Wainwright Jeffers
5/15/2010 – ALBANY, GA (WALB)
It’s the fastest-growing crime in the nation, identity theft. Last year, more than 11 million Americans reported they were victims. A South Georgia woman talked to WALB-TV about her ordeal after she found out someone at her doctor’s office used her identity to get a loan. “You feel violated, that’s something that’s important to you,” said Sylvia Cunningham, Identity Theft Victim.
One in every 10 American consumers has already been victimized by identity theft. It happened to Sylvia Cunningham twice. “Recently one of my creditors called me and said another creditor called and wanted to do a credit check,” said Cunningham. Her current creditor thought something was fishy when World Finance called for verification, and everything didn’t check out. World Finance approved a loan for 44-year-old Sylvia Green, the woman who tried to use Sylvia Cunningham’s identity. “The loan went through,” said Cunningham. Green was arrested Thursday when she showed up at World Finance to fill out paperwork and collect the money. “As soon as she wrote my information down, they came and got her,” said Cunningham.
Green worked as a phone nurse at Albany OB-GYN where Cunningham is a patient, that’s where she got the information used to fill out the loan application. Six months ago thieves got their hands on Cunningham’s bank information, and swiped $2,000. “My husband and I, our checking account routing number and account number were stolen,” said Cunningham. The victim said World Finance, the company that approved the loan, was very cooperative and help set up the sting.
Cunningham has since put alerts on her social security number. Green is charged with financial identity fraud and no longer works at that doctor’s office.
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