Identity Theft Affidavit Form: 3
Someone could steal your ID and you could end up in jail for their crime. Police could have a warrant out with your name on it. Police say a woman they caught shoplifting handed them Stephanie Allen's stolen ID. Later, police arrested Allen, Indiana's WTWO reported. If you lose your wallet, this could happen to you. Could police come for you over someone else's crime? Here's how to make sure your word isn't all you have.
You'd think your real ID would clear this up in 10 minutes. The thief is counting on you thinking that.
This crime has a name, and it's called criminal identity theft. A thief gets caught and gives police your name. Then you end up with a police record in your name.
Police act on the evidence they have in front of them. If all you've got is your word, they have nothing to check.
You can cancel your cards, but your old license can still fool police. A thief can still hand your license to police. You might not find out until police show up for you.
Here's how it happened to Stephanie Allen.
This all started in Terre Haute, Indiana, in November 2024. Someone stole Allen's purse, and her ID was inside. Allen reported it, and she even got 2 new IDs.
Police say the woman they stopped for theft at Walmart was Melissa Spivey. Officers thought she was Allen because she had Allen's ID.
Spivey never showed up for court. That's why a warrant went out in Allen's name. Then deputies arrested Allen herself at a traffic stop.
WTWO reports that Allen spent 19 hours in jail. Prosecutors had officers compare the jail photos with the body camera video. Then prosecutors moved to drop her case.
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In a different case, William Woods told a Los Angeles bank that someone stole his identity. The thief faxed fake papers to police, and police arrested Woods. Woods spent nearly 2 years locked up.
A thief only needs a single stolen card. Victims use 4 kinds of proof to fight back. Even then, you can still get arrested if all you have is paper.
If you wait, all of it gets worse. A lot of creditors want your sworn statement within 2 weeks. Every day you wait, you're helping a thief.
With your name, a thief can open a loan. Then the thief runs up bills and drags down your credit score.
You could end up with something worse than debt, which is a police record in your name. In California, you might need a judge to clear it.
The FTC built identitytheft.gov to help victims. But the FTC warns that some companies won't accept its form. Some companies want their own paperwork instead.
Your license proves you're you. But when a thief holds your license, it says the thief is you. Then police have your word on one side and a card on the other. Your face is how police can tell you apart.
Report a stolen ID to police the same night you notice. If police mistake you for the thief, ask them to compare faces.
File a police report with your local police department. Make a report on the FTC's website, identitytheft.gov. Sign a sworn form, called an affidavit, and keep copies.
Your dated papers give investigators something they can check. Your face shows police you aren't the person they stopped.
Mail copies to each company by certified mail. Ask for a return receipt so you can prove it arrived. Keep every green receipt card you get back.
CaraComp goes deeper on every form in its write-up. CaraComp also explains how comparing faces can help you.
The writer, Cara Candelario, put it plainly. Signing a sworn form doesn't mean anyone will believe you. But your word isn't all you have anymore.
Write down the date of every call you make. Ask a credit bureau to put a fraud alert on your file. Keep each tracking number with your copies.
Send copies to all 3 credit bureaus too. Those are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Send each bureau its own copy.
A thief can still use your stolen ID. But now police can check your report.
Open your wallet tonight and look for your license. If it's missing, call your local police right away. Ask police for a report with the date on it.
A thief can hand police your name any day. File your report tonight so your proof is already on file.
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