identity theft, episode I, chapter two
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Virgin Mobile called me back today and confirmed the situation: someone has used my identity to open an account with them.
The crooks used my:
+ name
+ address*
+ date of birth**
+ driver's license number and expiry date**
What's more, the mobile phone company did a credit check. All of this without my participation.
*They made a slight mistake on the address and my date of birth.
**Hey schmucks: in Ontario, the final six digits of a driver's license contain the holders birthdate. Anyone with a functioning brain can see this at a glance.
Naturally, I spent the day dealing with the theft. I won't go into interminable detail:
+ The Toronto police came through as they always seem to: after I got off the call, a uniformed officer was at our door within thirty minutes to start taking the details. I was impressed with the officer's attention to detail—he even followed up on my muttered asides.
+ The bank and the credit rating agencies say everything looks good. Aside from the fraudulent rating submitted by Virgin Mobile.
+ I am in for years of grief. I've had to put a fraud alert on my SIN, which means extra phone calls and BS each and every time I try to do anything.
+ It was likely a car rental agency that sold my details. Not naming any names....
+ This city and Calgary are awash in this sort of crime: in the words of the civilian employee of the OPP/RCMP office that dealt with my call, this sort of crime is now almost as prevalent as traffic violations!
I've had my drivers license for only 3.5 months, but on Monday I have to go into Service Ontario and get another. The OPP/RCMP civilian fraud staffer I dealt with on the phone says that in Toronto and Calgary identity theft is now approaching the frequency of traffic violations. He said he handled a case recently with a Canadian "so prominent that if I told you who it was, you would fall on the floor." Toronto's really changed in my absence.