Texas, Your Driver’s License May Have Been Used By Criminals For Months
A Chinese organized crime group took advantage of a security breach within the Texas DPS to get duplicates of thousands of driver's licenses of real Texans, according to KXAN.
DPS Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Williams said the unnamed Chinese group did not hack any state websites, but took advantage of a security gap, which he said has since been fixed.
The worst part is that those licenses have been out there, likely being used, for two months since the breach, enraging some Texas lawmakers who are demanding accountability and that the folks who had their ID duplicated be notified as soon as possible.
This wasn't any kind of high-tech or sophisticated process. The criminal group used personal information obtained off the Dark Web to request replacement IDs. Many of us, myself included, have used this online service to either renew our IDs or replace lost ones.
What you need to know
About 3000 licenses were duplicated, primarily of folks of Asian descent, apparently to, "aid people from China currently residing in the United States illegally."
The DPS was aware of this problem since December and should begin notifying affected individuals this week.
The criminal organization responsible has not been named, but some individual arrests have been made.
What Can Happen If Someone Else Uses Your ID?
Although it sounds like these folks are just using these IDs to avoid deportation and perhaps obtain employment, identity theft is a major problem and a major headache. If you ever find that someone else is using your identity, be sure to follow the tip outlined by the FTC to repair the damage.