A California woman’s driver’s license was fraudulently used to rent a Mercedes-Benz, open credit card accounts, and book travel, resulting in a financial loss of $78,500 and nearly ten days resolving the resulting fraud, according to a report by CyberGuy Kurt Knutsson.
The incident began with a voicemail received by the 57-year-aged Los Alamitos resident from a Hertz rental car location in Miami, Florida, inquiring about the return of a vehicle she had never rented. A thief had stolen her driver’s license, affixed a fraudulent photograph, and used it for the rental. The same stolen identity was then used to establish a credit card account and make airline and hotel reservations.
The victim faced a complex recovery process, requiring police reports in two jurisdictions, disputes with the credit card issuer, and repeated communication with Hertz and the hotels involved. Her financial accounts were temporarily frozen even as she submitted notarized identification and fraud affidavits.
While credit card fraud typically involves a single compromised account, physical ID theft allows criminals to act as the victim in real-world scenarios, extending the recovery process and potentially involving legal ramifications. According to Knutsson, recovering from physical ID theft is more complicated given that it creates problems beyond financial accounts, stepping into the victim’s legal identity.
Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, unauthorized credit card charges can be disputed within 60 days of the statement date, with federal law limiting liability to $50, often waived by major issuers. However, this process focuses on a single account and a defined investigation. Physical ID theft, conversely, requires contacting each affected business individually and submitting documentation, with no central agency to reverse the fraudulent activity.
The stakes can escalate if a stolen ID is used in connection with a crime or abandoned rental car, potentially leading to the victim’s name appearing in law enforcement databases. In such cases, the situation transitions from a financial inconvenience to a potential legal issue.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides an Identity Theft Report, which serves as official documentation of the fraud, often required by banks, collection agencies, and rental companies. Victims may also demand to provide a local police report, a copy of their driver’s license, and a notarized identity affidavit.
Unlike credit card numbers, which can be reissued, driver’s license numbers typically remain the same even after being stolen. While a replacement card can be obtained, the underlying number is not automatically changed. The Social Security Administration rarely approves new numbers, requiring extensive documentation and an in-person appearance for consideration.
Knutsson notes that identity theft protection services can monitor credit files and alert individuals to new inquiries or account openings, providing assistance with dispute filing and potential reimbursement claims. However, no service can prevent all misuse of a stolen ID.
Hertz has faced scrutiny in recent years for mistakenly reporting rental cars as stolen, leading to customer arrests. In January 2024, Fox News reported on the issue, citing cases where customers were wrongly accused of theft due to a “glitch” in the company’s system. A lawyer representing affected customers stated the issue was a company-wide pattern. (Fox4Now)
In a separate development, Hertz announced in January 2024 that it would be selling off 20,000 electric vehicles from its fleet, citing a “strategic decision.” (Fox News)
The Teamsters union has also been engaged in labor disputes with Hertz, extending an unfair labor practice strike to Miami in February 2026. (PR Newswire)
