Scammers Use Stolen Info to Make Fake Driver's Licenses

Everyone’s been warned about protecting credit card information or Social Security numbers from identity thieves, but experts say they're now seeing other personal information being targeted by scammers: driver’s license information.

"We're hearing about this more frequently than we ever have," said James Lee with the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC).

Lee said past data breaches supplied those scammers with tons of personal information from millions of people. Criminals plant them on the internet, and for a few bucks, anyone with bad intentions can reap the benefits and use the information to create phony licenses.

"You go to a marketplace on the web two years ago, you pay $5 for it. Today, you'll pay $150 for it," said Lee.

Virginia State Police Trooper Marcus Johnson didn't realize he had encountered one of those fakes when he responded to a traffic accident in July.

"Everything was normal," he said.

Johnson said the driver’s license came back clean and the registration checked out. He wrote a citation for following too closely for the driver of the Audi, Matthew Pantaleno.

According to the police crash report, a black Audi driven by Pantaleno rear-ended a Nissan on Interstate 95 in Stafford County. There was no major vehicle damage or injuries – but that doesn't mean people weren't hurt.

Here's the thing: Pantaleno told News4 he's never been through Stafford County.

In fact, at the time of the crash, he was at work at News4's sister station, the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia.

He found out about all of this when notices started showing up in the mail from Stafford County court.

"When I first got the notice, I immediately dismissed it because I said, 'There's no way this is me,’" said Pantaleno. "Maybe a week or two goes by, and then a second notice shows up, and I said, 'Whoa, what is this? Let me take a closer look.'"

The name on the citation obtained by the I-Team matched his along with the driver’s license number and address. But a few other details did raise an eyebrow.

"They said it was a black Audi. I don't drive -- nor can I afford -- a black Audi," Pantaleno explained. "The court record says it was a Black male driving the car. I am not a Black male. I have never visited Stafford County, Virginia."

Trooper Johnson said the photo on the ID he was handed matched the man driving the Audi. So, he was surprised to hear from the News4 I-Team.

"So, what went through my head was that was the most legit phony driver's license I have ever seen," he said.

And it worked.

The mystery driver drove the Audi back toward anonymity, and Pantaleno was stuck with the fines.

Pantaleno said he was told he would have to get an attorney to sort out the mess. Worried the debt would be sent to collections, he went ahead and paid while he tries to clear his name.

Lee with ITRC said his company has learned about more than 130 similar cases this year, and oftentimes, the perp gets away with the phony ID still in hand.

"It's not just a one-and-done kind of crime. It has a very long tail, and chances are you'll be hit multiple times," said Lee.

Pantaleno now knows that. After his interview, he emailed the I-Team a copy of a letter from North Carolina's DMV, notifying him if he doesn't resolve an unpaid citation there, his "[North Carolina] driving privilege is scheduled for an indefinite suspension."

"How much impact is this gonna have on my life that someone has a bogus copy of my license and decided to tailgate somebody hundreds of miles from where I live?" said Pantaleno.

News4 tried tracking down the owner of the Audi in North Carolina, where public records show he lives. All the numbers were disconnected. None of News4’s emails was returned.

Pantaleno said he's reporting his compromised driver's license to Pennsylvania's DMV. He was just reissued a new real ID.

But he's out the cash and cleaning up the mess, which Lee said is the only option anyone has.

"The only thing that can be done is you have to engage in the legal system, that this is not something anyone can fix on their own. You can't call up the credit bureau. You can't call up your bank. The only way to cure this is you have to go into the judicial system," said Lee.

A spokesperson with the North Carolina Department of Transportation said it's looking into the case and had been in touch with Pantaleno.

"Somebody with my license, bearing my name and my information, was pulled over by a state trooper, and to think someone's out there posing as me is unsettling, and this was a traffic violation,” Pantaleno said. “What if it was something far worse?"

Reported by Drew Wilder, produced by Rick Yarborough, shot by Steve Jones and Jeff Piper, and edited by Steve Jones.