Ask Ms. Vicki: My Ex-Wife Is Using My Credentials to Get Perks

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Ms. Vicki
Ms. Vicki

Dear Ms. Vicki,

I just found out that my ex-wife signed onto my bank and used my military credentials to gain access to various products offered to military members, like auto and home insurance.

I have contacted my bank and informed them that I did not authorize those things for her to use and that they need to cancel them.

My concern is that she may be using my information. Do you think I should talk to a lawyer about this?

Sincerely,
Fraudulent Activity

Dear Fraudulent,

You definitely should discuss this with a lawyer. There are also identity protection companies that you can use for a small monthly fee. They will let you know if someone is trying to use your Social Security number, your name, etc. to open accounts or to establish credit.

Military banks such as USAA are also great about helping you protect yourself against fraud. They can lock all of your records and deny any attempts for your ex-spouse to access your information.

I have met people who had their identity stolen. They said they have been to hell and back and incurred thousands of dollars in legal fees trying to restore what was lost.

Many of them say they had to start all over again with a new name and a new Social Security number because it was too difficult trying to continue with birth information.

I'm sorry to hear about this, but talk to a lawyer and continue to move quickly on this issue. If you glean any additional information, please let me know. It will be helpful for me and my readers.

Sincerely,
Ms. Vicki

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