Just opened a letter from the bank. You're not going to believe this SHIT!

[Blue-Jay]

This is from the bank where I have my car loan. Here it is verbatim:

Dear Mr. :

As you may be aware, the federal government recently passed the U.S. Patriot Act. This act requires all financial institutions to gather additional information for record-keeping. A review of our records indicates this information is missing from your file.

In order to satisfy the U.S. Patriot Act, we are required to obtain your drivers license or state identification number, the issue date, the expiration date, and the state of issuance. Listed below are several ways for the information to be provided. Please choose the option most convenient for you and your schedule.

* Phone our office at (xxx)xxx-xxxx
* Fax to our office at (xxx)xxx-xxxx
* Mail to our office at: xxxxxxxxxxx
* Stop by our office with the required information

Thank you for your time an cooperation.

Sincerely,

Joy
Customer Service Rep.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

What. The. FUCK?!?! I really can't believe this. We need to get those fuckers out of office QUICK!

[arissa]

1. Considering the information the holder of your loan already has on you

including your SSN and entire credit history, I personally wouldn't care much about the DL number.

Crap like library records is something to get upset about though.

[Fridays Child]

6. Still, our fundamental right of privacy...

...is further eroded by each and every demand for information, no matter how seemingly inconsequential.

[Ediacara]

12. MaryPat, what is your sigline image?

It looks like a false color histological section of soft tissue. Or.... am I completely wrong? :-)

Very cool regardless of its origin!

[Melsky]

15. Well, I am an artist not a scientist

and I say it looks like a mirror image of a cat which has been photoshopped.

A very cool one too! Quite eye catching.

[Ediacara]

21. ok, now I see the kitty cat :-)

Man.... I have got to stop looking down the 'scope.... :-)

[Skittles]

24. PUT DOWN THE PIPE, DINOBOY

THAT WOULD HELP TOO :7

[Ediacara]

30. LOL

You know looking down a scope and seeing this kind of stuff makes me want to pick the pipe up :-)

[Fridays Child]

38. Ding Ding Ding! You got it!

I appreciate the compliment, especially coming from you since I really admire your artwork.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

16. it looks like a kitty cat on acid in the mirror to me

[snoochie]

29. It looks like a slightly altered fractal image to me n/t

[smirkymonkey]

35. DinoBoy, What is yours??

It's been driving me crazy trying to figure it out - I must know soon or I will explode!

:argh:

[Fridays Child]

37. It's my kitty, doubled. Here she is quadrupled...

[prolesunited]

2. So, if you don't comply

what are they going to do? Repossess your car? :shrug:

[Blue-Jay]

9. That's what I plan to find out when I call on Monday.

They already have every drop of information they need about me. To be honest, I'm just pissed off that the Patriot fuckin Act is requiring them to collect more.

[qwertyMike]

39. My reply would be something like...

FUCK OFF VVLADIMIR

[Ediacara]

3. This smells like a scam

The bank already got your ID number when you opened your account. Call the bank (at their real number) and alert them to this letter. I'll bet you that the bank DID NOT send this to you.

If they did send it, then tell them that they already have the information (which is true). If they persist call your state attorney general, and the BBB.

[Blue-Jay]

7. I looked. The letter is legit.

I even recognize the signature of the CSR that sent it. She's who I deal with when I drop off my payment.

Still burns my ass, though.

[Ediacara]

10. Call the state AG

The bank HAS to have that information because they CAN'T open an account without it. If they can't keep their records straight then they can get in huge trouble.

And honestly, it has nothing to do with the Patriot Act, keeping track of your ID etc is part of post-depression era banking laws, and if your bank is trying to pass off their bookkeeping ineptitude as Patriot Act compliance, all the more reason to call the state AG.

[Blue-Jay]

18. Now that you mention it,

I *do* seem to recall my DL being photocopied at the dealership and faxed to them when I bought the thing...

[SoCalDem]

46. They just need it from you, that they have your cooperation

so that when you find out they already sent your info, you won't get mad..
:)

[qwertyMike]

41. Ask her for her personal info

for the record

then skip a few payments

Banks don't want your car, they want your money

PS: Tell them you might be a Patriot, or not.
None of their business.

Don't roll over

[ElsewheresDaughter]

19. i agree it could be a MAJOR SCAM...check into it before you call

[Enraged_Ape]

40. I agree. This has horsesh** scam written all over it.

I don't care if you recognize the name or signature of the person supposedly sending you this letter. Your DL number is child's play for the bank to get. It's the least of the information they can get on you if they want it. There is absolutely NO reason why you should have to provide it to them.

ID thieves are more ruthless, wicked and sneaky than ever before. Under no circumstances should you respond to this letter until you have called the bank, and that means at the number you find for them in the PHONE BOOK, not the letter.

You do not want to fool around with this. Believe me.

[arcane1]

4. WTF??? Reason #1,286,385 that I'm glad I don't have a bank acct

I'm amazed that they would even give you a loan without that info!


The "Patriot Act" SUCKETH!!!!!

[Sapphocrat]

5. Um, yeah, I DO believe this shit.

Sorry it happened to you, B-J.

I expect they've already got your SSN and mother's maiden name, and access to all three credit reports...

Welcome to the New World Order. :(

[Carni]

8. HEARD ABOUT SIMILAR SCAM TODAY

I didn't catch the whole thing but could have sworn I heard on MSNBC today that a woman was scammed in this way somehow with a similar letter.


You know I think I would call your local FBI branch and ask if they know of any scams like this taking place and even if it is real...
if it wasn't a certified letter screw em/ignore it.

[Ediacara]

14. Either the FBI or the state AG

They should both know if there's anything like that going on. Heck, if anything call the local TV news and complain about your privacy rights being eroded!

[Melsky]

20. There is a similar scam

it's by email though. My friend got one of the emails. But it's based on letters like this, people have heard about the letters so it makes the emails seem like they might be legit.

Of course the patriot act itself isn't legit though.

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/phishing/fdic.asp

[Qutzupalotl]

11. Tell them to file a petition under the FOIA.

:evilgrin:

[Blue-Jay]

13. hmmmm.

Ya know, I just might. It'll serve 'em right. I've never been late on a payment and actually OVERpay every month by about 50 bucks in order to save myself some interest on the back end of the loan.

I think I'm going to MAKE them get the information. Please send future correspondences to me at Gitmo.

[Qutzupalotl]

23. Seriously, call your rep.

Could be a scam. Probably is, in fact.

[Nite Owl]

17. It wouldn't be just you.

I would think that it would be a subject of conversation if this were real. I wouldn't send them anything. Go into the bank and speak with your rep directly if you feel you need too.

[Interrobang]

22. Nope. Not surprised at all.

When I think about how often banks which hold papers on my loans f*ck around with me, I'm not in the least surprised -- and my banks are Canadian banks, and ought to know better...

[NightTrain]

25. It's a scam.

I happened to catch a report on one of our local TV "news" shows this morning while waiting in line at my garage's service desk.

Just ignore the e-mail. Under no circumstances should you give a perfect stranger your personal info!

[Padraig18]

26. Tell 'em to stick it in their ass!

I walked into the bank on Monday morning, walked directly to the president's open office door, handed him the letter and said 'Shove it up your ass, and have a nice day!".

I've not heard from them since. :)

[scottcsmith]

27. Scam! Snopes to the rescue!

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/phishing/fdic.asp

Here's the press release from the FDIC debunking this scam:

http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2004/pr0604.html

[DrWeird]

28. My brother got the same kind of thing from his landlords.

It said they needed all kinds of information about his personal life, because the Patriot Act said so, and he doesn't want to help terrorists, does he?

Now it happens that my brother, how shall I put it, "works for the government." (Matcom ain't got nothing on me) and he knew the patriot act didn't say shit about this. And he called it on them.

So they mutually agreed to break the lease and he moved out the next month.

[PVnRT]

31. It's hard to believe that they don't already have everything they need

I mean, SSN, address, stuff like that, you give them to get the account. What else do they want?

[liberalhistorian]

32. It is, indeed a scam,

and your DL is one of the first things you have to give them when you buy a car/take out a loan, that's standard procedure. Alert the bank and if it IS from them, tell them where they can stick it because they should already have it and if they don't, someone dropped the ball and is trying to cover their ass by citing the fucking Patriot Act.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

33. Even if you recognize the signature

it could be a scam, either an employee "free-lancing" for extra money or a friend or relative of the employee forging her signature.

Go to the employee in person and ask, preferably with someone else present, what this is all about.

I was once the target of an attempted scam after my wallet was stolen and the thief wrote bad checks on my closed account. I had to go several rounds with a check collection agency until they stopped hassling me, and then about a year later, someone whose name I recognized from those exchanges tried to pull an absolutely idiotic scam, saying that the enclosed check drawn on--well, it wasn't "Bob's Bank," but something equally suspect--was a "discount" on what I "owed" him for a bad check written on acct. #xxxx.

I turned the letter over to the post office, since that's mail fraud.

[YNGW]

34. It's probably a scam, but...

... if you give me your drivers license or state identification number, the issue date, the expiration date, and the state of issuance, I might be able to clear it up for you. :)

[alwynsw]

36. THIS IS A SCAM!!!

Got a notice from our bank. Scam artists got a PO box that was a transposition of our bank's po box (123 instead of 132) and sent the letters as you got above. DO NOT ANSWER IT!


Answering this puts your info in the hands of scam artists. SURPRISE! You go to the ATM and find that your account is drained. Then you start getting collection letters from credit cards companies you never knew existed. It goes on and on.

Give the letter to you postal inspector or postmaster if you don't have an inspector nearby.

[ConcernedCanuk]

42. I'd be changing banks, at least close that account and open a new one

.
.

The small fee (if any) would be well worth the peace of mind that noone has your account information.

Whenever I change employers that have paid me by direct deposit, ( I even had to sign a waiver once that they coud DEBIT in case I owed THEM money . .) I close that account and get a new one.

Actually, nowadays, that would not be a bad thing for ANYONE to do on a regular basis . . .

sorta like changing passwords for your 'puter, or e-mail accounts.

Just a thot ?

[gate of the sun]

43. throw it in the trash

and ignore them,what the heck are they going to you......send the feds out......um sir you have failed to provide the necessary information in regards to our gathering information on you through your bank.....

This sucks.

[Blue-Jay]

44. Just to follow up. It wasn't an EMAIL. It was in the regular mail.

I'll post an update Monday after I talk to them.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

45. snail mail scam then..it happens ya know

[dawn]

47. Hmmmm...I work at a financial institution

I'm just the webmaster, but I have to edit and post new procedure manuals on the intranet. Earlier this week, I posted something about the new requirements that our brokers need to collect from customers due to the Patriot Act. I didn't read it because I didn't have time, but I plan to do so on Monday.

Yes, we do need get these guys out of here.