In the absence of a Social Security number, the commission simply assigns a new identification number to the license holder. Walko said he will ask the commission to delete the Social Security request from its application. He also will review other forms to find out how often the request occurs and whether it is necessary. Identity theft occurs when someone accesses personal information about an individual, then uses that information fraudulently. One way is to apply for a credit card and run up thousands of dollars in charges in the victim's name.
Most victims usually are unaware of the fraud until the impostor has finished.
About 500,000 people are victimized by identity theft every year. So much personal information is available over the Internet, through medical records and even from motor license departments.