a springboard to try to get more information so they might eventually be able to find out more by doing searches.
Your bigger worry about them having your Routing information is that they could clean out your bank account quicker than you could beleive.
2007-03-22 17:23:16 · answer #4 · answered by OC1999 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A couple of years ago a felon got ahold of one of my mom's signed checks. He used it to create identical checks with closely corresponding routing numbers on them- so they looked real. He forged her signature (since he knew what it looked like from the stolen check) and cashed about 10,000 worth of fake checks in our area. My mom got the police involved once she realized what was going on, and they caught him trying to cash another check.
When it comes down to it though, all he had was the check, a similar routing number (which could do the felon no good because it was a fake one). He did not have my mother's account number or social security number (because none of that appears on a check.)
So all in all, someone can say that you gave them a check and the bank will cash it for them, while taking money out of your account, but the felon could never steal your identity.
Its very importaint to shred all your used, void, or unused signed checks. If someone got ahold of one, they could do major damage.
2007-03-22 16:54:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they can use the account number on your check to recieve information from you bank account, which includes your SS#
2007-03-22 16:50:59 · answer #6 · answered by elvinpixie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, what they'll get is all the money from your account. Once they have that, what do they need your identity for?
2007-03-22 16:49:27 · answer #7 · answered by Beardog 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont think so... I think banks are supposed to protect their customer's personal info on their records...
2007-03-22 16:50:06 · answer #8 · answered by Redeemed 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Once they get all of your money, they will not need your identity, since it will be worthless.
2007-03-26 12:49:31 · answer #9 · answered by kmf77 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes they sure can be careful good luck
2007-03-22 20:28:54 · answer #10 · answered by pattibcacl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋