We all know identity theft is not a joke. If you doubt that fact, look no further than one of the latest videos posted to TikTok by Mercedes-Benz Sales Associate Stacey Allen.
Allen (@staceyabneyallen) has had several videos describing her experiences as a salesperson at Mercedes-Benz of Houston North go viral. But a video posted to her account on Wednesday describes just how much information an identity thief can find and just how much damage they can do to the tune of $90,000.
The video has already picked up 457,000 views and counting.
In the video, Allen sits in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and describes her first experience with identity thieves attempting to buy a vehicle on credit using stolen credentials.
“The first time I realized that nobody is safe from identity fraud was about seven or eight years ago,” she tells her viewers. She says that a couple came into the Mercedes-Benz dealer where she worked. Although the dealership was closing, Allen says she was given the lead for the sale and told to call them the following morning.
During the call, the wife reportedly told Allen that her husband wanted to purchase an E53 Coupe as a gift for her to have after the birth of their child. Mercedes-Benz currently lists the starting price of the luxury car as $84,500.
The wife reportedly told Allen that she “wanted to do as much as possible electronically” when it came to paperwork and said her husband would then meet Allen at the dealer to test drive the car.
Allen says she sent an electronic credit application. According to her, the woman’s credit and income appeared impeccable, and “all the credentials matched.” However, the sale was not going to go through.
“Within five minutes of us pulling this lady’s credit,” Allen says, the dealer’s receptionist called and said, “There’s a lady that says we just pulled her credit. I looked in the system; it’s your customer.”
“She put the lady through, and the lady told me that, ‘Ma’am, you just pulled my credit, but that’s not me,'” Allen continues.
The woman on the phone reportedly explained to Allen that she was the victim of identity theft and that the couple attempting to buy the E53 had already used her credit information to buy a $90,000 pickup truck from another dealer in Houston.
Allen says she arranged to alert the identity theft victim of the couple’s arrival so the woman could call the police to intercept the couple at the dealership.
“Around 5:34, I see this large F350 [truck] pull into the dealership, and it had paper tags on it from that local dealer, and I knew that was them,” Allen says in the video.
@staceyabneyallen Nobody is safe! #saleslady #houston #dealership #theft #fraud #scammeralert #fyp ♬ original sound – MercedesStacey
Allen says she texted the victim, who contacted Houston police. She continues to say that she sat down with the husband, going over sales details until the police arrived. According to her, everything went as planned, and the man was placed in custody but not arrested.
“For the next hour and a half [to] two hours, the police was outside with this man to only come back and tell us that the [District Attorney] won’t accept the charges,” Allen says.
She says the police told her the District Attorney did not want to bring charges against the man because all the paperwork was signed by the “wife” of the couple.
The Daily Dot has reached out to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office via its website for more information.
Allen says the man was released, but the truck he arrived in was kept as evidence. The man reportedly began walking “toward the highway.”
“Not one of these brilliant boys in blue thought to go look in the truck” before the man began to leave, Allen says. “Because when they go to that truck, they found binders full of driver’s licenses, IDs, social security cards, birth certificates, you name it—hundreds and hundreds [of pieces] of information about other people.”
Thankfully, Allen says that after the binders were discovered, the police quickly apprehended the man just as he was leaving the dealership’s driveway.
Allen’s tale is enough to make anyone rethink their information security. Many of her viewers expressed their surprise at how much information the man supposedly had in his possession.
TJ (@taaylorbriann) wrote, “And to think the people who see this video could’ve been in that binder. Lord. Hope everyone stays safe.”
Another person commented, “I have LIFELOCK bc of this. Once your info is stolen, it’s out there forever. Still get phishing texts and emails daily for at least 7 years now smh.”
“This is why my credit stays frozen like Elsa,” another added.
Some viewers doubted anything of value would be lost, even if identity thieves stole their info.
Dan_coveney (@dan_coveney) wrote, “Ain’t gonna get nothing approved in my name.”
“If someone run my credit they’ll feel sorry for me and get me something in their name,” another viewer added.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Allen via TikTok direct message for further comment.