Dallas

Identity Theft Victims May Have a Criminal Record and Not Know It

You could have a criminal record right now and not even know it. The major problem is expected to get much bigger, and it's all due to identity theft.

When you think of identity theft, you may think about someone opening a bank account in your name or using your credit card numbers for purchases you never made.

But when crooks have your name, address and Social Security number, they can do much more.

Fake IDs can be made with your stolen information. Crooks can cash bad checks and even hand over the fake ID to officers if they're being arrested. It's no longer their name on the record, but yours.

It happened to Adrien Boyd. She's a member of the military and was deployed when someone stole her identity and used it to commit financial crimes in her name.

"She had a hindering apprehension, injury to a child, assault, failure to appear — she had done quite a few things with my name, Social Security number," Boyd said.

Most of us monitor our credit report, but how often do you check to see if you were arrested?

This could be going on without your knowledge, and you would never know until a police officer comes to arrest you for missing court or you go to get a new driver's license.

Like Boyd, only then will you learn what the legal system thinks you did.

"These are innocent people," said the Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson. "Ms. Boyd served in the Air Force, and she [came] home and someone had been using her ID all the time she was gone defending her country."

Just like you check your credit, you should check your criminal history.

Run a background check on yourself.

If there are crimes on there you didn't commit, the Dallas County district attorney is holding an Identity Theft Expo on Oct. 28 where the DA's office and sheriff's will verify your identity and help you clear your name.

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