Prevent ID theft

Ashley Noel
Staff Writer
Dec. 2, 2004, Page 1

What’s in a name? More than what you may think.
It isn’t only an identity but a social security number, a source of credit, something that can cause havoc if in the wrong hands.
Doane students should be cautious with their personal information to protect themselves from identity theft.
Sophomore Vanessa Pingel discovered that even being careful with this information isn’t always fool-proof.
“I got a notice in the mail that my application for a credit card was denied, because I had opened up too many credit accounts,” she said. “I supposedly had opened a $1,800 account with a credit card company. I don’t know who they are or how they got my information in the first place.”
Pingel said she has spent a lot of time to fix the situation and is still in the process of finding out exactly what happened. She said that people probably don’t realize how easy it is to have their identity stolen.
“I think it is more common than people think,” she said. “I’m going to be more cautious now of giving information such as my social security number if I don’t know for sure where it is going.”
An easy way for people to use another’s identity and credit is burglary.
Megan Hild, a graduate of Kansas State University, had her purse stolen out of her car.
“They broke into my driver side window and stole everything,” she said.
Steps had to be taken to protect her credit.
“Luckily my mom works in a bank and encouraged me to call Equifax, Experian, Trans Union, and the Social Security Administration,” she said. “I told them my credit cards were stolen and they informed the company so they could see where and when they were used last.”
The precautions that Hild took helped catch the person responsible.
“I discovered my identity was stolen when the Ogden, Utah police called my parents and asked if they knew where I was.”
The police had a woman in custody that claimed she was Hild.
“My mother told them it was impossible, because she had just talked to me on the phone five minutes before,” Hild said. “She had my driver’s license, my social security card, everything.”
The woman, who was later identified as Michelle K. Cleary, was arrested and charged with forgery, resisting arrest, false information, PCS/Marijuana and procession of stolen property.
Cleary was sentenced on March 31, 2003 to one year in jail, suspended if she completed the following: 60 days in jail, probation, and being released to Kansas on a warrant.
While it was comforting to know that the perpetrator was sentenced, Hild said the situation was very distressing.
“It complicated my life,” Hild said. “It made me fearful because my identity could be stolen so easily, and she could have ruined my credit by running up my credit cards.”
Hild said that simple things, like renting a movie, became a hassle.
“Even when I went to Blockbuster to rent a movie, I was unable to because the clerk said I had rented two movies and three Sega games and never returned them,” she said. “I don’t even have a Sega.”
Hild had to go to the police department and get a copy of the theft report to prove to them she wasn’t responsible for the videos or games.
“I had to actually point and show them the dates, so they could see that the items were rented after my purse was stolen,” she said.