Sounds to me like the government needs to place this woman in a sort of witness protection program. Change her identity for her, so she can have a life. But in Alabama, where...

“I’ve been a law-abiding citizen my whole life, and then I get to Alabama and I’m a criminal.”

This is the same for fit parents, fathers that want to be active in their children's lives, it is after all....

all about the money!!!

What a horrible mess.

I don't know if these things will help her situation or not, but hopefully they will --

1. She can try to get a new SSN. If she meets with the SSA and takes along all the supporting documentation she has, perhaps she can get some relief from all the warrants and credit issues that are following her around. The SSA could put a note on her old SSN documenting that she was a victim of identity theft; if this old number is used in any way/shape/form that it's being used fraudulently, it is being done by her cousin, and list her cousin's full name/SSN/LKA/AL ID #s.

2. Contact all three credit reporting agencies, as well as the local credit reporting agency, and supply full supporting documentation to them regarding the theft, and ask them to note in both her new SSN credit file as well as the old one.

3. If she gets a new SSN, have a block put on her file with all the credit reporting agencies that she must be contacted in person and give permission before her credit is run and any new accounts are approved.

4. Get a new AL DL or AL ID, referencing her new SSN, that she has been a victim of identity theft, and list her cousin's info in both the old file and the new file. That way, if her cousin shows up at the courthouse trying to get a copy of her new ID, she won't be able to get one unless she knows the new ID # and has a copy of the new SSN card.

5. Get the locks changed, keep copies of your bills, etc. in a locked file cabinet, and cross-cut shred anything related to your finances or identity (old bills, credit card apps, etc) before you discard it.

6. If she cannot afford legal representation, the Legal Aid Society of North Alabama (in the phone book) can be extremely helpful. They can sit down with her and help her get this mess straightened out. They charge on a sliding scale, based upon income.

I know she doesn't want to rock the boat with her family, but I can tell you this from experience, just because someone is related to you doesn't mean they deserve any less punishment than a stranger that steals from you and takes advantage of you. I had to completely disown one of my relatives after they stole a bunch of money and other valuable items from me. I'll never get back what I lost. But I've made sure that they'll never steal from me again. Some of my other family members got mad at me for my choice to disown this person, but they aren't the ones that suffered from what this person did to me.

Good luck, and God bless you, Ms. Richmond.

I agree that she should try to get a new SSN, however, there is no way I would want to connect the old number or the cousins information with the new SSN. That would just give an opportunity for the credit agencies to mix the numbers and she would be back in the same boat! I'm sure starting over would be very difficult for her but it may be the best way. I feel for this woman and the many others who have been victims of identity theft. It is very easy to get bad information on your credit report, it is nearly impossible to get it removed even after it has been proven you are not at fault. The system is broke and noone seems to be in too big of a hurry to fix it.

What I don't understand is the lack of prosecution. If Jackson got credit fraudulently, there certainly was a monetary gain for the theft of Richmond's identity.

Keep personal information off facebook too!