Jennifer Waters puts a human face on the impact of identity theft in a piece in The Buffalo News:
Identity theft and fraud have ruined Dave Crouse’s life.
In less than six months, $900,000 in merchandise, gambling and telephone- service charges were siphoned out of his debit card. His attempts to salvage his finances have cost him nearly $100,000 and have bled dry his savings and retirement accounts. His credit score, once a strong 780, has been decimated. And his identity — Social Security number, address, phone numbers, even historical information — still is being used in attempts to open credit cards and bank accounts.
What Crouse went through will come as no surprise to those who regularly read about breaches and ID theft. But that does not make it any less important:
“It was nasty,” he said, admitting that he even contemplated suicide. “I just couldn’t take it. I didn’t feel like a man anymore. I was violated, and I didn’t know what to do.”