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Coloradan Makes Federal Case Out Of ID Theft

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Jun 11, 2008 6:50 am US/Mountain

Coloradan Makes Federal Case Out Of ID Theft

Written by CBS4 special project producer Libby Smith

DENVER (CBS4) ― More than 8 million Americans reported getting their identity stolen in 2005. These days experts say it's not a matter of if you get your identity stolen but when.

Sheldon Chrysler of Denver felt he needed to go to extraordinary measures to clear his name.

"I feel very violated," Chrysler said.

Chrysler found out he was a victim of identity theft in December 2006 when he went to apply for a loan. He had four collections on his credit report for accounts in Detroit.

"I have never lived in Detroit. I have never been to Detroit."

The collections were for accounts with AT&T, another phone company and DirectTV -- accounts that Chrysler never opened.

"I've had no accounts with DirectTV."

"It's not typical that you're going to have your identity stolen in another state. It's going to happen in your state," said Joe Morales, the director of the Economic Crimes Unit for the Denver District Attorney's Office.

There is not much that is typical about Chrysler's case. He did all the right things -- filing criminal reports in Colorado and Michigan, putting a credit fraud alert on his accounts, and contacting the companies as well as the credit reporting companies. But still he couldn't get the collections cleared from his credit.

"It generally will take a very long period of time and it's going to take a lot of effort on your part and a lot of persistence on your part to get it done," Morales added.

Persistence and patience weren't paying off for Chrysler, so he filed a federal lawsuit against DirectTV, AT&T, and the credit reporting companies.

"Clearly I wasn't going to get this resolved by myself. I needed some external help," Chrysler said.

"I've never heard of anyone filing a lawsuit based on that," Morales told CBS4.

The court action worked. The companies settled the case and cleared his credit. But now, a year and a half later, Chrysler's finances are so depleted that he's struggling to realize his dream, which is to publish a memoir about his life.

"No one should have to go through this. It's a terrible, terrible experience. It's very devestating emotionally, financially and personally, too," said Chrysler.

Identity Theft Resources

  • In 2006, Colorado was ranked as the fifth worst state when it comes to identity theft. For a list of resources if you think you think you might be a victim, check out the CBS4 story What To Do If You're An Identity Theft Victim.

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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