We all know that identity theft is no joke. If you doubt it, just watch one of the latest videos posted on TikTok by Stacey Allen, related to Mercedes-Benz sales.
Allen (@staceyabneyallen) has noticed several videos describing her jobs as a Mercedes-Benz saleswoman in Houston North go viral. But a video posted to his account on Wednesday describes the amount of data an identity thief can obtain and the damage he can cause. The $90,000 song.
The video has already been viewed 457,000 times and counting.
In the video, Allen sits in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and describes his first experience with identity thieves trying to acquire a vehicle with stolen credentials.
“The first time I knew no one was for identity theft was seven or eight years ago,” he told his viewers. She says a couple arrived at the Mercedes-Benz dealership where she worked. Even though the dealership was about to close at closing, Allen says he was given a sales address and told to call them the next morning.
During the call, the woman allegedly told Allen that her husband wanted to buy her an E53 coupe as a gift for her after the birth of their child. Mercedes-Benz lately quotes the initial value of the luxury car at $84,500.
The wife reportedly told Allen that she “wanted to do everything imaginable electronically” when it came to documents and said that her husband would then meet Allen at the dealership to check on the car’s driving.
Allen says he submitted an electronic credit application. According to her, the woman’s credits and source of income seemed impeccable and “all the references matched. “However, the sale did not go through.
“Within five minutes of withdrawing that girl’s credits,” Allen says, the dealership receptionist called and said, “There’s a girl who says we just withdrew her credits. I looked into the system; it’s your customer.
“It passed the little girl and the girl said, ‘Ma’am, you just took my credit, but it’s not me,'” Allen continued.
The woman on the phone allegedly explained to Allen that she had been a victim of identity theft and that the couple looking to buy the E53 had already used their credit information to buy a $90,000 pickup truck at a dealership in Houston.
Allen says he arranged to alert the victim of the impersonation of the couple’s arrival so the woman could call the police to intercept the couple at the dealership.
“At about 5:34 p. m. , I saw this big F350 pickup truck come to the dealership and it had paper labels from this local dealership, and I recognized it,” Allen says in the video.
Allen says he texted the victim, who contacted Houston police. She goes on to say that she sat down with her husband and toured the main outlets until the police arrived. According to her, everything went according to plan and the guy took him away. Detained but not arrested.
“For an hour and a part [or] two hours, the police came out with this guy to come back and tell us that the [prosecutor] would not accept the charges,” Allen said.
She says police told her the prosecutor needed to press charges against the man because all the documents were signed through the couple’s “wife. “
The Daily Dot reached out to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for more information.
Allen says the man was released, but the truck he arrived in was kept as evidence. The man reportedly began walking “onto the road. “
“None of those bright guys in blue had the idea to take a look in the truck” before the guy left, Allen said. “Because when they got on that truck, they discovered folders full of driver’s licenses, IDs, Social Security cards, birth certificates. , etc. – lots and lots of data about other people. “
Fortunately, Allen says that after the folders were discovered, police temporarily detained the guy just as he was leaving the driveway of the dealership.
Allen’s story is enough to make anyone reconsider the security of their data. Many of his audience expressed astonishment at the amount of data the guy claimed to have in his possession.
TJ (@taaylorbriann) wrote: “And to think that the other people watching this video may have been in that folder. Lord, I hope everyone is safe.
Another user commented, “I had LIFELOCK before all this. Once your data is stolen, you’ll keep it forever. I’ve been getting phishing texts and emails daily for at least 7 years, smh.
“That’s why my remains are frozen like Elsa,” another added.
Some viewers doubted that price would be lost, even if identity thieves stole their information.
Dan_coveney (@dan_coveney) wrote, “Nothing will be in my name. “
“If someone manages my credit, they will pity me and get me anything on their behalf,” another viewer added.
The Daily Dot reached out to Allen’s TikTok direct message for additional comment.