Rebuilding a life
“He had too much information, more than he could have gotten off of a check,” Smith said. “It had to be someone who found information in my wallet while I was at the gym or someone from finance or personnel.”
Smith immediately told credit agencies about his situation and ordered a fraud alert so he would be notified whenever someone used his name or Social Security number to apply for credit. He also painstakingly copied records and reports proving he was nowhere near where the debts were incurred.
But for dozens of unpaid creditors, the question was never which was the real John Smith, but which one was going to pay.
Smith’s answer every time has been, “not me.”
“I have a two-drawer file cabinet just devoted to identity theft,” he said. “For every discrepancy on my report, I have to make copies and send them through certified mail. It’s exceedingly time consuming but I haven’t had to pay for a debt yet.”
Smith has paid a different price.
“I had bad credit for a while, very poor credit,” he said. “Each time I apply for credit I have to go prove that I’m not a bad risk. My credit has improved a lot but my interest rates are still higher than they should be.
“Even if you win a case, you still lose,” Smith said. “You take a loss, whether it’s paperwork or credit scores.”
Haunted by crime
Smith is still haunted 10 years later by crimes he didn’t commit with delinquent notices and threats of lawsuits. He can’t change the past, but Smith hopes, by sharing his story, he can help others protect their future.
“Protect your identity,” he advises. “Don’t leave your personal information unlocked in the gym or in your car. Limit how much information you give out. And check your credit report once or twice a year.
“I made the mistake of not checking my credit annually, especially while I was overseas,” he added. “If I had, I may have been able to catch the problem sooner and nip it in the bud before it got as far as it did.”
And for those battling with the crime, “Get to a lawyer,” he said. “You can get through it but you’ll need the help.”
For more information on identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission Web site at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.htm.
Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening more accounts in the victim’s name. Call any of the three consumer reporting companies to place a fraud alert on credit reports. Whichever company the victim chooses to call is required to contact the other two.
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
Note: While this is a true story, the name was changed to protect the subject’s identity.
