Back in the very early 1980’s, I got a new job in a new city. The place that I went to work for set me up with a roommate who was also moving from different city. We were able to find an apartment together, and started our new employment. For me the job was great. The hours were long, the work was hard but I enjoyed it and was doing very well. My roommate did not like it. He was homesick, didn’t like the job and quit after six months. He moved back to his hometown, I assumed and I didn’t here from him again.
Or at least I though I wouldn’t here from him again. It took several years but I eventually got a call of the government’s Direct Student Loan program. According to them I had received $5,000 in loans to attend a college in a state I had never been to. I tried to explain to them that, I had never been to that state, that college or in fact any college. They said that they had my personal information, including my social security number, date of birth, place of birth, mother’s maiden name, and a driver’s license. I did not know how this was possible. They told me that if I did not pay they could seize my tax refunds and even garnish my wages.
I started to investigate, and all the trails led back to my former roommate. It seems he had gotten hold of my wallet and personal records while we lived together, used them to get identification in my name for him and then had taken out the student loans in my name. He enrolled in a college under my name and did not do well. He only lasted two semesters before he flunked out. So not only did he mess up my credit but he got me the worst grades I had ever received.
It took a while but I did get the loans erased from my records and the college record expunged. I still to this day have never figured out what he would have done if he had graduated college in my name. I would at least like to have seen the diploma.
Originally posted 2009-11-03 09:59:13.
