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Identity thief steals victim's Social Security number, uses it to take his cell phone number

Phone may have been used to verify charges
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When Tom Lenox of Pasco County lost cell service he figured it was network problem. But the warning bells went off after T-Mobile sent an alarming notification.

Lenox says he immediately called T-Mobile but the carrier refused to help stating they needed to see a police report.

Lenox contacted the sheriff’s office but they said there was little they could do. This victim lost his cell service and his number to an identity thief. The impostor used his social security number to switch carriers.

Lenox spent hours on the phone with T-Mobile without success. Meanwhile the bad guys charged up $12 grand on his credit card and hacked his email account.

The motive, the bad guys likely used his phone number to verify the purchases.

After hearing his story, we contacted T-Mobile to find out what it would take for this customer to get his number back.

Within hours the company contact Lenox and two days later they returned his number.

If you or someone you know is dealing with a case of ID theft check out the complete guide and resources at www.ftc.gov/idtheftresources.

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