2008 Woodie Awards
ID-Theft Victims Fight for Years to Fix Mess
Frank James/Knight Ridder
Issue date: 3/30/05 Section: News
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WASHINGTON- Since falling victim to identity theft four years ago, John Harrison has learned the hard way that the crime is like a chronic disease that goes into remission, only to flare up again when least expected.
"I dealt with my latest debt collector just a week ago," the 44-year old salesman for a firearms-maker said.
"And the Army actually just garnished my retirement pay for the third time," said Harrison, a retired infantry captain who lives in Connecticut.
The man who misused Harrison's personal information not only obtained credit using Harrison's name but also opened checking accounts and wrote more than 125 bad checks as Harrison, some of them on government installations.
"The ones that were written on military bases become government debt," Harrison said. "And because I'm retired and get a government paycheck, when these things surface I just get a government letter in the mail saying, `We're taking your money.'"
Recent disclosures by consumer-data collection companies including ChoicePoint, LexisNexis and Bank of America that sensitive information about millions of consumers was compromised have fueled concerns that many more people could be victimized like Harrison.
If these failures to protect consumers' personal data lead to more identity theft, the victims would be added to what experts consider the fastest-growing financial crime in the United States.
The Federal Trade Commission estimated 10 million people were victimized by the crime in 2002, the most recent year for which it has data. No credible expert believes that number has fallen. Identity theft costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars annually.
While federal and state governments and businesses that extend credit have made progress in helping victims regain their financial footing, the experience of victims shows much more is left to be done.
In January, for example, a Springfield, Ill., police officer made a routine traffic stop of a 79-year-old woman, an identity-theft victim, according to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
"I dealt with my latest debt collector just a week ago," the 44-year old salesman for a firearms-maker said.
"And the Army actually just garnished my retirement pay for the third time," said Harrison, a retired infantry captain who lives in Connecticut.
The man who misused Harrison's personal information not only obtained credit using Harrison's name but also opened checking accounts and wrote more than 125 bad checks as Harrison, some of them on government installations.
"The ones that were written on military bases become government debt," Harrison said. "And because I'm retired and get a government paycheck, when these things surface I just get a government letter in the mail saying, `We're taking your money.'"
Recent disclosures by consumer-data collection companies including ChoicePoint, LexisNexis and Bank of America that sensitive information about millions of consumers was compromised have fueled concerns that many more people could be victimized like Harrison.
If these failures to protect consumers' personal data lead to more identity theft, the victims would be added to what experts consider the fastest-growing financial crime in the United States.
The Federal Trade Commission estimated 10 million people were victimized by the crime in 2002, the most recent year for which it has data. No credible expert believes that number has fallen. Identity theft costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars annually.
While federal and state governments and businesses that extend credit have made progress in helping victims regain their financial footing, the experience of victims shows much more is left to be done.
In January, for example, a Springfield, Ill., police officer made a routine traffic stop of a 79-year-old woman, an identity-theft victim, according to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.