An Alexandra man who was a victim of identity theft is urging caution with personal information.

“You don’t think it will happen to you, but it can, and then it’s a major,” he told the Central App.

The man’s wallet was stolen in Auckland, he reported it to the police, contacted his bank and cancelled credit cards. 

What happened next was surprising and took months to be resolved.

“The thief managed to open mobile accounts in my name with three different telcos - they had no issues as they had my drivers licence information, signature and so on.

“I had no knowledge of it until a debt collector tracked me down. Proving it wasn’t me was a major rigmarole.” 

The man had to track down a bank statement from the time of theft, his insurance policy information and a letter from his insurer, a copy of the police report, and proof of his address.

The process took months, repeated emails and phone calls to ensure the bad credit rating did not stick. 

It took three years to resolve. 

“My advice to people if you have your wallet stolen is to cancel your driver's licence with NZTA as soon as possible, along with your bank cards,” he said.

Tips to protect yourself from identity theft can be found in a free resource: The Little Black Book of Scams, produced by the Commission for Financial Capability (CFFC). 

It was released last year during the annual Sorted Money Week campaign, coordinated by Te Ara Ahunga Ora (Retirement Commission) and the financial capability community.  

The book is free to download online from Sorted, and copies are in your local library. People can order up to 50 print copies free to distribute through their community or organisation.

The Central App wants to hear from Central residents who have been targeted by in person or online fraud. Contact: [email protected] 

If you are a victim of any crime you should report the matter to the local police.