Identity theft is no laughing matter. Victims’ lives are turned upside down when their identity is stolen and abused to enrich criminal enterprise. Not only can it negatively affect the victim’s credit score, it could even lead to health-threatening information being added to their medical records.
Shook, OP left in tears. Their mom called them later to apologize and tried on the excuse that the stepdad had had something similar happen to him in the past. OP told her that wasn’t going to fly and added that they’d have to go to the police about the accounts, but their mom urged them to slow down and think it through. After OP hung up, they turned to Reddit for advice.
While it might seem challenging to protect yourself when the scammer is someone close to you, it’s an even better reason to keep your personal documents safe and sound.