Identity Theft Widespread
It’s about more than stolen credit cards, hacked online accounts, and bad checks. Identity thieves could be using YOUR identity when they commit crimes.
I was a victim of identity theft back in 2004 and the police officer who wrote up the report in the state where it took place told me I should keep a copy of the police report on me at all times in case I am ever pulled over for speeding or something and the police find warrants out for my arrest that may have been committed in my name by the person who stole my identity.
Think that sounds unlikely? Thin again. Here is a news item from the Tampa area this morning.
A Temple Terrace police officer pulled over a man yesterday afternoon for playing music too loudly in his car (the music could be heard more than 150 feet from the vehicle.) When the man was pulled over, he gave his name as Bryan Harmon and gave a birth date, saying he only had a Pennsylvania license.
The police officer ran the information and found a current Florida license issued to a Bryan Harmon with the same birth date, but the photo did not look like the man he had pulled over.
At that point, the officer contacted the police in Lakeland, Florida and they went to the address listed on the Florida license. It turns out the real Bryan Harmon was home and said he had not given anyone his information to use. After being taken to the scene of the traffic stop, Harmon said he did not recognize the driver.
The driver continued to insist he was Bryan Harmon, all the way to the jail on Orient Road. At the jail, he was identified by the fingerprint scanner as Joshua A. Smoot, 28, of Tampa. According to the affidavit, Smoot never volunteered the information about his real identity.
Smoot was charged with identity theft, resisting a law enforcement officer and driving with an invalid license. He also was arrested on warrants accusing him of tampering with a victim and failing to appear on charges of delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine.
He was also He was also cited for playing music too loudly.
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