Vontae Davis identity theft incident is another reminder for athletes By CARLOS FRIAS
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Marlins infielder Wes Helms didn't have to hear about Dolphins rookie Vontae Davis being victimized by identity theft to know the hassle it can mean.Helms learned that lesson years ago after seeing the stress it caused outfielder Geoff Jenkins, his former teammate with the Milwaukee Brewers. Someone apparently used Jenkins' information to open several credit cards and racked up "a good bit" of debt.
It took Jenkins more than a year to clear up his credit and deal with banks that had been defrauded in his name.
"He'd come in every day and be on the phone with somebody about it," Helms recalled. "As an athlete, you already have enough stress on you. You don't need something else pressing on your mind."
Helms then hired a service - they cost as little as $10 a month - to monitor his and his family's credit and bank accounts.
"We've got our guard up," Helms said.
Davis is learning that lesson, too. Apparently, a man stopped for traffic infractions June 9 in Champaign, Ill., showed police Davis' driver license and drove off a free man. Davis' wallet was stolen several months ago while he was a student at the University of Illinois.
Last week, national media reports identified the Dolphins' cornerback as the man cited.
Davis' grandmother, Adaline, got this forwarded text from his brother, Vernon, a tight end with San Francisco: "Your brother got arrested in Illinois."
Vontae, who was practicing with the Dolphins in Davie on June 9, was joking when he sent the text. But his grandmother didn't know what to think.
"It was like the blood rushed to my head," Adaline remembered. "I was thinking he got mixed up with some boys and got arrested."
Identity theft and fraud affected nearly 10 million Americans last year at a cost of more than $48 billion, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. Athletes can be particularly vulnerable because details about them - dates of birth and family members' names, for example - are available in press guides and on the Web. (Full text at www.palmbeachpost.com)
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