Invasion of privacy includes stolen identity
Personal information may not always be personal – thieves can take it and create new accounts with someone else’s identity.
Francine Giani, director of the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, said the rate of identity theft in Utah is far below that of other states, but is still a problem.
“If you look across the country, we are probably doing better than most,” she said.
According to www.consumer.gov/idtheft, the Federal Trade Commission defines identity theft as taking a person’s Social Security number, credit card or checking account numbers to create new accounts or purchases.
The FTC reported the crime reached more than 600,000 people last year.
The Utah Division of Consumer Protection has not had to respond to that many cases.
“In the 170 cases that have come through our doors, we’ve looked at each one of them,” Giani said. “As far as I’m concerned, one complaint is a big deal and one we should look at.”
Most of the cases of identity theft involves someone close to the victim, she said.
“In probably 40 or 45 percent of the cases we’ve seen, it is usually someone they know,” she said.
This includes ex-spouses, boy/girlfriends, roommates or familymembers. Someone who was trusted at one time, she said.
One of the ways to keep track of personal information is to request a credit report.
“We tell people on a regular basis to get a copy of their credit report,” Giani said.
She said at a recent workshop she was presenting at the University of Utah to a group of graduate students, very few had ever requested a copy of their credit report.
Three different bureaus offer reports for an average of $8.50 apiece, she said.
Many times, the theft happens so the thief can open accounts or buy something because they have no credit of their own. Giani said the thief often intends to pay back the loan or account, but can default when they cannot pay for the items they have
purchased.
When this happens the person to whom the identity belongs is left to pay for the bills, she said.
“Obviously, you can’t assume someone else’s identity. It’s against the law,” she said.
When this happens, the person who has had their identity stolen is responsible for the cost incurred.
“It’s a tragic thing. Not only is your credit injured, but you are responsible to make it right with the credit agency,” Giani said.
For Angie Hampton, a senior in anthropology, this is a very real situation.
In January she was in Salt Lake City with friends when their car was broken into. Her purse was taken- which included a credit card, check book and her social security card.
“I went home and called the credit card company and my card had been used three times in two hours,” she said.
Within the next few days, she canceled her credit card, stopped payment on her checks and called to get a replacement social security card.
When one of the checks has been used, she has to go into her bank and fill out a form stating what happened and then sign the form five times and have it notarized.
So far she said three of the checks have been used, most of them for gas stations and fast food restaurants.
“I’m buying some high school punk’s fast food,” she said.
On top of that, her family recently received a bill from Cricket, a cell phone provider.
“I don’t have a cell phone,” Hampton said. “Who’s stupid enough to send it to the person you stole it from?”
When watching television and a commercial for banking cards comes on which says there is now no need to have ID to use the card, she gets angry.
“It makes me so mad,” she said.
Like her sister-in-law, she is now going to write “see ID” on the back of her credit card rather than signing it.
Since the incident, she has changed how she does things.
“I definitely won’t carry my Social Security card anymore,” Hampton said. “I don’t even have it [Social Security number] on my driver’s license anymore.”
Giani suggests that anyone who has had problems with identity theft to order a copy of their credit report from all three of the bureaus as they often report different information. The bureaus can be found online. Equifax at www.equifax.com, Experian at www.experian.com and TransUnion at www.tuc.com.
She also suggest contacting her office at 1-800-721-7233.