By Walter Dubowec

Thousands of Americans are victims of identity theft, only they don’t know it. The theft is often unknown to the victim for years.

Their identity is stolen and their credit is ruined. This can go undetected for years. Another such case has surfaced which involves an identity thief in California and an innocent woman in Kentucky.

A 24 year old Kentucky woman recently discovered she had been an ID Theft victim for the last sixteen years. Her Social Security number was stolen when she was just eight years old.

The victim was unaware that her Social Security number was being used until she recently tried to obtain utility services in Kentucky. She was notified by the utility company that someone in Sacramento had an active electricity account under her Social Security number.

                  
                   ID Thief purchased homes while victim was denied credit and utility service

Four years ago, the Kentucky woman began to suspect there was something wrong when she encountered difficulties getting credit and was subsequently denied credit.

She was not able to pinpoint the source of the problem until she was denied service by the local utility in Kentucky. A trace was made back to the identity thief in Sacramento.

Authorities stepped in and arrested 30 year old Vicente Soto who fraudulently obtained a child’s Social Security number sixteen years earlier.

After further investigations, police learned that Soto used the girl’s stolen Social Security number to purchase homes totaling $621,000 for two residences in the Sacramento area. He has lived in the second home for more than two years.

Two Homes In Foreclosure Ruin Woman's Credit

Both homes are in foreclosure. The foreclosures now are blemishes on the Kentucky woman’s credit until she fully clears her name.

Soto also used the Social Security number in other states, including Minnesota, where he obtained a driver's license.

Soto is now facing identification theft charges.

Sacramento law enforcement warns people to safeguard their Social Security numbers by monitoring their credit reports regularly. It is also important to monitor your complete identity, including Social Security numbers.