Source: iBerkshires.com
‘They told me I had to get this insurance or pay a penalty, so I got it. But as long as my social security number is printed on this insurance card, I will not use it. What kind of penalty will they hand me for that?’

Thomas is a licensed real estate agent and said she’s very aware of the financial ruin that often follows cases of identity theft. It’s access to social security numbers that most often paves the way to emptied bank accounts and unpaid, fraudulent credit card charges, Thomas said. She noted that identity theft prevention experts instruct people to avoid carrying their social security cards or other documents that host the one-of-a-kind number.

When she received her mandated state health insurance identification card in February, she said she was stunned to see her social security number emblazoned in dark ink across the top. “I was appalled,” she said during a May 10 interview at her home. “With identity theft as rampant as it is, that this state would mandate something requiring the prominent use of a social security number was appalling to me.”

“Identity theft is no joke,” she said. “It is happening and people can spend the rest of their lives trying to repair the damage. You can lose your credit rating, your credit cards, your financial freedom. People have been wiped out and we all know that once your identity has been stolen, it is a nightmare. There is no easy fix.”