Identity theft, identity rescue

It seemed innocent at first.

Noelle Dubay's purse disappeared from the Fox Auditorium on Friday, July 23, during the busy week leading up to the first performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Other players had lost items and then recovered them in the sometimes chaotic environment.

You're identity is valuable. Protect it.

It didn't seem that stealing was a possibility.  After all, this was Fort Kent, one of the most crime-free areas in the United States.

Perhaps she misplaced it?  Perhaps someone moved it by mistake?

Then on the following Tuesday, Dubay noticed her credit card had several charges listed in her online statement she could not have made.

There were other items that had been in her missing purse that she realized could start some real problems if they were now in the wrong hands - her college I.D., driver's license, other credit cards, and her passport (with her social security number).

Someone was moving around northern Maine pretending to be Noelle Dubay, making purchases at the Circle K in Fort Kent, at Marden's in Madawaska, and at other locations.  Someone had stolen her identity.

Dubay described her feeling at this point as a combined sense of bafflement and anger.

"I was baffled because I never thought anyone would do anything like that."  It was especially baffling, because, in our community, folks think nothing of leaving their doors unlocked and the keys in their cars.

When she discovered her social security number was in the printed data of her passport, Dubay realized this might be just the beginning of her trouble.  She said, "That was something I was going to have to look out for, for the rest of my life."

With the SSN, a thief could get credit in Dubay's name, purchase a home or a vehicle in her name, and apply for jobs.  She said, "If someone has your social security number, they can do anything."

Dubay reported the theft to the Fort Kent police and she also began taking steps to shore up the remnants of her lost identity.  She called credit cards companies to put out fraud alerts.  She started cancelling bank accounts.

Other steps might include filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and filing an Identity Theft Report with the police.

Luckily for Dubay, the Fort Kent police found the alleged thief.

According to Dubay, the thief had made a purchase at Raag's Music Store in Madawaska and store owner Randy Cyr was able to help police identify the supposed perpetrator, a Fort Kent woman.

Based on that information, police investigated further and soon had enough evidence to charge the suspected person.

Dubay said, "I'm not kidding.  When I brought everything to [the Fort Kent Police], within a couple of hours they had it all figured out."

As the victim, Dubay was unable to recover her passport and ID because police were unable to recover the purse.  She said the thief may have just thrown the purse into the trash, along with everything in it except for the credit cards.  For some people who lose their identity, the damage goes on for years.

Yet it looks like she has regained her identity and will not have to deal with the problems that plague other victims, such as being unable to get a loan for a house, buy a car or even qualify for a credit card.

She said she will miss a "very sentimental autograph from my favorite band, ever", The Blow.

It was a learning experience for the young college student, and one that may have come at a relatively low cost.  Dubay said she had no idea how easily a thief could wreck a person's life with just a few pieces of paper and plastic.

She said, "I wish I'd known."