What to Expect After Having Your Identity Stolen

Hope and pray that your identity never gets stolen. One of the most complicated, difficult, nerve wrecking, time and money consuming situations that a good, law abiding human being can experience is having their identity stolen. The victim is rarely ever treated or even labeled as a victim; instead, they become a clown in what I like to call the Stolen Identity Circus. As a fellow clown of the Stolen Identity Circus, I can tell you from my personal experiences what to expect to encounter after having your identity stolen.

Once you have made the terrible discovery that someone is pretending to be you, using your personal information to receive services or benefits, or just doing anything fraudulent with your personal information, expect to be the only person who is upset about it. Plenty of people can tell you that it sucks the patience out of you, but until you experience it for yourself, you will never know. When you call the police to make a report, don't expect them to hurry over. Remember, this is just extra paper work that the reporting officer will have to file. Don't expect them to investigate your claims of identity theft either; your City's finest have much bigger fish to fry. Expect to make several phone calls, wait a few days, and juggle your own personal time in order to get a copy of your police report.

If you have discovered that someone got a traffic violation and fraudulently signed your name to it, get ready for the spot light. Bring any documentation showing who you are and where you were during the time of the violation to the City Court Clerk, and expect the Judge, Clerk and Prosecutor to treat you like a lying criminal. The court is just looking for someone to pay the costs related to the citation and will make you jump through all kinds of hoops to prove your innocence. Don't expect justice to be served because the criminals who are stealing the innocents' identities are typically smarter than the system that prosecutes them.

Perhaps, your credit would be perfect if that punk of a perpetrator didn't use your social security number to open up fraudulent utility services, phone services and/or set up cable, and then neglect to pay for it. Don't expect the companies that provided the services or the collection agencies to care who you are or who the punks were, they just want their money. Expect to provide several pieces of personal identification, police reports, and proof of residence during the time that the services were provided. The companies and collection agencies will make you fill out an additional report of fraudulent services rendered. The fraudulent accounts will not be removed from your credit until the accounts have been sufficiently investigated by the Stolen Identity Ring-leaders (account managers). Expect to make several phone calls, faxes, and to write several letters before the Ring-leaders will get tired of hearing from you and finally decide that you are not to be held liable for the cost of fraudulent services rendered.

Identity theft is a crime that leaves the victim feeling like a clown in a circus. Don't expect the problem to go away on its own, or anyone to jump up and help you. The spectators of the Stolen Identity Circus can only laugh and look on in awe as you jump through hoops and juggle your time to clear your name and identity.