You’ve lived your entire life without so much as a conversation with law enforcement, and this is the way you intend to keep it. Unfortunately, the unthinkable has happened, and you’re facing criminal charges.
Perhaps you’ve received a summons through the door or even been arrested on the street? How is this possible and what can you do about it?
When someone steals your identity
Identity theft is a common crime and it can have numerous consequences. One of the lesser-known consequences is the victim facing unwarranted criminal charges. For instance, a person may have forged your driving identification and used it when facing traffic charges or tickets. Subsequently, it is you who have been issued the fines and penalty points rather than the person who was actually driving the vehicle.
You could be the target of a wrongful arrest
You may think that resolving an issue such as someone using your identification would be easy. Nonetheless, this can often take time. If someone else is pretending to be you while committing crimes, then law enforcement is likely to come after you initially. You may find yourself pulled over on the road or street and taken into custody. This sounds like a nightmare and far-fetched scenario but it happens all the time. If you say or do the wrong thing, then you could land yourself in further trouble unwittingly. Remember, you are protected by the Fifth Amendment from being forced to say anything that is self-incriminating.
What can you do?
As well as finding out who stole your identity, you also need to defend any charges that have been lodged against you. Having legal guidance behind you will give you the best chance of doing this.