| You're driving on road one night, then you notice | | | | have special procedures in place for victims of |
| there's a police cruiser following close behind you. | | | | criminal identity theft. Ask your state Attorney |
| You figure the cop just wants to pass you, so | | | | General's office.If wrongful criminal offenses are |
| you move over one lane, except he moves over | | | | linked to your name, first contact the original |
| too and stays on your tail, then you see the | | | | arresting police/sheriff's department who originally |
| flashing red & blue lights then "Woooop!!! | | | | arrested the impostor, or else the court who |
| wooooop!!!" You must be wondering why you | | | | issued the arrest warrant and file an |
| were pulled over. You weren't speeding nor | | | | impersonation report with them, and confirm your |
| breaking any traffic laws and your tag is not | | | | identity. Ask the police department to take your |
| expired. Maybe it's just a burned out taillight. "Sir | | | | fingerprints, photograph you, and make official |
| may I see your driver's license and registration | | | | copies of your photo IDs, I.e.: driver's license, |
| please." Then comes the shocker! "SIR... step out | | | | passport, etc.. To claim your innocence, ask the |
| of the vehicle." You get patted down for | | | | police to compare your fingerprints and photos |
| weapons, drugs, etc.. "You're under arrest for | | | | with the imposter's.Maintain a detailed log of all |
| outstanding warrants." On go the handcuffs | | | | your phone conversions, paperwork, email |
| "Zzzzkkkkkk! Zzzzkkkkkk!" "You have the right to | | | | messages, contacts, etc.. Keep a detailed record |
| remain silent..." By now, you must be thinking "OH | | | | of all your expenses incurred. When writing the |
| S---!!!". "I've never been arrested in my life!" After | | | | authorities you should always use certified mail |
| you've been booked at the county jail, strip | | | | with return receipt. Email is generally not |
| searched, fingerprinted, and maybe spent the | | | | considered secure for sending confidential private |
| weekend in the slammer, you go before the | | | | information, so it's not recommended if you can |
| judge only to find out you're free to go, all | | | | avoid it. The rule is never send out something via |
| charges dropped because it turns out you're not | | | | email that would not want to share with the |
| the person they were looking for.Is this a case of | | | | public. Changing your social security number is |
| mistaken identity, or more likely, a case of | | | | rarely recommended as that usually causes more |
| STOLEN IDENTITY, or criminal identity theft. The | | | | problems than it solves.If the arrest warrant is |
| most common scenario is during a traffic citation | | | | from another state or county, ask your local |
| or misdemeanor arrest, the imposter fraudulently | | | | police dept. to forward your impersonation report |
| provides to law enforcement somebody else's | | | | to the agency of the jurisdiction where the arrest |
| identification, usually always that of a friend or | | | | warrant, traffic citation, or criminal conviction |
| relative, then skip town and simply not pay the | | | | originated.The police/sheriff's dept should recall |
| traffic fine or fail to appear in court as required. | | | | any arrest warrants and issue you a clearance |
| Unlike financial identity theft, the victim is usually | | | | letter or certificate of release in the event you |
| always known to the imposter. The judge will of | | | | were arrested and booked. It's essential to keep |
| course issue a warrant for his arrest. In many | | | | this document with you at all times in case you |
| cases, the imposter either stole or fraudulently | | | | might be falsely arrested again. Have official |
| acquired a phony driver's license or ID card in the | | | | copies made at the courthouse, in case it gets |
| victim's name. The impostor is most often | | | | lost. Ask the agency to file the record of the |
| wanted on outstanding warrants for failure to | | | | follow-up investigation establishing your innocence |
| appear. The victim is usually arrested during a | | | | at the D.A's office and/or the court in the |
| routine traffic stop. This type of identity theft is | | | | jurisdiction where the crime occurred. This will |
| easiest where the age and appearance of the | | | | result in an amended complaint. Unfortunately |
| imposter and victim happen to be very similar. | | | | once your name ends up in a criminal database, |
| Police are tending to be much more cautious | | | | it's difficult to get it completely removed. Ask that |
| today in order to avoid false arrest lawsuits. | | | | the key name or primary name be changed from |
| Fortunately, unlike financial, criminal identity fraud is | | | | yours to the imposter's name, or else to "John |
| rare.Sometimes, the imposter was arrested for a | | | | Doe" if the imposter's true identity is unknown, |
| serious charge such as a felony or drunk driving, | | | | with your name noted as an alias.You will also |
| and the victim's identity ends up in the criminal | | | | want to clear your name within the court records. |
| database system. The victim might in for a real | | | | Determine which state law(s) will help you with |
| shock when he is told he cannot buy a gun | | | | this and how. If your state has no formal |
| because he failed the instant background check, | | | | procedure for clearing your record, contact the |
| or is one day called into his boss's office, to be | | | | D.A.'s office in the county where the case was |
| informed he is being fired because a criminal | | | | originally prosecuted. Ask the D.A.'s office for the |
| record showed up in a routine employee | | | | appropriate court records needed to clear your |
| background check. In the end you probably | | | | name. Unfortunately in some situations, you may |
| wished this imposter were caught in Saudi Arabia | | | | have no choice but to hire an attorney to help |
| where he would be sentenced to 100 lashes in | | | | you clear your good name. You may want to ask |
| the public square.Unfortunately, the criminal justice | | | | your state DMV if your driver's license was used |
| system does not yet have a decent contingency | | | | by the imposter. Ask them to flag your files for |
| plan in place to clear an innocent person's name. | | | | possible fraud.Overall, your best defense is |
| The burdon of clearing one's name lies mostly | | | | prevention. Pick your friends carefully, and |
| with the accused, sometimes with steep | | | | safeguard your drivers license, passports or other |
| attorney's fees.Procedures to clear your name | | | | forms of ID.Visit and learn more about criminal |
| from criminal databases varies according to state, | | | | identity theft and private investigation. Download |
| or even individual counties. Some states already | | | | the latest tools to aid you in your investigations. |