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Would the real Carolyn Capalbo please stand up?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 GREC# 169695

Lisa Udy recently wrote

Carolyn Capalbo Is A REALTOR In Northern Virginia That Needs Your Help

And while all of us take precautions of not having our identity stolen, Carolyn Capalbo had hers invaded by having the same name as someone else.

As a real estate broker I have to have my name and my cell phone number and my office number "out there" for everyone to find.  And nearly two years ago, September 2008, my name and cell number were comprised to the point I had to actually change my cell phone number.  In the end, what likely began as a prank cost me time and money to fix.

Someone took my name, my office address and my cell phone number and went on the Internet (and they happened to be going through a out of the country server) and played havoc with me.  I was enrolled in multiple book clubs, cd clubs, had people driving an hour to my office to give me quotes on sodding my yard, and my cell phone, well it rang so much it nearly blew up.  I finally had to actually change my cell phone number to stop it.  Imagine... all the time it took me to go to all the web sites and change my cell phone number, not to mention calling all my clients (past and current) to inform them of the change.  Oh and the cost of ordering new signs, new business cards, new stationary and note cards.  And imagine that in the middle of this time period boxes upon boxes of books and cds I didn't order started to arrive at my office.  And imagine service man after service man showing up at my office to give me quotes I didn't order.  Of course I also had to make a police report to accompany the returned boxes of books and cds.  Multiple trips to the post office, to the sheriff's department.  And furthermore during this senseless crisis in my life I was actually dealing with a real life family crisis.  My husband had major surgery and was home recovering for 3 months before he could return to work.  He couldn't drive himself to therapy for the first 8 weeks.  My life was a living hell for about 90 days.

But in about 90 days, with a new cell phone number, lots of changed signs and lots of angry vendors that I didn't call or order from turned away my ordeal came to an end and I got on with my life.

Carolyn Capalbo had her name identity crisis start about the same time and unfortunately is still dealing with it.  You see if you Googled her name  you didn't get Carolyn Capalbo, Realtor in Northern Virginia, you got someone else.  Someone who happened to be the parent of a girl who got involved in a scandle that made national news.  Today, nearly two years later, while her Google rankings are begining to get better, they are still all mixed and intertwined with scandle.

So if you're looking to find out who was sleeping with the mayor of New York, don't call her, it wasn't her daughter.

BUT if you're looking for a great agent who can help you find a home or sell home in Northern Virginia.. Call Carolyn Capalbo.

Posted by

706-485-9668  us on facebook

Tammy@Lake-Sinclair.com

(Click on Lane Realty Logo for web site)

Tammy Lankford, Broker/Owner

 

Broker License # 169695  Lane Realty License # H-11420

Real Estate Instructor License # 355089

Call me today for all your Lake Sinclair real estate needs.

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Andrew Herren
Craig Massee Real Estate - Milledgeville, GA

Did you ever find out who did this to you? That's terrifying.

Jun 28, 2010 07:04 AM
Liz Wallace
Century 21 Sherlock Homes - Rockville Centre, NY
Broker C21 Sherlock Homes, Rockville Centre, LI, N

This sounds like something an ex spouse would do but yours was at home recouping.  Sorry that some nitwit had the time and energy to annoy another person.

Jun 28, 2010 08:47 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

No Ande I didn't.  Because they used an out of country server the little ole' Putnam County law enforcement didn't pursue it.  I had an IP address because they had logged onto the company website and entered a wrong email address to set up multiple searches as well.  And I was out new sign money,  and a little postage to return packages, but it would have cost me more to pursue and then likely find out it was someone with not enough money for me to recover the cost of hunting them down, so I let it go.  And at the time taking care of Donald was my priority.

Liz- I've often wondered if the people who spend their time and effort committing crimes would pursue doing good what a better place this planet would be.  I do have an X-spouse, but he really isn't that smart.

Jun 28, 2010 09:29 AM
Lisa Udy
Platinum Real Estate Group - Logan, UT
Logan Utah Realtor

Hi Tammy!

Someone that would go to that extent just to mess with your identity really needs to get a life. Don't people have jobs?? I have had the same cell number for the past 10 years. If I had to change it, I know I would lose business, and that must have been a terrible feeling for you. I am so sorry you had to go through all of that while dealing with a family emergency, talk about crappy timing. Thank you for spreading the word helping Carolyn get her name back. We are slowly beating out the other Carolyn Capalbo thanks to people like you! :)

Jun 28, 2010 10:59 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I googled it before I wrote my post Lisa and saw some improvement over when you wrote that original post, but jeez, those photos are awful that are right there in your face.  Hopefully eventually and with continued efferts it will continue to improve.  What a nightmare that poor lady went through.

As for whoever did that to me... well I just pray for them.  And I'd had my same cell number for 14 years.  I'm sure I lost some business, but I worked hard at calling years of past clients so they could save my new number in their phone.  That was easy enough to do even when I was home with Donald while he was healing.

Jun 28, 2010 11:30 AM
Robert L. Brown
www.mrbrownsellsgr.com - Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids Real Estate Bellabay Realty, West Mic

Well i've been through ID theft. It was a very stressful time and i hope i never go back to that again.

Jun 28, 2010 12:14 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Tammy sorry you had to go thru this mess.  I so agree - if these folks would take the energy they spend on stealing and creating hassles for people the world would be a better place.    I just got a phone today asking for advice on social media 'risk managment' and I was going to investigate it and write a post.  I had been thinking of it terms of agents  etc keeping themeselves out of trouble but not as in identity theft.  Now I will addresss both sides of the issue.  I too was comprosed this past few weeks.  Thankfully the banks called me right away and we got it handled.

Jun 28, 2010 01:06 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Robert- mine was minor and didn't involve my banking although had I not caught it quickly could have dinged my credit.  It was a pain.

Anna- looking forward to reading it.  And so happy that your bank called.  I had a friend recently who used her gas card on vacation and had over $3000 of charges for gas and tires by the time she got home that she didn't make.  Thankfully that was solved quickly too.  No one actually buys $2500 worth of gas in one day.

Jun 28, 2010 01:45 PM