Trucker learns hard lesson on ID theft and trust

August 25, 2010 – 10:10 am

Dwayne had been a trucker for 38 years. He loved being on the road, and had traveled all over the country. He even loved it when little kids pulled their imaginary cords to get him to honk the horn of his big rig.

Dwayne was a careful driver, and had never even gotten so much as a parking ticket. So when his commercial driver’s license was suspended for 4 DUIs he never committed, Dwayne decided he had to know why.

After losing his job, his marriage, and his good credit, he wants others to learn from the one mistake he did make – not keeping an eye on his credit.

The police found that someone had stolen Dwayne’s personal information, and had used it to rack up the DUIs, and to obtain a fake commercial license, in addition to a credit card, which fueled the thief’s drunken escapades.

The man was caught and sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges of forgery, identity theft and misdemeanor crimes.

But although the thief has been caught, Dwayne still feels no justice has been served. He’s lost everything; the incident has completely wiped him out. He lost his wife, his job, his home and his truck.

Dwayne had met the man who stole his identity at a truck stop a year before the theft. The man claimed to own a small trucking company, and offered Dwayne a better-paying job and more time at home.

After accepting the man’s offer, Dwayne gave him a copy of his commercial driver’s license and his U.S. Department of Transportation medical card, a routine practice.

But Dwayne never dreamed the guy would scam him. He’s regained his license, but he’s had trouble obtaining work. But he hasn’t given up. And he wants his fellow truckers to learn to be more careful.

His advice? Make sure prospective employers are legitimate before handing over any documents, and stay away from smaller trucking companies.

Dwayne’s slowly getting his life back. But if he had been a LifeLock customer, he wouldn’t have had to worry. LifeLock searches the Internet and databases for any compromise of your personal information. If any is found, it’s squashed. Period.

Call LifeLock today. They’ll put you in the driver’s seat to take care of your good name and your credit.

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