Recently we asked our users to tell us what made them turn to OneRep. Unsurprisingly, we got a wide range of identity theft narratives. Below are a few stories they shared.
Christopher’s Story
Christopher is a OneRep user from Texas. Identity theft and illegal bank account access put him at risk of losing his home. Here’s his story.
My identity was stolen about three years ago. It has never occurred to me that one day someone could easily take over my life. My bank account got hacked, I had people purchasing things in my name and opening up new bank accounts. I lost around $17,000 to fraud and illegal account access. My bank couldn’t instantly identify fraudulent activity. Additionally, my checking account was frozen and I almost ended up losing my home. The money in the bank account enabled me to pay for my house. I got upside down on the mortgage and was buried in debt. I filed a police report and fundamentally nothing ever came of it.
“It has never occurred to me that one day someone could easily take over my life.”
Before all of this happened, I had no idea my personal information had always been out there to use. I found a huge number of my private listings on multiple sites that were taking advantage of my details to make a profit. As a person who just got hacked, I was terrified. I started sending removal requests to each of these sites individually, which was both physically and emotionally exhausting. Then I found out about OneRep. Being deeply distrustful and skeptical due to my bitter experience, I still decided to give it a chance. And you guys have helped me greatly.
As of today, my information is removed from 51 out of 54 websites. I feel so much better knowing that OneRep does everything in its power to secure my information, which prevents me from from further damage. Thank you for advocating for my online security.
Delilah’s Story
Delilah is a OneRep user in San Jose, California. A hacked Facebook account put her identity in jeopardy. This is her story.
I realized that my Facebook account had been hacked as I noticed unauthorized logins from unfamiliar locations, 19 to be exact. I had messages from men I did not know and 13 friend requests from strangers in one day. My husband also had unauthorized logins from the same locations and a couple of messages sent as if from him to his acquaintances asking for financial aid. We couldn’t wrap our heads around that and had to immediately contact our friends and family as well as delete our Facebook accounts. Our identities were compromised and on the way to being involved in fraudulent online schemes. I’m glad we caught it early and I guess everything worked out. However, it made us think of how vulnerable we are.
“Our identities were compromised and on the way to being involved in a fraudulent online schemes.”
I had no choice except for removing every trace of personal online records posted on various sites to protect me and my family. We turned to OneRep to minimize this kind of presence on the web and it’s been a huge relief for us. We no longer see multiple records pop up in search results, exposing our home address, phone numbers and relatives. I feel secure knowing that my personal details are now private.
Don’t Become a Victim
The first step to protecting yourself against identity theft is to take control of your personal information. OneRep helps you monitor your online presence and minimize the risks of becoming an identity theft victim. Sign up for a Free Trial.
OneRep privacy specialist