Identity Theft Hits Home
About 4 years ago when I first moved to Minneapolis, I worked overnights at a local Toys R Us store. My manager, John, was seemingly a really cool guy. He and his boyfriend at the time split up for reasons undisclosed, and he needed a place to stay. So, rent free, Alison and I allowed Jon to stay at our apartment for . The landlord came down on me, and of course I said he wasn't living with us, even though his belongings were in our garage.
He stayed a couple of months, and things were fine. Then, I noticed that he would nonchalantly bounce checks for food and clothes. Our landlord came down ever harder, so we had to get him out. Over time, I thought I had merely misplaced my license and social security card, both of which I had replaced. Suddenly, John returns, fresh out of the joint for reasons he never shared. He stayed a couple of days, then asked where his stuff was. We cleaned out the garage under the impression he didn't want it, and was never coming back. So, he left again.
A couple of months later, I recieved HIS cellphone bill, forwarded to MY address with HIS name on it. Naturally I sent it back. Soon after, I moved to North Carolina for 2 years. One day, I recieved a notice from the Savage County Sheriff's Department in St. Cloud, MN about an unpaid speeding ticket, and subsequent suspension of my license in NC. John had indeed stolen my license, posing as me, although we didn't look that much alike, I gathered that he also used my SS to get a brand new identity. I got the ticket expunged by the PD from North Carolina, and John was captured and supposedly convicted of yet another crime. Identity theft. A major offense..
I move back to Minnesota after the two year stint in North Carolina and recieve yet another disturbing piece of mail. A tax booklet with my name and a St. Cloud address. A few weeks later, ANOTHER piece...TAX FORMS for a Cory Hyman, which is me, but a Cory Hyman that was living in St. Cloud, who worked at Valleyfair all summer, while I was living in North Carolina, running my online business!?! It was official, he was posing as me.
The most recent event was just yesterday, and it seriously pissed me off. I'm heading out to North Carolina to visit my family whom I haven't seen in almost a year. In Minnesota, we recieve a rent credit for the previous year of paying rent. Alison recieved her check, and I got mine yesterday....or so I thought. Upon opening it, it's blank, and has an attatched note stating that MY refund was seized BY THE REVENUE RECAPTURE PROGRAM from the Dakota County COUR COLLECTOR!!!!!!!!
That son of a b!tch not only ruined my credit, he stole my license, my social, my identity, and cheated me out of a few hundred dollars, which I was counting on for my vacation. I've already reported the theft to the SSC and IRS, as well as the Savage County Police Dept. Now it looks like I have to straighten things out with the courts.
Moral of this story is be careful you you trust, and don't assume that this can't happen to you.