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OGDEN -- A Weber State student's story is a prime example of how difficult it is to get your life back once your identity is stolen. It's gotten to the point to where he's applying for a new Social Security number.
All the sudden, I started receiving notices my wages were being garnished for child support.
–Cameron Noble
Cameron Noble is a newly-married 22-year-old student who is studying radiology at Weber State. However, according to his Social Security number he's a deadbeat dad in his 60s living in California.
"It feels like it's never ending," Noble said. "Fifteen years and it's still going."
It started when Noble was 7 years old. His parents tried to claim him as a dependent on their taxes only to be told Noble was too old. In fact, his Social Security number showed he was older than his parents and that his name was Jose Zavala.
Noble's parents took care of the problem, or so they thought. Then Noble got a job at the age of 16.
"All the sudden, I started receiving notices my wages were being garnished for child support," he said.
Do you think you are a victim of identity theft? Find out more information on how to fix the problem at the Utah Identity Theft Reporting Information System website: www.idtheft.utah.gov
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But it was really Zavala who owed the back child support, and he would continue to haunt Noble for years to come.
A tax refund in 2007 was withheld to pay for the child support. In June 2008, Noble received a notice he owed back taxes. Any credit report Cameron ordered came back with Zavala's name, birthday and information.
Noble recently started using a service through his insurance company: Identity Theft 911. It's helping him get a new Social Security number.
Although it's not a done deal yet, Noble hopes it will happen soon.
"I can be a normal person, not worry so much anymore," he said.
Part of the problem in getting a new number is that government entities would tell Noble there had been a keystroke error. Recently, he received a letter from the Social Security office his is, in fact, a case of stolen identity.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
