Real Life Examples of Identity Theft

Fraud Victim Testimonials on All Types of Identity Theft

There are numerous types of identity theft affecting people from every walk of life. Identity theft can happen to you just as easily as it can affect someone else. Being covered in the event of falling victim to the many types of identity theft and having experts looking out for you is the easiest way to prevent becoming another statistic.

Freedom ID is a leader in helping prevent and repair damage from the many different types of identity theft. Below is a real customer testimonial on how our identity theft protection services make it easy to reverse the damages caused by becoming a victim of identity theft.

"You get identity theft protection and hope that you never have to use it. And as with most insurances don't really know what you have until you try to use it! I had two different providers of identity theft protection and monitoring. After my first hand experience of trying to use both of the insurances to help with the stolen identity, I learned very quickly that FreedomID was a valuable asset in my fight to reclaim my id. There was ONE real person who helped me, cared and they even reimburse my costs associated with getting everything straightened out. I have dropped my other vendor and signed up for FreedomID Platinum. FreedomID did more than promised and the people involved genuinely cared.” – Jill M., St. Louis, MO

Below Are Some Real Life Examples of Identity Theft & How Our Identity Management Services Have Been Used by End Customers

Break-In Identity Theft

For customers who have experienced a break-in of their home, auto or boat, a fraud specialist can help with placing a fraud alert to keep thieves from accessing their personal data.

Identity Theft Examples Caused by Break-ins

When Richard Barnhill travels to the Southwest for winter, he takes steps to protect his main residence: Relatives and neighbors drop by to make sure everything is secure. Despite this, thieves ransacked the retiree’s home and stole, among other items, his late wife’s Social Security card, driver’s license and checkbook, which he kept in a desk drawer. Fortunately, Fraud Investigator Donna Miller was dedicated to his case until resolution.

Child Risk of Identity Theft: 

 Even children are susceptible to different types of identity theft. For customers who are parents or legal guardians of minor children, a fraud specialist aids in researching if a credit file has been opened in the minor’s name. If a credit file is determined to exist, a fraud specialist is assigned to the case, the resolution process will be initiated and, if requested, help in placing a credit file suppression on the minor’s credit file.

Real Life Examples of Identity Theft Involving Children

Kimberly Reed from Seattle Washington, learned her two-year old son’s identity was stolen. Her insurance company informed her that her son was receiving an income, which was not possible because he was two years old. Concerned for her son and his future, she turned to her fraud expert for support and guidance. The fraud specialist provided support and guidance to Reed by taking immediate, proactive steps to limit the damage. 

Criminal Identity Theft Examples: 

 In the event where a customer’s identity was falsely linked to a crime, a fraud specialist will provide assistance in contacting governmental agencies to investigate and restore identity. If requested, assist in the placement of preventive measures which may include a fraud alert, or security freeze, if warranted. These types of identity theft can ruin reputations and cause serious hard to the affected individual.

Criminal Identity Theft Examples

Ohio schoolteacher Mark Kendel learned he was a victim of identity theft when he was pulled over and was arrested, in front of his children, for outstanding warrants in Florida and taken to jail. His wife, contacted our fraud specialist who helped the Kendels every step of the way by communicating with creditors, and law enforcement officials –  providing resolution that gave the Kendels a peace of mind.

Debt Tagging: 

Should a customer’s credit files be incorrectly tagged with someone else’s debt or reflect an incorrect amount of debt owed, a fraud specialist will facilitate the contacting of the credit agencies and assist in requesting that the incorrect information be removed from the customer’s credit file(s).

Real Life Examples of Identity Theft Involving Debt Tagging

Marion Steadman learned she was a victim of identity theft when she received a traffic ticket in the mail that was addressed to her but had a North Carolina address. She soon discovered the person opened numerous accounts, had three aliases, and used her social security number. She contacted us after trying to resolve the issue herself. The fraud specialist assigned to Steadman actively worked to resolve her identity theft and immediately reviewed her credit report, contacted creditors, medical offices and financial institutions to resolve the issue.

Types of Identity Theft Involving Employment: 

If a customer’s identity has been fraudulently used to obtain employment, if requested, a fraud specialist will assist with contacting employers or governmental agencies to investigate and facilitate restoration to the correct status. If requested and if warranted, a fraud specialist will assist in the placement of fraud alert or security freeze.

Examples of Identity Theft in the Workplace

Weber State student, John Nathanson, had had his identity stolen when he was seven years old - His
parents discovered the problem when the Internal Revenue Service told them they couldn’t claim their son as a deduction on their tax return because his SSN was already in use. They took steps to correct the problem, but it persisted. But, when Nathanson got a job at 16, he was receiving notices that his wages would be garnished for child support. He also learned that he owed back taxes and his credit report showed that his social security number did not match his name, birthday or information. Nathanson turned to us for help.

We immediately assessed the gravity of his case. The perpetrator had been using Nathanson’s SSN for so long that it no longer registered as his; it registered as the perpetrator’s. The fraud specialist could resolve the issue by contacting the social security administration and help Nathanson receive a new social security card.

Medical ID Theft: 

If a customers is a victim of fraudulent insurance claims or medical services, a fraud specialist provides assistance in facilitating the resolution needed to clear fraudulent information from insurance provider, credit and collection agency files.

Real Life Examples of Identity Theft in the Medical Industry

June Smith had a funny feeling that medical charges she received were fraudulent. The 72-year-old New Yorker’s clue was a bill for a pregnancy test. Smith’s personal information—including her Social Security number—was used to charge Medicare for tens of thousands of dollars of medical services in her name.

Despite her attempt to alert officials, she says, Medicare paid the bills. Though Smith and her husband, Thomas, didn’t incur any personal charges from the fraud, they worried they’d reach a Medicare benefits cap and ultimately be denied legitimate services they might need in the future.  

After an investigation, the fraud specialist discovered that many of the supposed doctors and medical entities making the charges weren’t licensed as physicians or operating as legitimate businesses - they appeared to be fictitious people and institutions created by scammers. The specialist took immediate action and detailed those particulars in letters he wrote to various authorities, including Medicare officials. After these letters were written, Medicare finally paid attention and stop paying for the fraudulent bills.

Military Identity Theft: 

For customers who are serving active military duty away from home, a fraud specialist works with customers, their authorized spouse or family member, in facilitating the placement of a free Active Military Duty Alert, if requested. Placement of the Active Military Duty Alert requires creditors to take steps to verify identity before granting credit in your name. The alert is effective for one year.

Real Life Examples of Identity Theft in the Military

National Guardsman Rick Martinez returned from an 11-month stint in Iraq, only to find a tangled web of identity theft. Someone had tried to open credit card accounts in his name, using his personal information. He worried it would negatively impact his credit. Martinez found help through our identity management services. A fraud investigator proactively assisted by adding a fraud alert to his credit files, reviewed his credit reports and removed his name and address from the nationwide pre-approved credit card/insurance offers.

Proactive Types of Identity Theft:

 In the event that customers' personal data has been lost or stolen, a fraud specialist assists in the replacement of the stolen documents or accounts. If warranted and requested, a fraud specialist assists in the placement of a fraud alert which helps to safeguard the customers’ identities and helps prevent any further damage.

Real Life Examples of Proactive Identity Theft

Jonathan Greenwood, an agent based in Muskegon, Mich., suspected identity theft when he received an alert from Discover Card about a change to his login credentials. A seamless transfer from customer service to our fraud resolution center made a big impression on Greenwood. He felt immediate assurance when a fraud investigator was assigned to help him until his case was resolved. And Greenwood knew he was in good hands when the Investigator interviewed him thoroughly to gather the facts of the case, took time to analyze the situation, and provided a defensive strategy and plan of action. The first step was to report the matter to TransUnion credit bureau so the appropriate actions could be taken.

Resolution Services Identity Theft: 

For customers who are victims of account take-over or identity theft, a personal fraud specialist provides unlimited assistance to restore victims’ identity, handling the entire notification and documentation process. The Resolution Services are set forth below.

Resolution Identity Theft Examples

Steve Fowler, president and CEO of South Carolina Credit Union League, needed access to identity protection services - after suspecting his wife was a victim of identity theft. Fowler felt immediate assurance when a fraud investigator was assigned to help him until his case was resolved.

The investigator helped Fowler file a police report and to provide documentation to prove that he and his wife were not responsible for the fraudulent charges. Then she enrolled the Fowlers in credit and fraud monitoring to watch for additional fraud - at no charge.

System Protection Guidance ID Theft: 

 If a customer’s computer, laptop or tablet has been compromised or requests system protection guidance for their PC, Mac or tablet, a fraud specialist will aid in directing to resources that provide industry rated options.

Real Life Example of these types of Identity Theft

When a bridal shop experienced a break-in and a hair salon lost an iPhone containing customer information, the business owners were distraught. In both instances, they did the right thing by reaching out for help. The fraud specialist immediately determined that the incidents did not compromise any customers’ personally identifiable information (PII). That quick response offered tremendous reassurance to the policyholders.

Types of Identity Theft Involving Tax Fraud: 

 Should a customer fall victim to federal tax related identity theft, wherein someone utilizes the customer’s Personally Identifiable Information to file false tax return documents or commit employment related identity theft, a fraud specialist provides assistance to the customer in facilitating working with the IRS on the correction of the impacted tax records and resolution to any filing issues.

Tax Fraud Identity Theft Examples

An identity theft victim from Sarasota, Florida realized she was a victim of identity theft when someone used her social security number to file taxes with the federal government. Her insurance company immediately got her in touch with us. Our fraud specialists assisted with correcting the impacted tax records and worked step-by-step with her to protect and rebuild her identity.

Be Ready for All Types of Identity Theft with FreedomID Direct

The common thread between all these examples of Identity Theft is that FreedomID Direct was able to resolve the issue with the customer and get their lives back to normal. With so many different types of identity theft out there, it’s not uncommon for even the most prepared individuals to become targets of fraud.

With FreedomID Direct plans, your entire family is covered with industry-leading services designed to combat all types of identity theft.

If you think you have fallen victim to identity theft or just want to ensure your family remains safe, learn more about our suite of identity protection plans today.