Thread: Identity theft takes emotional, financial toll on victims

Identity theft takes emotional, financial toll on victims

Originally posted on: Monday, January 05, 2009 by Kate Eckman
Last updated on: 1/5/2009 6:34:39 PM

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readartic ... =24737&z=3

LEE COUNTY: A single mother is trying to rebuild her life after her identity was sold for $800 to an illegal immigrant. She can't get a job or a loan and is struggling to raise her young children.

Rocxana Quintana has two kids, a husband, a job, bank account, and has lived in several apartments in Fort Myers.

Another Rocxana Quintana also has two kids, but no husband, no job, no bank account and volunteers 10 hours a day for the Salvation Army.

"They've helped a lot. The only thing I can do for them is donate time," said Quintana.

The Salvation Army is helping get the real Rocxana Quintana back on her feet.

The fake Rocxana Quintana is really Stella Santiago.

"She was taking part of my life, part of who I was and she was living it somewhere else," said the real Quintana.

According to the arrest report, Santiago, an illegal immigrant, bought Quintana's identity for $800.

Santiago told investigators she bought Quintana's personal information from a woman whose first name is Juana.

According to the report, she knew what she was doing was wrong, but did it out of necessity.">

"I was furious," said Quintana. "She's working and she has a bank account and she's living this great life with my information, which I can't."

Quintana discovered her identity had been stolen when she moved back to Miami from Pennsylvania and tried to set up an account with FPL. They told her she had an outstanding balance of $800.

"It hurts that the fact she didn't consider someone else's identity when she went and opened up a bank account and ran up an FPL account and stuff," said Quintana.

The fake Quintana, Santiago, has a job, is married and has lived in Fort Myers.

"I've never even been to Fort Myers," said Quintana.

The real Quintana can't get a job or government benefits for her children because her file shows she has a job and money in the bank.

Quintana says she's just trying to get to the bottom of how and where her identity was stolen.

"The only thing I can think of is a previous employer," said Quintana. "Whoever sold it to them has my information. So as long as I'm alive, they're still going to have my social security number, they're going to have all my information and that's disturbing."

Quintana now has a fraud alert on her credit and a fresh start this year.

"It was a relief. It really was. It was a load off my back to finally know, ok, I can probably start getting my life back," said Quintana.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office says to minimize the risk of identity theft, shred all applications with your personal information on them.

To prevent further harm, place a fraud alert on your credit reports, close compromised accounts immediately, report the identity theft and file a police report.

A mexican lady stole my 86 year old mothers identiy. She had taken her checking info and worte hundreds of dollars in bad checks. It took six months to get stores to take her checks again and many, many phone calls to get this straight.

Have you ever tried to close a checking account with stolen checks?

As I said in an earlier post Obama will soon legalize identity theft. He supported SB-2611 (Comprehensive Immigration Reform) with one of it's more odious provisions which would have given social security and other benefits to illegal aliens who used stolen social security numbers. Senator Ensign introduced an amendment during the debate prior to cloture which would have prohibited illegal aliens from receiving social security and any benefits and would have labeled the use of stolen social security numbers a felony for which it already is (class C) for US citizens. Obama opposed the amendment in effect condoning and rewarding identity theft by illegal aliens. Rumor has it the next shamnesty bill will make it even easier for illegal aliens to apply for and receive benefits and other assistance. The millions of naive and empty egg headed minions who support Obama are in for a rude awakening when they find out their lives have been stolen by illegal aliens who have emptied their bank accounts and deprived them of needed benefits because one of Obama's and Congress "chosen people" illegally here have stolen another American Dream.

Originally Posted by retiredairforce

As I said in an earlier post Obama will soon legalize identity theft. He supported SB-2611 (Comprehensive Immigration Reform) with one of it's more odious provisions which would have given social security and other benefits to illegal aliens who used stolen social security numbers. Senator Ensign introduced an amendment during the debate prior to cloture which would have prohibited illegal aliens from receiving social security and any benefits and would have labeled the use of stolen social security numbers a felony for which it already is (class C) for US citizens. Obama opposed the amendment in effect condoning and rewarding identity theft by illegal aliens. Rumor has it the next shamnesty bill will make it even easier for illegal aliens to apply for and receive benefits and other assistance. The millions of naive and empty egg headed minions who support Obama are in for a rude awakening when they find out their lives have been stolen by illegal aliens who have emptied their bank accounts and deprived them of needed benefits because one of Obama's and Congress "chosen people" illegally here have stolen another American Dream.

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