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Updated at: 09/11/2008 06:00:12 PM
By: Ray Levato
Could you be a victim of identity theft?
Identity theft. It's a growing problem in this country. Could it happen to you?

A Rochester woman is under arrest for theft of services after allegedly stealing a man's Social Security number. Greece police identify the suspect as Shamika Ellis, 24. Investigators say she used it to sign up for cable TV. And she ran up a $1,000 cable bill for movies in just one month.

The victim doesn't want his identity known. He called himself Todd for this interview. "In January 2007, I had applied for an apartment. I didn't think anything about it until April when I got a huge cable bill, but it was for a different address. It was over $1,000. I said, Whoa, wait a minute."

That's when the cable company's investigative team went to work. And the cable bill grew. "They found it was another person who had lived there who was using my identity. And she ran up close to $2,000 worth of services and never paid for them. And it ended up on my credit. Somehow she got my Social Security number. She somehow got a hold of the application, found the Social Security number and decided to use it. According to the records, she said that she was my wife and I explained I've never been married."

Identity theft happens all the time. In a separate case Thursday in U.S. District Court, a Rochester woman was arraigned on charges of running up thousands of dollars in credit card bills by "...using stolen credit card information and unauthorized personal identification such as social security numbers and dates of birth," according to federal court documents. She is named in the criminal complaint as LaQuinda Brown.

As for Todd, the cable company called to say a suspect was arrested. "I just hope that justice is served and that it serves as a warning to others. Don't just blindly give out it out. Don't give out personal information at all. People whop use the internet, be careful when filling out applications. Just be careful with your personal information."

Ellis is due back in Greece town court on September 26
http://www.estherpinkston.com Posted By: Esther Pinkston
Thursday, September 11th 2008 at 11:29PM
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