The vast majority of identity theft victims never find out who opened the new cell phone and credit card accounts or took out the car loans and mortgages. And, though, I’m sure it makes them look at even their relatives with a jaundiced eye, maybe they’re the lucky ones. Maybe it’s better to wonder who you can trust than to know absolutely your attacker is someone you trusted.
To know for sure I’d have to survey Shanell Angelia Bowser’s 89 identity theft victims.
Bowser, 30, used to be an insurance claims clerk with a medical claims adjuster in Baltimore–a job that gave her easy access to names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers and more. Last week she admitted to stealing personal information of insurance claimants to open 125 new credit card accounts and withdraw money from ATM machines.
With the $174,000 of stolen money and credit, Bowser and her accomplices bought clothing and electronics and paid for things like cell phones, landline phones, Internet service and cable or satellite television service.
Bowser will be sentenced in September and could get a 30-year prison sentence and a $1 million fine for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Each aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must be served consecutively.
Think of how many insurance companies, doctors’ offices, schools, employers and banks have your Social Security number …
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