Tech Wizards - Help

[Imalittleteapot]

I posted this on the Mac Forum. It may be days before anyone reads it.

Someone is using my husband's credit card info and fraudulently charging all over the place.

I got his/her email address from one of the vendors that appeared on hubby's credit card statement. They also gave me the IP#.
I will give the IP# to the police but in the meantime, what can I do with it? Can I find an identity from the IP#? Can the police?

Thanks!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Well, what they can do is:

They can use that IP# to figure out who was logged in on that account at what time. That said, if this person was logged in through an open wireless access point, then they can find out nothing useful.

Be prepared for that.

[Imalittleteapot]

4. Thanks for the info.

hmmmmmmm.

[Kutjara]

2. The police can.

They can get a warrant that will allow them to request the user's identity from their ISP. Of course, that will only work if the thief was using their own Internet account to buy the stuff. If they were smart, they'd do it from a cybercafe or public hotspot. That would make tracing them very difficult, if not impossible.

It's probably much easier to trace the delivery address of any goods they bought (although there are ways of spoofing that, too).

[Imalittleteapot]

9. I fear that the user's identity will be

my husband's name. I called Blockbuster and they said that the user gave our home address to buy a membership. We think that he/she is probably someone that works at his dry cleaner - who has access to his card once a week and could easily get our address from the phone book.

[Kutjara]

10. That might not matter.

The IP address is assigned to a specific network node, which will match up with a particular piece of "CPE" (customer premises equipment). Usually, that means the cable router or modem card in the user's PC. If the connection is via cable or DSL, an IP check will immediately link to that piece of equipment, and the ISP will know where it is. If the connection is via modem over a phoneline, the ISP will know the number of the incoming call associated with that IP address. In any case, if the thief is stupid enough to be using the Net from home, they can be found, regardless of how they set up the account.

[supernova]

Report the fraduldent charges pronto

to the card issuer, so that your card issuer can get to work on it now. And you have it documented that you reported it as soon as you found out about it.

[Imalittleteapot]

5. Done hours ago. Thanks.

[liberalpress]

3. Immediately! Right now!

call thr credit card company. give them the info you have obtained. they will cancel the card and give you a new one. Tell them you want to prosecute.

[Imalittleteapot]

8. Credit card canceled earlier today. All vendors called. Thanks.

[Breeze54]

6. Use your Anti-Virus program and do a trace on the IP

It might give you the city of origin but CANCEL THE CARD ASAP!!!

[Imalittleteapot]

12. Thanks for your help.

[nebenaube]

7. ummm...

try maxmind.com they have a sample that you can run... http://www.maxmind.com/app/lookup_city

[Imalittleteapot]

11. maxmind demo is for my ip. Thanks any way.

[geckosfeet]

13. Cancel the damn credit card!!!! ASAP!!! Tell the bank/card company.

They will investigate as required. Telling the police won't hurt but they will probably get pulled in by the card issuer.

Also, get the latest virus definitions and run about a zillion virus and mal-ware scans on your computers.