A man, 38, only realised he was stuck in an identity theft nightmare when his debit card was declined while he tried to make a payment.
The nightmare of identity theft would only get worse as he realised he had been declared deceased, his bank account frozen, and he had to go into hiding to protect himself from crime syndicates.
“I found out that my identity was stolen on September 13, 2023, when I tried to make a purchase after work and the cashier told me the payment was declined. I then went to the nearest branch of my bank," he said.
“I explained my situation to the consultant and he told me my account was frozen and according to the system I died on Sunday September 10, 2023, due to unnatural causes.”
The incident caused severe disruptions in his personal and professional life, he said, leading to mental health issues and strained relationships with family and friends.
“This incident has changed my whole life, because when I started making enquiries these crime syndicates came looking for me. I had to take my wife and four-year-old daughter and go into hiding," he said.
“So now I live in fear and it is like I am under house arrest, I cannot return to work as I am still going through this life-threatening situation. I have been diagnosed with severe depression, post traumatic disorder, I have panic attacks, anxiety, paranoia, and my sleep is disturbed.”
The victim believes justice can only be served when he is compensated for his suffering and the criminals are apprehended.
He said he has complained to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) about the way police have handled his case, saying “only in May, 2024 did the SAPS make contact with me, because of Ipid”.
“Justice has not been served, because the crime syndicate members who did this to me are still out there living large.”
He said police told him that life insurance policies had been taken out in his name, and many of these had been claimed.
The Mercury