rockin'robin
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Someone Racked Up $800 In Services Using Sailor's Name
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- While serving his country, one Mayport sailor had his identity stolen.
An electric bill sent to Dante Elliot sparked an investigation, and a delinquent payment is how the 21-year-old learned someone had set up a JEA account in his name using his Social Security number.
"Not scary, it's frustrating," Elliot said. "It's more and more frustrating, because I have a collection agency coming for me, and I've got nothing to do with it at all."
For months, someone reportedly racked up more than $800 in electric and water services to an apartment on Moncrief Road that Elliot has never been to.
After taking the criminal report to JEA, Elliot found out that wasn't the only place or person using his information.
"Basically, it's a bunch of young kids. (JEA) gave me some names," Elliot said. "I guess people were using my name for a while because it's like different addresses I've never lived in."
According to JEA, Elliot did the right thing by going to its headquarters with a police report in hand. The electric company said it's up to the customer to go to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office first.
"Bring that report into us so that we can start an investigation, and we have a lot of ways of doing that," JEA spokeswoman Gerri Boyce said.
JEA's investigative team is able to check into fraud issues fairly easily, and they are helping Elliot resolve his problem.
"We keep track of everything," Boyce said. "We have copies of the notes that were taken by the call taker when this service was started, and we have a system where we can get a copy of the contract or the lease for that apartment. So we're able to dig very, very deep to get to the bottom of this to help that customer."
But for this sailor, who still isn't sure exactly how his information was stolen, it's not easy to correct the issues quickly.
"I work pretty long hours," Elliot said. "(I've) got to go out of my way to take care of something so childish, but I guess I go on throughout my life and learn from my mistakes."
Elliot does not have to pay the bill, and he plans to press charges against the criminals who have his information.
Sailor Has Identity Stolen For JEA Use - Jacksonville News Story - WJXT Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- While serving his country, one Mayport sailor had his identity stolen.
An electric bill sent to Dante Elliot sparked an investigation, and a delinquent payment is how the 21-year-old learned someone had set up a JEA account in his name using his Social Security number.
"Not scary, it's frustrating," Elliot said. "It's more and more frustrating, because I have a collection agency coming for me, and I've got nothing to do with it at all."
For months, someone reportedly racked up more than $800 in electric and water services to an apartment on Moncrief Road that Elliot has never been to.
After taking the criminal report to JEA, Elliot found out that wasn't the only place or person using his information.
"Basically, it's a bunch of young kids. (JEA) gave me some names," Elliot said. "I guess people were using my name for a while because it's like different addresses I've never lived in."
According to JEA, Elliot did the right thing by going to its headquarters with a police report in hand. The electric company said it's up to the customer to go to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office first.
"Bring that report into us so that we can start an investigation, and we have a lot of ways of doing that," JEA spokeswoman Gerri Boyce said.
JEA's investigative team is able to check into fraud issues fairly easily, and they are helping Elliot resolve his problem.
"We keep track of everything," Boyce said. "We have copies of the notes that were taken by the call taker when this service was started, and we have a system where we can get a copy of the contract or the lease for that apartment. So we're able to dig very, very deep to get to the bottom of this to help that customer."
But for this sailor, who still isn't sure exactly how his information was stolen, it's not easy to correct the issues quickly.
"I work pretty long hours," Elliot said. "(I've) got to go out of my way to take care of something so childish, but I guess I go on throughout my life and learn from my mistakes."
Elliot does not have to pay the bill, and he plans to press charges against the criminals who have his information.
Sailor Has Identity Stolen For JEA Use - Jacksonville News Story - WJXT Jacksonville