A Christmas Miracle? Not So Fast...

It happens without fail every time this year. Identity Theft. Let me give you all a glimpse of my hell.

It started almost 5 years ago. I was pregnant with Emily. I got a coupon booklet in the mail for 60 payments of almost $800 each. Hmmm... That's weird. It was actually more than my mortgage. I call them up. I was told so politely that's it was for my new 2004 Toyota Sequoia. Huh? After some research, I found out that a lady with a license with all my info and her picture got a top of the line, decked out, leather seats and all, SUV in my name. She just drove off the lot and sent me the payment booklet.

The nightmare begins...

I'll spare you all the details, but it's been a horrible, horrible experience. She has got me for over $100,000. Now, I'm not out a penny, but I'm out probably over 100 hours of my time making police reports, trying to prove who I am and clearing up my credit. She's walked into every store that I owned a credit card for(Victoria's Secret, Circuit City, Target, etc.) and maxed them out. You can do this with only a driver's license. She's also made checks in my name. She'd write checks to various stores and they'd all bounce. She even found out who I banked with and went in and took over $5,000. I switched banks. She did it again at the new one a year later.

I now have nothing in my name. My credit cards are piggy backed off of David's. I no longer have a bank account. I have a permanent 7 year fraud alert on my credit bureau which means I can't get credit anywhere without them calling my home number first.

This still doesn't stop this woman.

Here's what happened today.

I'm outside with the kids putting up Christmas lights and the UPS guy pulls up. Strange. I'm not expecting anything. He confirms my name and hands me an envelope. I open it and find a check to me in the amount of $5,450 from a very prestigious medical college in Texas. I knew right away it wasn't the Christmas miracle that I was hoping for.

I originally thought she applied for something in my name and maybe it's a payoff of on an account or loan or something. To be honest, I thought about cashing it. Why not, right? After all I've been through, $5,000 at Christmas would more than compensate for my endless headaches. I called my husband who insisted I call the college. Dammit. Why is he so good? I'm thinking take the money. If they ever ask, I give it back. Morals got the better of me and I made the call and even left a message when no one answered.

In the meantime, David called me. He figured it all out. It's a bad check. See, it has their fraudulent account number at the bottom. I deposit it. They can see my account number and who I bank with on the back of the check by tomorrow. Then, she can waltz into the bank and try to get the money out. True, the account isn't in my name, but they would probably do a few online bank transfers like they have in the past and eventually, she'd get the money. She always does.

The lady at the college confirmed it was fraud.

About a month ago, my Dad's checking account got hit for $2900. I had been on that account with him for 10 years and when all this started, I advised him to take my name off. It was a hassle, so he didn't bother. She found his account using my name and transfered the money out. In the end, the hassle found him.

These people are smart. Really smart. If they could use their brains for the greater good, they could probably figure out a way to end hunger, create world peace and fix this economy (without stealing). I'm not even kidding. They figure out everything else.

Of course, I've reported it to the police about a dozen times and I will again today. Nothing ever happens. She's in Texas living in an apartment probably in my name and working at a job in my name as well. According to Social Security I made $900 last year. Funny, I don't get paid and haven't made a penny since 2005.

I've tried to change my social security number, but did you know they are almost out of numbers? They won't switch it for me.

I tell you all of this just to bring awareness. I live each day praying that she will get caught. In the meantime, I sit and wait for the next time she will strike.