Experts warn that thieves are targeting your driver's license for personal information

READING, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Identity theft has been an issue for years, but technology experts say a new target for thieves has been growing recently: your driver's license.

ID theft protection advocates say criminal networks are focusing data breaches on organizations that have your driver's license, so they can use your license information to get government benefits and open bank accounts.

"My first thought was this is a scam," said Chris Riley from Reading, Berks County.

Riley said he received a 1099 form in the mail saying he owed taxes on nearly $1,700 in income from Uber.

"Never drove, never had any employment with Uber," said Riley.

Riley said he tried to get help from Uber, but had no luck. He couldn't get anyone on the phone since the app-based platform largely only deals in communication digitally.

"I am asking for the fraud department, but they don't have a fraud department," he said.

It turns out, Riley was a victim of driver's license fraud.

James Lee is the chief operating officer of the Identity Theft Resource Center, which helps victims get their identity back. He said this type of fraud has become more prevalent.

"We're talking about in the tens of millions, maybe as many as 100 million at one time or another," said Lee. "What's new is starting with the pandemic, we started to use driver's licenses as a way of proving we are who we say we are."

Lee said thieves use the information to get real driver's licenses with stolen info or make fake ones that can be difficult to spot, depending on the state.

Often, thieves also steal licenses that are mailed to drivers.

"You can go on to YouTube right now and you can search for stolen driver's licenses. You'll get video after video of people showing the driver's licenses they stole from the mail," he said.

How thieves got Riley's information is unclear.

The Action News Investigative team reached out to Uber, to resolve the tax issue and alert them that someone was potentially driving using Riley's identity.

Uber told Action News it corrected the fraudulent 1099 with the IRS.

"How about rider safety?" said Riley. "There is someone driving Uber under my identity, so they didn't pass a background check. No one knows who that person is."

Uber released a statement that said in part:

"Social Security Numbers and valid driver's licenses have been and are required in order to use the Uber App to drive or deliver. The associated account referenced was flagged for fraud and banned from the platform in 2022."

Riley also filed a police report, but it went nowhere since this type of crime is hard to track.

"They had heard of it before apparently and had in the past the same type of situation," he said.

The ID Theft Resource Center said states are doing a better job of making it more difficult to get a license with other people's information, but more work is still needed.

The Real ID Act does make it more difficult to get a real license with stolen information, but thieves are also finding ways to do so.