Thread: Investigators: $110 million system doesn't stop ID theft

Investigators: $110 million system doesn't stop ID theft 9:05 PM
09:12 PM EDT on Thursday, July 6, 2006
By STUART WATSON / 6NEWS
E-mail Stuart: SWatson@WCNC.com

Millions of Social Security numbers, either fake or stolen, are being used by illegal immigrants to get work, according to the Social Security Administration.
Immigration officials said the way to stop it is with a new computer system that costs $110 million. It's designed to catch illegal immigrants when they apply for jobs, but the 6NEWS investigators found the program does nothing to guard against identity theft.
Vickie Dellinger worked a lifetime styling hair and before that in textile plants in Shelby. However, she never worked as a chicken catcher, someone who rounds up chickens for slaughter.
That's why Dellinger was surprised when the North Carolina Department of Revenue sent her a letter saying she owed $1,200 in back taxes for work at a chicken plant.
“There was a person working under my social,” Dellinger said.
After months and dozens of calls Dellinger's number is still tangled.
“I called Homeland Security, I called I.C.E and I called fraud alert,” Dellinger said.
But I.C.E (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) and all the other federal agencies didn't help her.
“(They said) this was not in their jurisdiction,” Dellinger said.
The logical thing that Dellinger wanted to know next was whose jurisdiction is it? Then she got a message from Detective William Howell from the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. Turns out her problem fell into the jurisdiction of local law enforcement.
Howell tracked down the man who used Dellinger’s number and arrested him. His name was Fransisco Alejo and Dellinger has worked through a variety of emotions about him.
“(I went from) hurt, angry and just plain mad to even feeling sorry for this person,” Dellinger said. “I know what he's done is wrong, but I don't know his circumstances.
Unlike most good old American identity theft, Alejo used Dellinger's Social Security number not to drain her bank account or wreck her credit, but to get a job at the Mountaire Farms chicken plant near Lumberton, North Carolina.
6NEWS asked Howell if he felt Alejo would be deported for using Dellinger’s Social Security number. He said “probably not,” but that it would be up to I.C.E.
Last week Representative Sue Myrick invited a Homeland Security official to Charlotte to explain a program that was supposed to stop illegal immigrants at the workplace.
The system checks Social Security numbers online in just a few seconds. There's just one problem, the system does nothing to guard against identity theft.
“You're talking about the ID theft problem. This does nothing to stop that. We have to admit that,” said Gerri Ratliff who is the chief of verification at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
And here's the kicker…Mountaire Farms, the company that employed Alejo, participates in the pilot program. The plant might have verified the number was good, but either they didn't know or didn't care that the number belonged to a completely different person.
“We've got to have some changes,” Dellinger said. “No one needs to have to go through this.”
Dellinger’s husband, who's still working, is paying Alejo's tax bill to avoid the tax man coming after his wife.
Mountaire managers never returned calls placed by 6NEWS producers. Neither did Alejo.
The Department of Homeland Security is asking for money to check duplicate Social Security numbers, but Ratliff said only fingerprint or eye scans would completely eliminate ID theft.
http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/sto ... 23ce5.html

Does anybody know how this system works. When you put in a SS # does a name come up?

If a name comes up you think somebody would have noticed that a man is applying for the job and the name for that SS# is Vickie Dellinger. Also assuming he is Hispanic in appearance last time I checked Dellinger is not a Hispanic name. However, do not want to jump to conclusions until I know how the system works.

“(I went from) hurt, angry and just plain mad to even feeling sorry for this person,” Dellinger said. “I know what he's done is wrong, but I don't know his circumstances.
Unlike most good old American identity theft, Alejo used Dellinger's Social Security number not to drain her bank account or wreck her credit, but to get a job at the Mountaire Farms chicken plant near Lumberton, North Carolina.

Dellinger’s husband, who's still working, is paying Alejo's tax bill to avoid the tax man coming after his wife.

Everybody makes their choices, but they'd have to come get this wife outa my house.

6NEWS asked Howell if he felt Alejo would be deported for using Dellinger’s Social Security number. He said “probably not,” but that it would be up to I.C.E.

Probably not? This is a freaking felony!

And here's the kicker…Mountaire Farms, the company that employed Alejo, participates in the pilot program. The plant might have verified the number was good, but either they didn't know or didn't care that the number belonged to a completely different person.

I knew this pilot program was nothing more than govenment (i.e. taxpayer) funded PR SHAM when some of the worst offenders, including Tyson, Perdue, Dunkin Donuts, ect., recently began signing up. Great! Now WE are paying to let these traitorous businesses hide behind the false cloak of legitamacy while allowing identity theft to run rampant.

“We've got to have some changes,” Dellinger said. “No one needs to have to go through this.”

In other words....BUSTED!

Dellinger’s husband, who's still working, is paying Alejo's tax bill to avoid the tax man coming after his wife.

OMG! What is this man thinking? Let the tax man come, dare him even!