I received a letter from this company also claiming that my information may have been sold. I became suspicious of the letter, but is there anything that can be done? I see other complaints about this company.

On Wednesday, 11 July, I received a letter from Certegy Check Services out of Tampa, FL (Parent Company: Fidelity National Information Services NYSE: FIS -- deep pockets here...) which sells information to local businesses and the gaming industry (I've never even bought so much as a LOTTO card or played $Bingo$ in my life!) informing me that I was part of a national ID Theft on the part of their company which happened in Florida. They suggested that I "watch my account for suspicious activity" but with advice from my bank, I closed my account instead. Thursday, 12 July, I canceled all credit cards, debit card, ATM card, destroyed all unused checks, borrowed my elderly parent's credit card to purchase new checks (my credit cards obviously canceled) for >$50.00 (very same style as old destroyed account), contacted companies that debit my account such as the health club membership, various utilities, amazon.com, internet banking, etc., to inform them that I closed out the account and need to start a new account, order new credit, debit, and ATM cards, etc. I think you can see the very time-consuming and mild-costs incurred.

The letter from Certegy Check Services has a check list of things I should do like contacting on of the big three credit reporting agencies and notifying them of the ID Theft. This I did. The letter also suggested that I place a "free credit freeze" on my existing accounts whereby someone can not open a line of credit in my name and hold me libel for the amount. This is where I found a glitch. In the State of Tennessee consumers can NOT get a 'credit freeze' -- free or otherwise. This means that with my personal information out there, someone could open an account in my name, order goods or services, get cell phone contract, rent an apartment, etc., and the burden of proof resting on me to clear my name for the amounts and other data incurred.

The second issue that bothers me is that a Certegy, a company that I had no idea possessed my data, had so few safe-guards to protect millions of customers. I am a school teacher w/ a Tennessee school system and I go through a fingerprint & background check to teach. I also sign an agreement that I will not use illegal drugs or abuse legal substances. I have supervisors, fellow teachers, teacher's assistants, parent patrols, and security cameras which help to safeguard these children. I would ask: "What kind of safeguards do companies like this have to guard against this kind of intrusion?" and "Do these employees go through background checks?" It is not as if the topic of 'ID Theft' dropped out of the sky yesterday. NBC's Dateline shows financial companies all the time how easy data can be stolen without proper safeguards in place. Why is this squeaky-wheel of a message falling on deaf ears in this day and time?

I have been affected by this ID Theft. I have noticed that I am receiving a substantial upswing of unsolicited marketing calls and mail despite my name on the U.S. Federal and Tennessee DONOTCALL registry. I would say the calls/mail really started in April and continued in May. I even received one yesterday from a company in Phoenix, AZ. I've been a paying customer through BellSouth for an unlisted phone number in telephone books & 411 calls for 24 years so any company not authorized by me to have my phone number and name is in itself unsettling. This privacy that I've paid for for so long is now compromised.

The third issue is that a victim of consumer credit fraud is only allowed one free credit report per year -- the same as those who have not had an issue w/ fraud. The problem is that you may not know that credit was opened in your name until a year later. All security experts say that the quicker you are able to notify the company that fraud has occurred, the better it is for protecting the consumer & businesses. An individual can expect around $120.00 per year for a monthly security check or $360.00 from all of the big three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Trans Union, & Experian), but why should and individual be out around $$$ for theft by a company who 'gleaned' for financial profit an individuals personal data (with out consent of knowledge)? When flying overseas, my personal data (SSI) is only held for 24 hours and then destroyed by the Federal Aviation Administration (a third-party to my flying transaction) and sister international government organizations (signs highlighting these rights abound at international airports). Why is it that a company that I do not know can harvest & retain very sensitive data and not be required to destroy it like the Federal Aviation Administration?

I was granted degrees majoring in both accounting & business management so I am well aware of the importance of following the US federal recommended safeguards (possess only one credit card, never give out your birth-date or SS#, etc.), yet this despite my judiciously following these safeguards over the years, ID theft happened to me.

I am interested in pursuing a class action lawsuit to wake this industry up to consumer protection since the US government and state regulators are failing to do anything but slap these financial institutions on the wrists.

Certegy sucks. With Certegy, they are only GUESSING!!! Even after supplying routing number, account number, name, etc... If they can't verify an amount in the bank, they are totally useless. I am boycotting NTB tire over this certegy company. I don't need to go into details. They did to me what they did to the other poor soul posting here.

CERTEGY is a fraud, fake, GUESSING company. They don't KNOW anything. Oh - I didn't even GET a code. And, I have plenty of $ in the bank(s).

Screw Certegy. And any store stupid enough to use their male bovine excretion services.

We ALL need to be sending complaints to the FTC! The more they hear from us, the more they will be inclined to look into the situation Certegy is causing.

Re: FTC Ref. No. 10592723

Thank you for recent correspondence. The Federal Trade Commission acts in the public interest to stop business practices that violate the laws it enforces. Letters from consumers and businesses are very important to the work of the Commission.

They are often the first indication of a problem in the marketplace and may provide the initial evidence to begin an investigation. The Commission does not resolve individual complaints. The Commission can, however, act when it sees a pattern of possible violations developing.

The information you have provided will be recorded in our complaint retention system. This computerized system enables us to identify questionable business practices that are generating numerous complaints and may be in violation of the law.

Thank you for providing information that may be used to develop or support Commission enforcement initiatives.

Sincerely yours,

Consumer Response Center

I went to KMart yesterday. Spent $252.81 and my check was denied. I used the debit card, that is the same as my checking account, and it worked. I called Certegy from the number printed on the back of my check, which is a bunch of automated crap, then it couldn't understand my address.

So, last night I sent e-mails to Kmart and Certegy. Kmart sent me an e-mail with no explanation, but gave me another number to call. Talked to "Jay" who seemed concerned, yet couldn't give me an explanation either. He gave me 2 more phone numbers to call. Automated again!!! Couldn't understand my address again!! So I spoke to "Jennifer" She tells me that there is nothing showing negative against me, but this is to protect the consumer as well as the Merchant and for safety reasons my check was denied. I asked what I can do to prevent this from occurring again? She said there's nothing you can do maam. I told her that I'd like for her to be standing in a checkout and have her check denied... In conclusion CERTEGY SUCKS!!! The companies using this service is going to turn customers away from their stores. They should reconsider who they use!!!

Crystal Parham