How to make it tougher for someone to steal your identity

Think about the information you have in your phone right now. Your bank apps, digital wallet, email. Imagine a stranger has access to your phone while it’s in your hands. A North Texan said that’s what happened to him.

‘KEYS TO THE KINGDOM’

In a report to Dallas Police, a North Texan said an identity thief is impersonating him in another state. The victim tells DPD a stranger has a driver’s license with the victim’s information but the thief’s photo. In the report, he writes that the stranger attempted to open new lines of credit and successfully transferred the victim’s phone number to a new device.

“It really does open up the keys to the kingdom. It allows that person access to a lot of the information that you had on your phone,” said Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center.

With access to a victim’s phone calls and texts, Velasquez said a thief can log into accounts, reset passwords and bypass authentication protections. With that access, Velasquez explains someone can drain existing accounts, open new lines of credit or use medical and government benefits.

“They are just taking this one identity and using it everywhere they possibly can, unfortunately leaving the legitimate credential holder, the victim having to clean up an unbearable mess,” Velasquez said.

DRIVERS LICENSE REPLACEMENTS

The victim in North Texas, who is Asian, told NBC 5 Responds he believes a driver’s license security breach in Texas impacted him. In 2023, then Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw, who has since retired, told lawmakers it sent replacement driver's licenses to a criminal organization operating in New York.

“We are working a criminal investigation that’s targeting an organization, an Asian organized crime group, that’s been involved in purchasing that type of information and obtaining, for the purpose of getting identity documents, to support those who are here illegally,” McCraw told a Texas House Appropriations Committee on February 27, 2023.

McCraw told the committee criminals used personal information of Texans to create Texas.gov accounts. Then, ordered replacement licenses mailed out of state.

“Once they get the replacement driver's license, they can send that individual that was now assuming that identity into a different state. They can get their own picture, their actual picture and also get an audit number on that card, a unique audit number,” McCraw said in 2023.

Texas DPS said it and the Department of Information Resources discovered the vulnerability in late 2022.

Texas no longer allows customers to order replacement licenses online without an audit number printed on the physical driver’s license. The Texas Department of Information Resources told NBC 5 Responds it’s implemented additional anti-fraud tools for services available through Texas.gov. DIR said it ensures the security of applications on the platform is as up-to-date as possible.

Texas DPS tells NBC 5 Responds it’s now part of a state-to-state driver’s license verification system. It aims to confirm if drivers already have a license in another participating state. Texas DPS said, “Under this program, when a person obtains a Texas DL or ID, the previous state is notified, and Texas becomes the state of record for that driver.”

Texas DPS said approximately 5,000 customers were affected by the security incident in 2023. According to DPS, it sent letters on two occasions, in multiple languages, to all identified customers. Customers who contacted DPS received help getting a replacement license with the option of obtaining a new driver's license number.

The North Texan who reached out to NBC 5 about his ID theft report told NBC 5 Responds he didn’t get a letter in 2023. DPS said it couldn’t confirm, to us, if the consumer was affected by the security breach.

Texas DPS said it identified four suspects in the replacement driver's license case. Court records show three have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. A fourth, according to DPS, is at large. According to indictments filed for the four individuals, the fraud began as early as July 2021 with thousands of replacement licenses mailed to addresses in New York, Oklahoma, and Georgia.

TRACKING ID THEFT

Generally, FTC Senior Investigator Kelle Slaughter told NBC 5 Responds backtracking where thieves took your information is tricky. There may have been multiple data breaches leaking personal information. That, combined with basic biographical facts people may share online, can give a thief what they need.

“We do live in an age where your information may have been lost in a data breach,” Slaughter said. “You may have been talking to an imposter and gave your information away or other ways that they may have been able to get a hold of the information.”

Slaughter said consumers can contact the three credit reporting bureaus to freeze credit files. Also, ask for a fraud alert if you’re impacted by ID theft. If you’re facing identity theft, file a police report. If you believe someone is using your information on a license somewhere else, file a report in that state too.

Consumers can report identity theft to the FTC and get a recovery plan here.

The ITRC offers free calls or texts with one of its advisors to answer consumer questions about ID theft recovery.

Regularly review credit reports, available for free weekly here. Read bank and credit card statements line-by-line and dispute charges you don’t recognize. If you find accounts opened fraudulently in your name, ensure they’re closed.

“Follow up to make sure that when you've reached out to the credit bureaus to put a credit freeze in place or you've reached out to Social Security to let them know that your Social Security number has been compromised, or when you notified the licensing department in your particular state that someone is using your ID, you follow up and make sure that these things are actually being addressed,” Slaughter said.

The ITRC recommends consumers ask for protection with their mobile carriers.

AT&T, the North Texas consumer’s provider, told NBC 5 Responds, “We’re sorry this customer was targeted by criminals, and we worked to resolve this case as quickly as possible. Cybercriminals constantly evolve their tactics, and we work closely with law enforcement, our industry peers, and consumers to help prevent this type of fraud.”

“We’ve also developed simple, sophisticated tools for consumers to protect themselves from bad actors, including our free Wireless Account Lock security feature,” according to AT&T.

AT&T’s website explains the Wireless Account Lock security feature disables specific types of account changes and transactions – like moving your phone number to a different phone.

The carrier recommends consumers create a unique passcode for their mobile account and consider authentication methods that don’t depend on a phone number.  

NBC 5 Responds is committed to researching your concerns and recovering your money. Our goal is to get you answers and, if possible, solutions and a resolution. Call us at 844-5RESPND (844-573-7763) or fill out our customer complaint form.