Just yesterday at a Wal-Mart in the Phoenix metro area, a woman was arrested for reportedly stealing the identity of another Phoenix area resident and using the stolen credit card number (and an apparent forged driver's license) to purchase goods online from a local Wal-Mart.
Chandler police arrested Crystal Wright when she attempted to pick up the goods purchased with the stolen credit card (kudos to the Wal-Mart folks who spotted the fraud). However, when Ms. Wright was arrested, she did not reveal her true identity and instead used the stolen identity of Margaret Farnsworth. After Ms. Wright's arrest, she was released.
A local newspaper reported the arrest. An alert friend of the real Ms. Farnsworth read the report of the arrest in the newspaper and informed the real Ms. Farnsworth. The real Ms. Farnsworth, upon learning that someone claiming to be her had been arrested, contacted the Maricopa County Attorney's Office (kudos to both Ms. Farnsworth for promptly reporting and to the alert friend).
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| Margaret Farnsworth | Crystal Wright |
Tempe police then went back and discovered Ms. Wright's true identity and have begun to clear Ms. Farnsworth's good name.
Ms. Wright has subsequently plead guilty to the charge of Aggravated Identity Theft (Class 3 felony) and may be spending some quality time in Sherriff Arpaio's (Maricopa County) famous Tent City jail.
Among the interesting things about this particular incident was that it highlights that the danger of identity theft goes well beyond just money. Imagine how unpleasant it might have been for Ms. Farnsworth (the real one) when Ms. Wright didn't show up for an arraignment hearing. The Sherriff's deputies could be on her doorstep to arrest, to charge, and to induct her into Tent City.
Sources:
- http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/11/11/20081111cr-idtheft1112.html
- http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/113191
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