Identity Theft: Are You Really My Mother?

In a bizarre twist to the past year's trend of unusual
identity theft cases being exposed, this latest episode
reaches an unusual new low.

Apparently, a Utah woman became the victim of identity
theft when someone else used her driver's license number
to give birth under her name.

To make matters even worst for the victim, she was faced
with the prospect of losing custody to her four
children to the Division of Child and Family Services
because the identity thief's recently born baby tested
positive for drugs. Plus, the baby had been abandoned
at the hospital by the birth mother.

Bizarre, yes....scary for the real mother of four,
absolutely.

But how could such a bizarre case of identity theft
develop in the first place?

The identity theft victim had her driver's license and
credit cards stolen 3 months ago. Although, the Utah
woman cancelled her credit cards and replaced "everything"
she learned the hard way just how resourceful identity
thieves really are once they grab you personal information.

This case also underscores just how important it is to
check your non-credit related personal information
for identity theft. Thieves know must consumers do not think
first about all the myriad of places your personal identity
are used on a daily basis. Even more, stolen identities
are fraudently abused to acquire medical services
and or to confuse the legal system during arrests
or background checks of criminal activity.

So, our tip for today is to be extra diligent in protecting
the validity of your personal identity. We recommend you
conduct a "clean sweep" of not only your credit file,
but more importantly your non-credit but public
information such as your driver's license and background
records for any liens or even criminal records registered in
your name before it's too late to easily expunge them from
your identity.