LifeLock Blog

A woman in Rockville, Maryland is wanted for multiple counts of  auto theft and various fraud charges, which include identity theft and eight counts of possession of false government documents. Somsook Jasmin McCollum is wanted because she stole an Oklahoma woman’s identity and used it to buy not one , not two, but three luxury cars. McCollum purchased an Audi, Mercedes and a fully loaded Range Rover all with one woman’s identity.

McCollum used the victims social security number to obtain a credit report and obtained a Washington D.C. Drivers license as well. This is all she needed to setup her scheme. She went to three separate dealerships and purchased the three luxury cars. McCollum also obtained credit cards in the Oklahoma woman’s name as well.

McCollum also stole a wallet from a woman from a local Pizza place, from which she used the credit cards and since bank account information was in the wallet McCollum was able to withdraw $11,000 from the victims back account.

Her crimes cost her victims close to $500,000 in damages, which makes this identity theft no small crime. Luckily all three cars have been recovered, but McCollum is still on the loose. McCollum has long black hair,5’3” tall, and about 150 pounds. She also has a scar on her leg near her knee. If anyone in the Rockville, Maryland area has seen her they are to contact the police.

The government has started a new program called CARS, which stands for Car Allowance Rebate System. The program is designed to get gas guzzler cars off the road. Your car must be 25 years old or younger and it must get less than 18 miles a gallon when it was new, and the car must now be in drivable condition. If your car qualifies you can get between $3,500 and $4,500 for your trade in.

Whenever there are government programs there are always scams that will supposedly help you obtain the rebate or credit from the government. This new CARS program is no exception. Police have already identified people running scams telling people they can provide a voucher or will add their name to an application list if they pay a fee and provide certain information. The scam artists will then take your money and use your private information to steal your identity.

The truth is there are no vouchers or application lists. The only people that can apply for the credit are new car dealerships. They are the ones that apply and they are the ones that get the money. The discounts can only be applied to new cars and the dealerships are the only ones that see the money.

So don’t fall for scams with catchy names that offer CARS credit vouchers or applications. Avoid anyone that offers money orders, check or direct deposit of your rebate, because the dealership is the only one that sees the money. If you look for these signs you should be able to identity the ID theft scams and be able to avoid them. Only trust an authorized dealer to handle the application process and be careful to whom you give your information.