<p>Hello, parents. I come to you all for advice. </p>
<p>It is the summer before my first semester in college, and I woefully must resolve a crisis that has currently struck me. I applied for a debit card recently at my local bank, and my agent informed that someone in a nearby major city has been using my social security number for over 18 years now. He is an illegal alien who has apparently taken out a mortgage under my social security number, although he reports no income. For this reason, according to the Social Security administration, I cannot be issued a new SS number. I also cannot access my credit reports to see if any damage has been done. I feel utterly hopeless; I feel as if no government agency is interested in helping me resolve this issue. I live in a single-parent, low-income household (I am also a QuestBridge scholar, so I am on a full scholarship to my college); I cannot afford a lawyer to resolve this. </p>
<p>Any advice would be more than appreciated. </p>
<p>You will need a police report first, then you need to contact all three credit bureaus.
Our local police department has a brochure explaining the steps…yours should be able to direct you to similar resources.</p>
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
o to report what happened. You can
+ call the FTC’s ID Theft Hotline-1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) or
+ use the FTC’s online ID Theft Complaint form.
o
for up-to-date information about how to work with credit bureaus and law enforcement agencies to reclaim your identity.
Social Security Administration (SSA) for
o a replacement card if your Social Security card was lost or stolen,
o a new Social Security number in certain circumstances, and
o
<p>Whoever is telling you that is full of BS. It is your credit report, and you can access it whenever you want.</p>
<p>First of all, put a fraud alert on all your credit reports. Transunion, Equifax, and Experian.</p>
<p>From the credit report, you can tell where the bogus mortgage is. Call the bank/loan servicer and tell them the mortgage is a fraud and someone stole your identity.</p>
<p>You may also want to put a credit freeze on your credit reports. It costs a few bucks, and is a real pain when you need to get a loan (you need to temporarily unfreeze your report), but it will stop anyone from using your credit identity.</p>
<p>Actually, no one is telling me that I cannot access my credit reports. I’ve gone to the annualcreditreport website for my free credit reports from the three companies, but it will not allow me to view them. It tells me I have to send in documents to verify who I am! I believe my mother issued a fraud alert on my credit reports, so this may be the cause of it. I am gathering documents to prove who I am, and I will proceed with obtaining my free credit reports by mail. I really hope they don’t give me any hassle about it after I send in various documents to prove who I am. </p>
<p>Once I figure out exactly what is on my credit report (my agent at the bank said that by law she cannot tell me much about who is using my Social Security number – oh, yeah that’s fair …), I’ll contact the police department in the nearby city of the illegal alien who has been using my SS# for these 18 years. Certainly they will be able to arrest him … :(</p>
<p>This is such a confusing process … I’d much rather be taking an AP exam or something … hehe (got to have a little humor to keep me sane through this!)</p>
<p>When you get those credit reports, you have to answer questions about outstanding mortgages and such, which Sligh wouldn’t be able to answer because the person who stole his identity has that information.</p>
<p>Once again, illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. Sligh will be dealing with this forever, especially since it’s so long-term and entrenched.</p>
<p>Just treid to access the “annual free credit reports”.</p>
<p>If the birthday you enter calculates that you are a minor, you will not have access to the report. Supposedly against the law. Comments on how to check your credit if you are a minor (under 18)?</p>
<p>I’m not a minor. Although my mother issued either a fraud alert or security freeze when I was 17 (when we found out about this). Fraud alerts only last 90 days (I think), so it must be a security freeze that exists considering I cannot access my reports online. But then again, annual credit report tells me that my information doesn’t match up (obviously because this illegal alien has mortgages and whatever else he has decided to do to me).</p>
<p>nah, it’s the government’s fault not having separate worker numbers for illegals. they were forced to steal SS numbers. they should be forgiven and while we’re at it forgive them for not paying taxes either.</p>
<p>Should President Obama apologize to them, Crescent? Provide them with Edible Arrangements to show our contrition? Perhaps their heads of state, as well?</p>
<p>Who told you this, or how did you find out? Just because someone stole your identity doesn’t make them an illegal alien. He could me a convicted murderer on the lam.</p>
<p>Also, if you are denied credit, you are entitled to a FREE copy of your credit report from the credit reporting agency (or agencies) they used.</p>
<p>The social security administration told my mother that they cannot issue me a new SS# because this man does not report income; my banker who initially informed me (when I applied for a debit card when I was 17) that he is an illegal alien living in a nearby major city (I won’t disclose the city online for privacy reasons). However, she could not inform me of his name or address (of apparently the home I own!)</p>
<p>Let’s not turn this poor kid’s problem into a political debate. OP- listen to the suggestions from Opera Dad above, CALL the credit agencies, and if you have a law school nearby, go there and ask for the pro bono program – they may be able to help you sort through the steps you need to take to get this resolved.</p>
<p>SlighAnarchist, you can report this crime to your local police department. You are the victim, and therefore your local police department has jurisdiction.
Don’t open a checking account with your SS# until this is resolved. If the other person has unpaid taxes or child support, it can be garnished from the checking account and it is a bigger mess to get that money back.</p>
<p>Hey, guys – I just got off the phone with TransUnion and Equifax officials. Apparently, I do not have ANY credit history with these two bureaus. I am attempting to get in touch with live customer service with Experian, but it is a hassle (the gethuman database that allows you to bybass the machines requires that I type in a case number for Experian, and I don’t such a thing). </p>
<p>Anyhow, I am very relieved that I have no credit history with TransUnion or Equifax; I am sure Experian will be no different. Nonetheless, I need to pursue the man who has been using the number for non-financial reasons.</p>
<p>I do not know how to explain the mortgage situation; according to the credit bureaus there is no mortgage on my credit reports. Online mess up? I don’t know. I definitely don’t have a common name, although that would explain a lot.</p>
<hr>
<p>All three credit bureaus report no credit activity. This explains why I couldn’t order my free credit reports online, the ones I am entitled to for free yearly by the federal government.</p>
<p>I spoke with an official at the Social Security Administration and according to their records, no one else is using my SS# or has reported wages. The official told me that if I am denied credit or anything by a bank because of identity theft, I would be experiencing a ‘hardship’ that would warrant issuing me a new SS#. Under the Privacy Act, however, the bank that initially informed that someone else may be using my SS# cannot release the information of the suspect. </p>
<p>I will be applying for a new debit card at a new bank soon (a bank that operates close to my college campus); if they inform that they have nefarious records, I will go forth from there. As of now, it seems that I am in no danger! Thanks for everyone’s advice and links; they were very helpful!</p>