What To Do When You're The Victim of a Criminal Identity Theft Crime
Recovering from Criminal Identity Theft
The words "criminal identity theft crime" in the title of this article are not a typo. We didn't accidentally use the words "criminal" and "crime" in the same sentence. We're not talking about the "criminal" aspect of identity theft here -- we're talking about something much, much worse. If you thought financial identity theft was the only type of identity theft you were at risk of, it's time to acquaint yourself with criminal identity theft.
What's Your Name?
Let's face it -- hardcore criminals probably don't carry ID when they're out committing crimes (or at least not their own ID anyway). So when the police catch them in the act and get their personal details when placing them under arrest, what happens if the ID given is yours? One heck of a nightmare, that's what.
It's not the plot for a suspense film. It's something that happens in real life. Criminals don't exactly have a high moral code and if they can get away with murder (no pun intended) by providing your personal info instead of their own when placed under arrest, they'll do it.
What To Do
So what do you do if you suddenly find that you've been charged with a crime you never committed? What do you do if there's a warrant out for your arrest and you don't know why? Here are some steps you absolutely must take.
Don't Hide
First and foremost, don't hide. You didn't do anything wrong and running isn't going to make the situation go away. First, call a lawyer. Then contact the arresting law enforcement agency. You'll need to file an impersonation report and the arresting agency is going to have to look into the situation.
It's not going to be an easy thing to clear up, but with the help of a competent attorney you can take the appropriate steps and clear your name in the case of criminal identity theft.